“A strong brand identity based on an excellent product. A chat with Booch Organic Kombucha’s brand founder on how it is done, and their amazing 8 year journey”

Nol&

We chatted to Shannon from Booch Organic Kombucha about how they started and the challenges and the key learnings they had in their journey.

Can you tell us how you got into Kombucha? Is kombucha the new water?

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2010 and immediately started researching about the foods and beverages I was consuming in my diet. I found a book called The Art of Fermentation and began to read how magical and healthful fermented foods are for you, and started fermenting on my kitchen counter top shortly after that. It was love at first sip! Yes, I fell in love with the brew, and knew this was part of my life path- offering a microbe-rich, living, fermented beverage made with organic ingredients and love.

When you drink raw, unpasteurised organic kombucha made with traditional and authentic fermentation processes, then I would rate it very high on the beverage list. But… I don’t think water is replaceable 😉

What needs have you fulfilled in launching your brand, both within your own world and your community?

We’ve created a shift in awareness and connection in each person who drinks our Booch- within their own gut microbiome! Bacteria outnumber our own DNA cells 9:1, and so giving our bodies what we are made of is in complete alignment to who we are as humans, and accentuates the pure essence of ourselves.

I’ve fulfilled a personal, creative need to express myself and values through a product I believe in. Beyond myself, I think the Booch brand is an outlet to communicate our customer’s beliefs– communicating to others that they believe in the power of gut-enhancing microbes, choices like sourcing from local farmers, and environmental decisions such as caring for the planet by composting and recycling. Booch is much more than a delicious, refreshing beverage!… but we have that one on our side too.

What were your biggest challenges in building this new brand?

One of the greatest challenges I’ve experienced was participating in a market that was brand new. When I started Booch almost 8 years ago, there were few people who knew what kombucha was, or how to pronounce it! We really had to educate in the early days, and now we are faced with new challenges based on the sheer number of kombucha brands out there today! It’s a fast changing market, with new saturation and competitiveness.

How is your brand positioned in the market, and how have you achieved this?

Booch is positioned as a premium, high-quality kombucha made with the best organic ingredients, and love. We’ve naturally achieved this by offering our product in a premium 16oz apothecary glass amber bottle which communicates to customers the quality and value in the product. We have beautiful branding and a soft colour palette that matches the ‘natural’ approach we’ve taken. Our social media pages are filled with words of love and care, and the people who have met us say we literally ‘are the brand’.

Could you tell us about your journey in defining the mission of your brand?

Our mission is to “get in more guts!” and that quite literally includes everything we do as a company. Our slogan is “Best quality. Best taste. All love” which demonstrates how.

What do you do to keep up the creativity in your communication?

In order to continue to be a brand that is bursting in creativity, I find my favourite place in the world- the middle of a forest. I go on daily hikes to keep my creative flow, and stay open to the whispers of needs in the community. This has led me to create new flavours that no other kombucha brand has tried, or releasing new product lines like Moonbrew Jun (green tea & honey ferment) or botanically infused Sparkling Water called Squeeze. The key to creativity in communication is to have fresh, new things to talk about which stem from your  personal creativity.  Sharing your own excitement from the heart is exactly what people want to see in communication.

What do you think are the key success factors of launching a new product category? Any advice?

I think there is a balance of having everything in place, and also allowing yourself to be guided by what is working, and having the ability to change/pivot/shift as well. You need to wholly believe in the product if you are launching in a new category, and do the work to educate consumers. Fully put yourself out there, be open to advice, and continue to follow what feels right. Your gut will tell you 😉

Stay tuned for more Noland Explores updates!