Beverage Startups
Spirulina based beverages are the next big thing, according to Smart Chimp
I remember the day I was scrolling on Twitter when my eyes were suddenly caught by Smart-Chimp. Everything, starting from the packaging and ending with the color of the product made me curious. I just couldn’t leave it behind without finding more about this beverage product. Today, I am speaking with Founder and CEO of Smart Chimp, Benjamin Lacour about his beverage product.
Can you tell us about the idea of Smart-Chimp? What qualities Smart Chimp has which makes it stand out in the market?
Smart chimp is a French company created by food and nature lovers wanting to bring a bona fide superfood into everyone’s daily life! Our drink is filled with antioxidants from fresh spirulina extract, finely-sparkling spring water, organic lemon and wild berries. We know our customers are health-conscious foodies so we are pleased to offer a refreshment that is not only filled with nutrients, but also contains less than 2 calories per bottle.
Many products at the very beginning had to face with some difficulties. What kind of troubles did Smart-Chimp had?
For the past several years I would take spirulina tablets before going for a run. The idea to incorporate spirulina into my diet permanently and not just as a vitamin supplement came naturally and grew over time in my mind. The company was created two years ago, but we had been working on the product a whole year before its launch. The conception was challenging while we went through laboratory tests, but it was worth it!
When did Smart-Chimp reached the market and what kind of reaction it caused?
We started to sell smart chimp drinks in the beginning of 2014. Today our antioxidant drink is available in over 300 places in France such as organic shops (Naturalia, Bio C Bon, Biocoops), high end hotels in Paris, fine restaurants, thalassotherapy and sport centers. It turns out people really like our product for its unique taste and color. We can definitely say the market reaction was as good as expected for such an innovation.
Can you describe the person who would be the perfect example of Smart-Chimp consumer? Further more, what kind of actions do you take to approach your target market?
Spirulina is a micro-algae which deserves a prominent place in our diets. It has numerous benefits from purifying blood, creating new red blood cells, boosting your immune system in addition to being a natural anti-inflammatory! To convey this message to our customers we chose to be simple and transparent. All of this information concerning spirulina benefits and ingredients are indicated on smart chimp bottles.
We recommend our drink to everyone looking for spirulina’s benefits and to hydrate! Smart chimp is a little treat for everyone from children to adults and is also safe for pregnant woman.
It seems that Smart-Chimp is a successful beverage product. In your opinion, what does it takes in order to succeed in beverage industry?
I don’t know if we can call it a success yet, but disruption and innovation do really make the difference in this kind of market were there is a lot of competition.
As a start-up who seems to succeed in beverage industry, can you give some advice to other start-ups who just started their journey?
The only advice I can give is do what you love! It takes so much energy and endurance to start your own business that you really have to be passionate about what you do and believe in your product.
Visit Smart Chimp website!
