Bossi

by Bossi

Review: Bossi, For Kids?

Posted: Oct 24, 2016 at 10:07 AM (Last Updated: Oct 24, 2016 at 11:19 AM)

Covers Products: Strawberry, Watermelon

Bossi is a line of USDA Organic rooibos drinks that are being marketed for kids. The product line comes in three flavors, Watermelon, Strawberry, and Mango, each of which is packaged in a 6.75 oz. drink box (and presumably sold in a multipack, but we only sampled loose units).

The first and most important question that we asked ourselves was this: is this really a kid's beverage? While it’s packaged in a drink box, both the brand, the formulation, and ultimately the flavor make us wonder if that’s really the best target demographic.

Rooibos, a South African herbal tea known for its naturally sweet and smoky flavor, provides the base, while sugar and flavorings are added to make each of the flavors. For our review, we sampled the Strawberry and Watermelon varieties, which both have 35 calories and 9g of sugar per container. The flavors themselves are fine, but clearly derived from flavorings, so we can’t really say that they are overly standout or unique. But these products are definitely drinkable, although they seem more like what you’d expect from a tea brand than a kid's beverage.

That last point is one that carries over to the branding and messaging. Beyond the word “Kids” and the choice of a drink box, it doesn’t have the vibe of a kids product. The brand treatment feels out of place, with a look feels like it would be better on a 12 oz. can or a more traditional tea product. Otherwise, the design is simple and straightforward.

People have tried several times to market a ready-to-drink rooibos tea to children, and it has always failed to catch on. To us, there seems to be a big disconnect between the purchaser (the parent who might be in tune with this) and the end user (a child). In addition, it will be extremely challenging for a start up company to play exclusively in a warm beverage set (which is how drink boxes are sold).

So, here’s where we end up: what Bossi has created is a nice tasting and looking ready-to-drink tea, but we feel as though the category that the brand is playing in will, at least with the current product offering, really hold it back. Pivoting into something that doesn’t limit the age of the consumer and instead targets the more broad herbal tea drinker feels like the logical move.

Product Ratings