So Real: Citrus Pear

So Real’s Citrus Pear is a sugar and stevia sweetened beverage that is enhanced with calcium, fiber, electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals. The flavor is very much that of a juice cocktail meets an enhanced water, with apple (1 percent apple juice), pear, and orange the primary flavors. It definitely tastes like a reduced calorie beverage, which it is (25 calories per bottle), with a touch of stevia at the finish. Otherwise, the product tastes good, but not great, with a flavor that is reminiscent of a children’s juice box. The functional benefits are nice, but somewhat confusing in the sense that it’s not really clear what this product’s primary purpose is. The name “So Real” doesn’t help, with that name probably being better used on something that actually has real fruit content. And, unfortunately, we’d say the same thing about the label design, which has a somewhat unattractive color palette and aesthetic appearance that again feels at odds with the word “real.” Overall, the concept definitely seems like a marketable one, but we think it would have a much better chance of success if the branding were different.