The Vita Coco brand story centers on the company founders bringing coconut water from Brazil to New York City. And it's a story that could transition quite smoothly into beauty where Brazilian trends, carefully sourced natural ingredients, and clean beauty resonate with many of today’s consumers.
Line extension
The move into personal care is really about “owning the coconut in different areas of the store,” Michael Kirban, the brand’s CEO tells Jennifer Kaplan of bloomberg.com.
Vita Coco will launch coconut milk (a plant-based nondairy alternative) next month, reports Kaplan, and will, of course, continue making its popular water and flavored juices too.
Indie brand plan
Like many startups and independent brands, Vita Coco aspires to be acquired. “We’re probably the largest independently owned natural-beverage company in the world,” Kirban says in his interview with Kaplan.
He goes on to say that Vita Coco frequently speaks with interested companies and that “when the time is right and with the right partner, we’ll find either a strategic exit or an IPO.”
Signature ingredient
Coconut oil is already a popular skin and hair care ingredient. And Vita Coco already sells coconut oil. The brand’s jar features a conversational label encouraging consumers to “Eat It,” “Wear It,” “Swear by It.”
The brand’s impending expansion will likely see coconut oil and related skin care, hair care, and personal care products formulated and packaged expressly for the beauty aisle. Vita Coco has well-established distribution deals with food and drug stores as well as mass market retailers and is expected to market its personal care line through those same channels.