ViSalus Launches NEON Energy Drink
4/22/2015
LOS ANGELES, April 20, 2015 -- ViSalus officially launched NEON Energy Drink as part of its expanding product line portfolio at its National Success Training (NST) event in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 11-12. This launch marks ViSalus' entry into the canned energy drink category – furthering its commitment to providing healthy on-the-go food and drink options to the world.
NEON Energy Drink is a great-tasting energy beverage containing natural sugars from 24% fruit juice concentrate and a proprietary blend of beneficial ingredients, including caffeine from green tea extract, prickly pear puree, and 6 energy-supporting essential B vitamins with at least 100% of the daily recommended value that are ideal for an anytime boost of sustained energy. This fun drink gets its name because it glows under black light due to an element it contains from the South American Cinchona tree.
"With the NEON Energy Drink, we can expand into the energy drink marketplace as a brand new category for us," said ViSalus Co-Founder, President and CEO Ryan Blair. "This acquisition will continue to set us apart from others in our industry. Not only do we develop products internally, but as entrepreneurs we are also quick to acquire innovative products that meet many of the product characteristics, such as nutrient content, taste and convenience, that we want to continue to offer on a global scale. The NEON Energy Drink has all this and more."
ViSalus acquired the NEON Energy Drink in January 2015 from Altairia Corporation whose President and CEO, Dakota Rea, created the product. The product had a soft launch earlier this year in North America to build excitement for the product's official launch including new Vi-branded packaging at NST – the biggest Vi training event of the year. A European rollout is planned for later this year.
"I'm very excited to partner with ViSalus," said Rea, who is now a ViSalus Promoter. "Not only does the Neon Energy Drink support the Challenge lifestyle, but with Vi's leadership and business model, we are rapidly expanding global brand awareness of the product."
According to market research firm Euromonitor, the global energy drink industry has increased 620%, from $3.8 billion in 1999, to $27.5 billion in 20131. Additionally, in the past few years, energy drinks have surpassed the growth in carbonated soft drinks2, and in 2013, energy drink sales of just below $9 billion in the United States nearly matched coffee sales of just above $12 billion.3 The acquisition also supports ViSalus' 2015 focus on continuing to expand its global footprint, since 70% of global energy drink sales are outside the United States4.
This acquisition follows ViSalus' expansion last year into the healthy snack category when it acquired Go Bites and used its technology to innovate and launch the Vi Bites™ product line. Expanding into the healthy snack and energy drink categories puts ViSalus in fast-growing markets where they can promote to a wider demographic.
"At NST, we introduced new plans, programs and products to thousands of ecstatic leaders – one big one being the NEON Energy Drink," said ViSalus Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer Blake Mallen. "We are so excited for our customers and community to experience what everyone seems to agree is the best-tasting energy drink on the market!"