FUNCTIONAL BENEFITS OF COCONUT WATER FEATURED IN NEW ZOLA’S PACKAGING

Coconut water manufacturer Zola is revamping its packaging, cleaning-up  its ingredient decks and launching a new flavor this summer to better underscore the functional benefits of its products at a time when many consumers are demanding more from their beverages than just quenching thirst, a news report in FoodNavigator-USA.com said.  “The impetus for the new branding and for taking this step in a new direction comes from taking a hard step back and asking ourselves, consumers and industry experts how we can continue to grow the coconut water category,” said Pete Brennan, Zola’s chief growth officer.  He explained to FoodNavigator-USA that the answer was to better showcase through package design the functional benefits of coconut water and the other star ingredients in the brand’s portfolio, which includes coconut water with pulp, espresso or chocolate in addition to its original flavor.
To do this, the company used a streamlined design centered on the concept of “plant-powered hydration”, Brennan said, adding this “starts to come through in the icons and in the way we are treating the ingredients in the package.”  He explained that main icon at the top of the package’s front panel depicts what they call the energy trifecta that comes from plant-powered hydration, which is people, the depiction in the center of the icon, and plant power in the leaves that are coming through, and then also hydration, and that is coming through the splashing waves.”  
The imagery on the package also quickly tells consumers that the product is vegan- a declaration that required the company to reformulate its chocolate and expresso coconut waters.  Brennan explains that the chocolate and espresso coconut waters had a “slight bit of dairy” to help deliver a creamier mouth feel.  But in order to be “all about plant-powered hydration,” the company swapped the dairy out for coconut milk, making the product vegan. It also dropped carrageenan after learning from consumers that this was an ingredient that gave many people pause.  Zola also hopes to bring new consumers to the coconut water category by launching a coconut water and pineapple juice blend that is more approachable and palatable to new users.