Beverage Startups
“Finding a suitable supplier was the most important aspect” – says Joseph Quinn CEO of Afflux brand
DrinkPreneur is happy to share thoughts and experience of Joseph Quinn the founder and CEO of the Afflux brand. The product that he is introducing is Afflux Energy, a 100% natural Cranberry & Lychee flavoured energy drink. Afflux is a healthier and tastier alternative to daily standard energy drinks that are already on the market. Below you can find his opinion about main issues related with beverage and brand development.
The idea of Afflux Energy actually came to me whilst I was still at school. I noticed that the energy drink market was very masculine, the branding of many products in the market does not appeal to the female market. Therefore I saw that there was a current gap in the market for a female friendly energy drink. However I also knew that the general public was becoming more health conscious and in turn more open to natural/organic products. Therefore I knew that I had to create a natural energy drink to appeal to the next generation and especially the female market.
I faced quite a few obstacles whilst creating the product, however the toughest decision I had to make was in regards to taste. I didn’t want Afflux Energy to be just another “chemically” tasting energy drink. One of my aims was is to be the first energy drink to break into the dining industry, therefore this required a vast amount of research to make sure that Afflux tasted like no other energy drink already on the market and was by far the best tasting one out there!
Finding a suitable supplier was the most important aspect to seriously review before launching into your drinks business. Locating the right supplier for your business is a must if you want your drinks business to be a successful one. I went through a vast amount of talks with many different suppliers before I located the one that was going to be best for the brand. The reason why I went with my supplier was the working relationship I have with their CEO. This enables me to focus on running the business, as I know I have made a partnership with another company that has my best interests at heart. A word of advice I would give to anyone who is thinking of starting his or her drinks business, is not to be fooled by a cheap price. At the end of the day you want your product to stand out from the rest, there’s no point creating a product that’s exactly the same as another product (bar branding) you need to create a new one, the next generation! Therefore cheap pricing can often mean cheap ingredients, which therefore makes you just another product.
Talking about product design, for me it was very important, as I knew that the product needed to stand out on the shelf against other energy drinks. However I also needed to create a design that would appeal to the female market as well. Therefore I ended up picking vibrant and fashionable colours. I chose a design that would make the product look and feel different. I also applied a matte coating finish to the can, as this leaves a lasting impression with the customer and truly introduces the customer to the “next generation” of energy drinks. The colouring of the can also resembles the colour of the drink and the bubbles rising up illustrate the story behind the Afflux name.
The word Afflux means the movement of fluid towards a point, I think of getting as the coming together of things. As a brand we aim to unify people through a shared passion, therefore the word Afflux represents whom we are and what we aim to achieve!
For the moment beverage industry is starting to become very saturated, therefore innovation is now key. Another aspect that is currently reshaping the beverage industry is the shift towards natural or organic products. Chemical based products are starting to receive a lot of bad press; therefore the general publics are more open to new products.
