Protein infused water maker Trimino Brands has raised $6 million in capital infusion, led by investment firm Vineyard Point Associates, LLC, the company announced this week.
Speaking with BevNET on Tuesday, Trimino CMO Bob Leary said the raise will primarily help the brand to manage inventory, hire additional sales staff, and increase marketing efforts — including a partnership with obstacle course competition Savage Race and support for product placement tie-ins in upcoming feature films.
In February, Trimino added several new distributors through a partnership with Canada Dry, covering several states between upstate New York and Virginia where the brand hopes to increase density. The investment will be used to add sales staff to “get the most out of those relationships,” Leary said. Currently, the company is focused on deepening its placement within its existing footprint — which covers much of the East Coast, as well as Southern California via L.A. Libations and parts of Texas and Florida. The brand is currently available in more than 12,000 stores.
Trimino recently scored a hit with a prominent product placement in the cult comedy sequel Super Troopers 2, which is now winding down its theatrical run after premiering on April 20. The film has so far earned $29.9 million at the box office on a $13.5 million budget, and Leary said Trimino is expecting the benefits from its involvement to continue as the movie enters the streaming and rental stage.
“Super Troopers 2 is going to have a slow, but long term impact,” Leary said. “We’re getting lots and lots of eyeballs on Trimino and then it will play out on video-on-demand and DVD sales. So we’re going to get exposure for the next two years on that movie, so we’re feeling pretty positive about it.”
Leary said the brand’s overall integrated marketing campaign is starting to show results, with sales increasing over the past several months. In addition to Super Troopers 2, two upcoming independent films– All These Small Moments and the comedy Walk to Vegas — will also feature Trimino. While the movies are not likely to have wide distribution, Leary said All These Small Moments will feature a spoken line about Trimino and the film is likely to appeal to mothers — one of Triminos’ top target demographics.
For Leary, who is also the managing director of Vineyard Point Associates, the new investment allows him to further integrate his other assets to support the Trimino brand, including Unreel.me, a digital media distribution company that provides customers with the tools to launch independent streaming services. According to Leary, Trimino has been able to tap into Unreel’s online consumer monitoring tools to track feedback on social media sites including Facebook and YouTube. Trimino can also push its ads on Unreel’s various streaming platforms, he added.