WET Hydration will be sporting a new look next month, along with $1.5 million in new financing poised to help the Las Vegas-based startup expand its footprint across the country.
The rebranded 12 oz. can design will debut July 15, featuring a more vibrant array of colors intended to help the hydration drinks pop on shelf and reposition the product as a “Wellness Water.”
WET Hydration launched in 2020 as a functional hydration drink packaged in PET bottles. In 2022 the company raised $1.3 million in funding from individuals and last year to a new format in 12 oz. cans.
The redesigned cans now feature new SKU names intended to better communicate each one’s unique function: Refresh (Watermelon Lime with electrolytes), Essential (Orange Mango with ginger and turmeric for immunity support), Glow (Peach Pineapple with aloe vera and Vitamin D) and Energize (Blackberry Melon with 90 mg of caffeine). All flavors contain zero sugar or calories.
According to Altschul, the new visual identity was inspired in large part by Poppi, which has employed color schemes that move away from the primary colors used by leaders in its category. More recently, brands like PRIME have found success in the hydration space while similarly employing brighter packaging with an array of colors.
“Hydration is usually stark, it’s dark colors, very sports drink driven,” Altschul said. “We’ve never really wanted to look at ourselves as a sports drink, but really as an all day hydration company.”
WET’s approach to product design has been not dissimilar from brands such as LifeAID and Tru that have built product portfolios around occasion-specific flavors. Altschul said his aim is to offer consumers a brand they can use for almost every occasion, from energy to immunity.
“Everything I was purchasing was being driven not from a taste profile, but from a function standpoint – what do I need right now?” Altschul said. “I realized when I was cleaning out my car that I was consuming four to five different brands a day, all for a different function.”
The liquid in the cans is largely the same as before, although some formulation upgrades have been made to improve flavor.
The company also added to its $1.3 million in funding from two years ago, raising an additional $1.5 million from private individuals that Altschul said is an extension of that previous round – with more left to raise.
Meanwhile, the new $1.5 million tranche – raised from private individuals that Altschul said is an extension of the 2022 round – will support early stage fundamentals and growth in retail. WET is currently sold in about 1,500 stores, including Bristol Farms, Pavilions, Harmons, United Supermarkets, Central Market, New Seasons and Rouses Supermarkets in Louisiana, among others. Online, the brand is available direct and on Amazon.
This year, WET brought on former Dream Pops VP of Sales Dominik Mielnicki as its Chief Sales Officer. Mielnicki previously held sales roles at Califia Farms and Bai. The brand also hired Sara Cupelli, who previously worked at Catalina Crunch and Biena Snacks, as its director of sales – national, and a Los Angeles area sales manager, Katherine Brocke, formerly at Slate Milk.
The goal now is to reach new shoppers and drive liquid to lips through sampling campaigns while also educating consumers with QR codes on the cans that provide more information on the functional benefits of the beverages.
Altschul now hopes that with the rise in hydration beverage sales from brands like PRIME and Electrolit, as well as new entrants such as Mas+, Mark Anthony Brands’ collaboration with international soccer star Lionel Messi, that there’s more opportunity for small startups to break into the category. With the refresh, Altschul’s aim is for WET to establish a strong identity that will foster loyalty.
“There’s kind of a roadmap of influence that we can attempt to take market share,” he said. “Outside of the ‘celebritization’ of the space, I think it goes back to something that I don’t think has been around for a while, which is the importance of brand.”