After rebranding and reformulating its line of powdered beverages, SOS Hydration is sending a new message to consumers around daily wellness.
SOS debuted its new SOS Daily Hydration line this spring touting a formula developed by Blanca Lizaola-Mayo — a gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist as well as CEO James Mayo’s wife — that adds vitamins B6, B12, C, D and folic acid to its electrolyte mix, alongside pre-existing ingredients like magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Along with the reformulation, SOS has also updated its flavor offerings. Watermelon and Mango carry over from its previous line, Coconut and Fruit Punch have been dropped in favor of two new flavors, Rainbow Sherbet and Guava, the latter available only in a multiserve tub format. As well, its Berry flavor has been updated to Mixed Berry and Lemon Lime has been changed simply to Lemon.
Initially positioned as a “Hydration Accelerator” – the name itself, SOS, suggests an emergency use case – the repositioning as a daily product aims to increase use occasions and consumers’ use rate. Mayo noted that the company began exploring immunity and cognitive-support opportunities during the pandemic, when consumers were actively seeking out both functions. This new formulation, he said, aims to deliver on both by promoting a healthy daily routine.
“During COVID we started seeing people taking more of an eye about their immunity, about their daily vitamins, about their daily minerals,” he said. “So Blanca started researching the right balance of vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis, rather than these 3,000% [products] which you just end up losing and urinating out.”
The new formulation arrives with updated packaging designed by Hello Design featuring a cleaner design contrasting a white background with flavor-specific colors and the size of its single-serve powder sticks has been increased from 5.6 grams to 6 grams. Mayo said the larger sticks not only increase the amount of nutrients each serving contains, but are also easier to grab off the shelf and carry on the go.
“The rebrand is really to kick home the message that SOS Daily is there for you in the morning, it’s there for your lunchtime, it’s not only something to have after the event, but it’s as important to you as a coffee or your double mocha frappuccino,” he said. “If you have alcohol … or if you’ve just sat in an air conditioned office or you’re traveling, all of those things dehydrate and we’re the yin to the yang of anything that dehydrates.”\
The updated product line has now launched online and in retail, receiving chainwide approval in CVS earlier this year with a presence in two aisles of the store, Mayo said. The brand is also available in Whole Foods, Kroger and Hyvee. As well, SOS has expanded its business internationally, opening up the U.K., New Zealand, Australia and Singapore.
Since the launch of the updated SOS Daily line in April, Mayo said the business is currently cash flow positive, crediting the achievement to strong relationships with manufacturing partners and a maintaining a strong focus on existing retailers.
“We’ve optimized every area of the business from our 3PL to the warehouse to our price to our margins,” he said. “We realize the market might still get uglier before it gets better, and we want to be in that sort of position going forward. We’re not, obviously, going to be cash flow positive all the time. Say, before we roll out into a store [we won’t be] but obviously afterwards, you get the catch up from the purchase orders and it’s just about managing that.”
SOS has gotten back to cash flow positive after pulling back on some areas of the business. The brand’s ready-to-drink line is currently on hiatus, Mayo said, however the brand is looking to reintroduce the liquid products in the future.
Looking ahead, SOS has also brought in several new – and one returning – executives and directors, including co-founder Tom Mayo, who returned to the brand full time as president last year after several years working on other projects.
The company has also added former Kill Cliff VP of sales Gene LaPine, who serves as SOS’s first VP of sales, and marketing director Steven Fernandez, former global content director for CPG group ZURU Edge.