Kaylee’s Culture is featured in beverage industry publication, Beer Marketer’s Insights. The probiotic drink for kids is turning heads.
POSITIONING: Taking Cue from Competition Judges, Kaylee’s Culture Broadens Probiotic Seltzers’ Appeal Beyond Kids Nobody can say Kaylee ain’t coachable. Heeding suggestions offered by judging panel at BevNet Live Showdown competition last fall, Kaylee’s Culture creator Kaylee McLaughlin has done quick pivot of her probiotic sparkling water from kids positioning to more broadly accommodating look, at time lure of gut health is winning more consumer converts.
McLaughlin had made it to final round at last fall’s Showdown with appealing story of being Navy mom relocated from San Diego to remote base in Nevada who could no longer find at retail the nutritious drinks she’d been buying for her young kids. Besides, she told us last week, you can go broke paying $7 for cartons of coconut water or bottles of kombucha. Her response was Kaylee’s Culture, which put probiotically rich sparkling water behind fun, colorful, bubbly branding. It’s packed in 8.45-oz slim cans in Strawberry Lemon, Elderberry and Watermelon flavors. BevNet judges liked concept and liquid, but wondered whether it might be too narrowly framed. “Don’t market it to kids, market it to families,” urged BevNet cmo Mike Schneider (BBI, Nov 18). That way, she could develop a more enduring customer base. So that’s what she’s done.
In truth, McLaughlin told us, as Navy spouse she’d learned to always have contingencies for contingencies, so she’d made it a point to design original package so that “for kids” could be stripped off without need for massive redesign. Anyway, she’d barely edged out to retail test in LA with 6,000 cans, via Seacoast DSD house, and had run up against Covid limitations on sampling and other activities, so it was easy enough to make switch on the fly. Back in San Diego now after two and a half years in desert, she’s pitching local stores and may make decision to pull out of LA for now, while supporting her growing online biz. Tho brand is packed in lunchbox-friendly 8.45-oz cans, she’s open to idea of 12-oz cans to accommodate more adult demographic that’s entered mix. She’s also launching commission-based ambassador program that incentivizes consumers to refer their friends to brand. They get rewarded if their friends order via social media link. For capital, she’s ready to start looking beyond friends & family money that’s sustained brand so far. Info at KayleesCulture.com.