Better-for-you energy drink maker EBOOST has debuted new branding and a reformulated liquid for its ready-to-drink line. The company, which is distributed through a partnership with AriZona Beverages, will debut the revamped products in 12 oz. cans this summer and plans to follow with a 16 oz. format for convenience retailers later this year.
The new packaging better communicates the name of EBOOST’s RTD line as “Super Fuel.” As well, a Blue Raspberry flavor has been added to the existing line of Orange Mango, Strawberry Lemonade and Ginger Lime. According to founder and CEO Josh Taekman, the brand has also reformulated to remove unnecessary ingredients, such as milk thistle and hovenia dulcis, which allows it to buck its supplement classification and switch to a Nutrition Facts panel.
“A key takeaway that we’re getting from consumers is that EBOOST is more than just energy,” Taekman said. “And when they look at the new packaging they really feel it’s more than just energy, it is much more like a full body functional beverage.”
The refresh arrives as EBOOST aims to expand its footprint nationwide following pandemic-induced setbacks. According to Taekman, the brand had signed with a number of corporate office and food service distributors in Q1 of 2020, including Bluestar Vending, Canteen and Corporate Essentials, and had planned to begin focusing on scaling within that channel in March. Suffice to say, that month the rollout “came to a screeching halt,” in Taekman’s words, but now the company is preparing to target the corporate sector once again.
EBOOST has also begun rebuilding its business in the gym channel, Taekman said, including with Lifetime Fitness accounts, where the RTD line had been a top seller pre-COVID buoyed by an aggressive BOGO promotional campaign. The company has now partnered with Earthbar, which operates cafes in Equinox gyms and is continuing to target the channel.
In retail, EBOOST has more than doubled its business with CVS to 2,400 stores nationwide and an option to potentially expand chainwide next year. The brand is also available in Target, Wegmans, Walmart, Vitamin Shoppe, Bolla and am/pm stores. As well, online sales grew over 300% last year, Taekman said.
The company is now seeking to raise $5 million to expand its sales team. Taekman said EBOOST plans to make four new key hires, including a national sales director, sales associate and two marketing positions. The rest of the raise, he said, will go towards brand building marketing programs.