How A Coconut Water Brand Is Riding The Moana 2 Wave

Food & Drink

Moviegoers are flocking to see Moana 2, Disney’s latest hit, but it’s unlikely that many love the movie more than Gregory Lowe II, founder and CEO of 100 Coconuts, the fastest-growing brand of coconut water in the U.S., based on SPINS data. 100 Coconuts co-branded their cans around Moana 2 characters in a collaboration deal with Disney, linking their beverage to this movie, itself connected to nature, a match tying the big and baby brands together.

There’s a saying that you should hitch your wagon to a star, and what better star is there for a new beverage brand than the latest Disney blockbuster? F&B companies that do marketing deals with movies can capture some of the luster—if the deal makes sense. 100 Coconuts, a Manhattan-based coconut water brand, has gone, in part, from start-up to superstar through its partnership with Disney’s Moana 2 in weeks. However, its launchpad also includes some other major marketing moments.

The 100 Coconuts story is about marketing, movies, beverages, brands, and breaking through an often cluttered F&B marketplace. But most importantly, it is an F&B story attached to the Moana 2 marketing wave.

Founded in 2019, 100 Coconuts is in a partnership that could prove a wedding made, if not in marketing heaven, close. It is an alliance between something new, something old, and something gold. Through the Disney deal, 100 Coconuts has released co-branded products, sold from Disney Cruise ships to Walmart, with Moana characters on cans. And the characters, best of all, match the feel and even flavor of the product.

“We want to be known as the coconut water king,” founder Gregory Lowe II told BevNET about a dream that quickly became a reality with a bit of help from the Magic Kingdom.

Incubation

Although there’s a lot of talk about F&B incubators,100 Coconuts has gone from incubator to big-time investment, carving out a niche. 100 Coconuts produces and supplies coconut water beverages, including pure coconut water, with fruit juice-infused flavors such as pineapple, mango, and watermelon. Companies like Vita Coco have been there and done that, but 100 Coconuts is getting shelf space and sales as its sector also grows.

“Coconut water is becoming a household staple across the United States,” Vita Coco Co. Chairman and Co-Founder Mike Kirban has said.

If 100 Coconuts may seem like it came from nowhere, it definitely came from “somewhere.” The company went through L.A. Libation’s SIP (or SoCal incubator Program), an accelerator with mentoring, including marketing.

SIP, launched in 2020, placing coolers with L.A. Libations partner brands at retailers as a test. 100 Coconuts passed with flying colors, reportedly selling nearly 50 units daily on average at Southern California specialty chain Erewhon Market.

With its proof of concept and a big organization backing a small brand, 100 Coconuts soon got distribution at KeHe, UNFI, Muscle Foods, hundreds of Walmarts, Gopuff, HEB, Safeway, Target, Whole Foods, HEB, Winn Dixie, and 1,100 Publix locations along with a long list of others.

Marketing Match

Touting itself as “Real Coconut Water for the Real You,” 100 Coconuts says it offers the “freshest opportunity to bottle from tree to plant with the best coconuts on the earth in Vietnam” in the South Pacific. Whether coconut water is the next big thing or not, it’s getting bigger. Vita Coco beverages and Harmless Harvest sales have been rising. So this may not only be the right deal but also the right time.

100 Coconuts is not the only coconut water brand growing rapidly through partnerships. Vita Coco created ready-to-drink cocktails by partnering with Diageo to make coconut water with Captain Morgan white rum. That’s very different from partnering with Disney as a marketing engine.

And there is, of course, uncertainty in partnering with any movie due to the hit-and-miss nature of Hollywood. What if it’s a dud or underperforms? A sequel can, at least, reduce the risk. And Moana 2, with its natural themes and a world with coconuts, provides a potential demographic bonanza. Meanwhile,100 Coconuts might as well open the champagne bottles, based on Moana 2’s performance.

Disney said Moana 2 racked up its biggest five-day opening on record, earning an estimated $221 million between Wednesday and Sunday of its opening week. That topped the five-day catch of $204.6 million made by 2023’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Disney has mastered the art of marketing, merchandising, and the sequel, finding that once is not enough and that an established movie brand can make sense and dollars.

Disney also scored recent hits with Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. But of those, Moana 2 was the only match for a company like 100 Coconuts. The trust consumers place in and love for Disney can transfer to partners like 100 Coconuts.

Watered up

Coconut water has been growing, topping $2 billion in 2024, doubling since topping $1 billion in 2020, and up from a little more than $500 million in 2016, according to Statista. According to some estimates, the coconut water market globally rose from about $2.2 billion in 2017 to an $8.3 billion projected demand by 2023. Grandview Research, however, said it’s likely closer to $4.43 billion in global sales as of 2024, with a double-digit annual growth rate expected.

“Coconut water, often promoted for its electrolyte content and hydrating properties, has emerged as a popular choice among fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers,” according to Grandview.

Health sure doesn’t hurt at a time when F&B decisions often include not just taste but whether it’s good for you. Grandview sees a trend away from “traditional sugary drinks to natural, functional beverages,” benefiting the coconut water industry, also helped by a trend “towards plant-based and naturally sourced products” likely to boost growth.

100 Coconuts positions itself squarely in the middle of flavor and health, which may be a good choice. The company has said its goal is to provide a beverage that can reduce inflammation and anxiety and offer a natural taste away from crowded sectors with numerous competitors. It faces competitors, such as Vita Coco, in a sector that is growing quickly, partly because it is not as gigantic as many others.

Still, they bring a pedigree in beverages, marketing, connections, and partnerships. L.A. Libations, a beverage incubator and key innovation partner of The Molson Coors Beverage Company, continues supporting them, and East Dune Holdings’ investment is handy.

Can Do

100 Coconuts is also in the canned product segment, which Grandview Research projects to grow at the fastest annual rate as “an attractive option for consumers with busy lifestyles seeking healthy, on-the-go hydration.”

Grandview Research said cans “provide excellent protection against light and air, which helps preserve the flavor and nutritional quality of the product for longer periods.” They’re also lightweight, which cuts transportation costs. Recyclable cans place these products squarely in the realm of sustainable packaging.

Furthermore, the increasing consumer preference for sustainable packaging options drives demand for widely recyclable aluminum cans. And it never hurts to have Disney in your corner with its characters’ pictures on your cans.

Moana 2 has far surpassed our high expectations this weekend and is a testament to the phenomenon that Moana has become,” Disney Entertainment co-chairman Alan Bergman said after opening.

You can bet that Lowe is a fan of Moana 2, not just because it’s a wonderful movie but because of its prowess as a marketing vehicle. When you hitch your wagon to a star, it sure helps if that star is being seen on screens around the world, as well as on your packaging. And then there’s Disney’s marketing muscle that, at least for 100 Coconuts, gives the company a marketing moment and a boost that few ever get.

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