Insider Ep. 49: There’s No ‘Simple’ Way To Do This, But Here’s One Strategy

In this week’s episode, we’re joined by Kate Weiler and Jeff Rose, the co-founders of maple water pioneer Drink Simple, who discussed how they prepared for and successfully executed upon a major rebrand.

Founded as Drink Maple in 2014, the company was one of the first in the U.S. to market maple water, a beverage derived from maple trees and often promoted as a natural source of hydration. The company later introduced a line of watermelon juice drinks to augment its flagship products, a move that spurred the decision to rebrand as Drink Simple. 

During our conversation, Weiler and Rose spoke about their relationship as co-founders, the genesis of the brand, the formation of the maple water category and their approach to consumer education and awareness. They also discussed how they use consumer research, how investors were involved in the process and why it took longer than they anticipated to launch the new look.

Show notes:

1:15: Massive Seagull Problem On The Shore -- BevNET CMO Mike Schneider returned to the office following his vacation in Ocean City, New Jersey, which deploys owls and falcons to fend off kamikaze seagulls. Later, the hosts discussed Gatorade’s 2020 plans to “Beat The Heat,” a new brand of “Australian Iced Coffee,” a lil’ sprouted buckwheat cereal, and the crafty way that two packaged ramen brands are marketing their products.

12:20: Interview: Kate Weiler & Jeff Rose, Co-Founders, Drink Simple -- In an interview recorded at BevNET HQ, Weiler and Rose sat down with Taste Radio editor Ray Latif and discussed their first experience with maple water and decision to launch a brand. They also spoke about early packaging efforts, the initial communication strategy and consumer confusion about maple water. Later, Weiler and Rose explained why they removed “maple” from the brand name, why they only conducted one focus group, the hidden costs of the rebranding process, and the odd reason that some consumers complained about the new look.

Brands in this episode: Gatorade, Bluestone Lane, Riff Cold Brewed, Lil’ Bucks, Common Foods, Mike’s Mighty Good, Drink Simple, Simply Orange, Suja