Kokomio

Kokomio, which is a line of USDA Organic high pressure processed (HPP) coconut beverages, is back with a significant update from our first review of the brand in 2019. This includes both a major refresh to its packaging and an update to its flavor lineup.

The new flavors include Original, Cacao, Cold Brew Coffee and Pineapple Juice. Gone are the probiotic and hemp SKUs, which we thought were pretty confusing and niche anyway. The new focus appears to be on delivering enjoyable flavor pairings, and we think this is the right move. The products have between 100 and 130 calories and no added sugars.

However, the approach to the formulations really hasn’t changed. The products are made with organic certified coconut water and pulp, which come from Guerrero, Mexico, and the flavoring comes from real ingredients: cold brew coffee, pineapple juice or cacao. 

This simple and clean approach to the ingredients is a key reason why these products taste great. They are very true to flavor and strike a nice balance between coconut water and pulp. The drinks have just the right amount of body; we’d describe the mouthfeel as being on par with a protein drink rather than a smoothie. 

The refreshed flavors also feel spot on. Original is the pure unadulterated coconut experience, while Cacao and Cold Brew provide bolder flavors. Last but not least is Pineapple, which is lighter and a bit more crushable than the others. 

On the outside, they’ve switched to a new package. Gone is the long and narrow bottle from the first version, now replaced by a custom bottle that’s designed to look like a coconut. It’s round at the top and bottom and straight in the middle. This makes it easy to grip and clearly highlights the hero ingredient.

The label, which is a shrink sleeve label that’s applied pretty well, feels slightly busy, but is definitely readable. We only have two points of constructive feedback. First, we wish that the Kokomio logo was on a single line rather than stacked as “Ko-Ko-Mio.” This would make it a bit easier on the eyes. Second, we think that the accent colors should go with the flavors a bit more. Blue for cold brew and magenta for cacao isn’t quite what you’d associate with these flavors and we think it undermines them as visual cues. 

Overall, minor suggestions aside, this is a really nice update and upgrade for the Kokomio brand. It’s definitely one of the better coconut beverages on the market right now.

Kokomio is a new line of high pressure processed (HPP) whole coconut beverages that are produced in Mexico. The brand’s initial lineup features three flavors, including Whole Coconut + Cold Brew Coffee, Whole Coconut + Hemp, and Whole Coconut + Probiotics.

All three flavors are packaged in tall and narrow 11.8 oz bottles and use a clean and simple ingredients, starting with the base of organic coconut water and pulp. From there, these products use ingredients that are true to their flavor name: organic cold brew coffee, organic hemp, and probiotics (1 billion CFUs).

Sampling each of the three varieties, we were generally pleased. Despite being “whole coconut,” the products aren’t overly thick and drink more closely to a juice than a smoothie. This seems like a good thing in terms of broadening the appeal of the products.

Beyond that, we feel as though the Cold Brew Coffee and Probiotic SKUs are right where they need to be in terms of flavor. The Hemp flavor feels like it needs a bit of work -- it has a rather grassy taste and, despite it being a good technical representation of coconut paired with hemp, we have a hard time seeing mass appeal for it.

Nutritionally, these products vary a fair amount. Calories range from 120-199, depending on the SKU,and there’s a pretty big swing between fat, protein, and potassium content as well. The Cold Brew Coffee SKU has 102 mg of caffeine and MCT, the Hemp variety touts 14 g of plant protein, and the Probiotics SKU promotes its 1 billion active cultures.

This is a good segway to the product’s positioning, branding, and packaging, which are the areas that we feel need improvement.

First and foremost, the tall and narrow package feels easy to knock over and, thanks to the HPP, it has large sections that appear sucked in. Next, there’s the label, which has a white backdrop and a cluttered set of illustrations.  Lastly, it’s not clear what this drink is trying to be. Is it a juice? A smoothie? A meal replacement? Better and more direct copy would help this.

Unfortunately, all of these things combine to create something that feels sloppy, is somewhat hard on the eyes, and we think will be easy to miss on shelf (perhaps aside from the consumer that is specifically seeking coconut). We’d strongly suggest the brand to revisit both the bottle format and the label design as what we see now definitely undermines the quality and credibility of the liquid inside the bottle.

Overall, Kokomio has created two formulations that feel ready to go in terms of flavor, but the third SKU and the product’s appearance are definitely in need of improvement.