SIP soda for the Soul

When I launched SIP soda 2 years ago, I really didn’t know what to expect.  I knew it would be a rocky  journey with lots of challenges and few rewards, but what really fills my soul are not just the fans, but the fanatics.  Never in a million years did I expect customers to rally around SIP like they do, so excited to share their first SIP experience with us and with the world.
As an entrepreneur you work for pennies and the rewards in the early years are slim, but it’s the fans and their stories that really fill your sails and soften the hard edges of building a business.  Here are just a few SIP surprises.
A  women emails to say all she wants for Mother’s Day is SIP, so she sends her husband and daughter out to the supermarket to get some and they can’t find it. When I emailed back to say the store had a large display of SIP in the front entrance ,they must have missed it,  she sends them back a second time to purchase it, but emails again, to say the display looked messy, so they cleaned it up for us, while they were there.  Amazing – this was my Mother’s day present.
Another customer who I met at a demo, took SIP to another city and sold it into two big supermarkets there just because she wanted to pick it up on the way to her summer cottage. The store contacted us and placed a large opening order for two of their locations.
A man arrived recently at another demo who wanted to share with me that he had tried all the beverages at Whole Foods Market and thought SIP was the very best.
We also have a lot of brides who like to serve SIP at their weddings, but one Bride actually gave away a bottle of SIP with a cocktail recipe attached, as her wedding favor.
I can’t thank our fans and SIP fanatics enough and seldom have the opportunity to communicate not only how hearfelt these stories are but more importantly, how they fill my sails  and provide the momentum to just keep going.
What can I say ……we love our fans!
Cheers,
Jennifer Martin
Chief Soda Officer
SIPsoda co ltd.

Transformative Change …create something you love and share it with the world.

Recently we were fortunate enough to be part of an “Instruments of Change” event where volunteers played “Teach the world to sing” on 200 bottles of SIP.  This organisation uses music to help people transform their lives and it was an honor to be recognised as a company which is driving transformative change in the Beverage Industry.

I didn’t create SIP as a vehicle for wealth, but more as a vehicle for health, to lead the industry towards healthier beverage options. We communicate to consumers and the industry that you don’t need almost a ¼ cup of sugar in a 12oz bottle to be satisfied.  In North America, many beverages are candy  bars, and their consumption is driving an epidemic of Diabetes and Obesity. It’s time for change and we’re proud to be driving it.

It’s not just about sugar. Our mineral based water and healthy, herbal flavors add to the innovative appeal and we don’t think you can offer a modern beverage today without recycled, non-leaching glass bottles and some very strong support for the community.

Equally rewarding is our work with Universities, Charities, Entrepreneurs, and Fitness groups who all share similar goals to “create something you love and share it with the world.” 


Inspiring others to pursue their dreams is truly what fuels our growth and determination.

We encourage you to read those “Nutrition Facts” labels and choose beverages that are low in natural sugar, preferably less than 10 grams sugar per 12 ounces of drink. (Center for Science in the Public Interest)
Good health and happiness,
Jennifer Martin, Chief Soda Officer

Healthier Beverage Options ……It’s time!

Government, media and health associations, concerned about rising obesity and type 2 diabetes reaching epidemic proportions, are working together to challenge consumers to reduce their consumption of sugar. High sugar drinks including soft drinks, fruit juices, iced teas, sports and energy drinks are a very big target.  Even diet drinks, that use artificial sweeteners and/or stevia are not excluded, because they still condition consumers to desire overly sweet foods. 
Dr Willett from Harvard School of Public Health states “ It’s time to step down from high sugar drinks and it’s an opportunity for beverage manufacturers to step in an assist consumers with this weaning process!”
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/healthy-drink-video/index.html
Research  shows that just one soft drink per day increases the chance of getting diabetes by 60%.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/healthy-drinks/sugary-drinks-type2-diabetes/index.html
I would like to add, that is also time for parents to set a good example for their children, by choosing healthier beverages such as water and drinks that contain no more than 1 gram sugar per ounce, a new target for the Food Industry set by Harvard School of Public Health.  I commend all initiatives that support this process, including New York City’s ban on 16 ounce drinks, that contain more than 25 calories per 8 ounces.
Look how far we have come with Tobacco.  So step down from high sugar and create a better life for yourself and more importantly, your children.
Jennifer Martin Fd Sc, MBA
Chief Soda Officer
SIPsoda co ltd.Harvard Public Health - High Sugar Drinks

“more than a drink”

When SIP was created, of course we wanted  it to be a delicious, healthy drink that people could feel good about  consuming, but it was the offer of a new beverage experience that we were really after.

Despite the enourmous size of the beverage industry and the zillions of beverage offerings, we found  it surprising that there are very few beverages that are truly healthy and interesting.

Early consumer feedback indicates we are succeeding with tweets like “ SIP helped me get through my day” and “ SIP makes me happy”  SIP is becoming what we visioned – unique, fun and memorable.

Perhaps we will lead the new, anti –energy movement where industry experts speculate that calming , relaxing beverages will be the next big thing.   A nice compliment to the hyperspeed society we all now live in and more economical  than a visit to the Spa.

Thank you SIP consumers for this special feedback – it’s a thrill to discover that SIP is succeeding at “being more than a drink”

Stick with us …… for more culinary adventure and happy SIP moments.

Sparkling regards,

Jennifer Martin

Chief Soda Officer

SIPsoda co. ltd.

“IT’S A GREAT TIME TO BE A SPICE”

I love Seth Godin, New York marketing guru, who recently blogged about “Herbs” (see below) and I got to thinking ” It is a great time to be a spice”!
The popularity of ethnic cuisine has really expanded our palates and opened the doors to some really innovative and healthy cuisine.
SIP is byproduct of this as we setout to develop a healthy, low carb soda that would pair better with food than traditional high sugar drinks.   Herbs paired with fruit not only create unique flavors but offer digestive properties and a host of other things.  Did you know Rosemary is a super antioxidant and is actually used as a natural preservative in the Food Industry.  Lavender is good for hangovers & heat stroke and Coriander is reported to lower blood sugar and bad cholesterol.
Herbs are not new to soft drinks and are used in Coke and Root Beer recipes, but never highlighted or tasted due to over sweetening. It’s interesting that soft drinks originated in drugstores as health tonics, then evolved into liquid candy bars and are now, hopefully, returning to their more healthy roots.
We think it’s time to let the herb shine and allow consumers to enjoy their unique flavors and health benefits.  Herbal sodas originated in the UK where farmers ,who have great access to herbs and fruit ,developed unique concoctions. Herbal drinks then moved to the US where there are a number of brands and  some now in Canada.
Try a SIP of something new and healthy today !

Jennifer Martin

Chief Soda Officer

SIPsoda co. ltd.

Herbs  (blog by Seth Godin)    Thyme is cheap. Twenty five cents worth is plenty for a family of four.
Hang out at the market and watch people buy expensive fish, chicken or beef to cook for a family gathering. Amost no one is buying fresh herbs. What's that about?
I guess that the main course is so expensive and so much work and so apparently foreboding and complex that most people believe they can't be bothered with the effort of adding herbs. Herbs would change everything. A twenty-five cent investment would transform a simple but expensive dinner into something really great.
"What! I don't know how. It's not worth the effort. I'll screw it up. Isn't this expensive piece of fish enough? I'm too busy. Hey, it's just dinner..."
Metaphor alert: your marketing is missing herbs.

The Skinny on Sweetness

Enjoying a fine beverage should never be about sweetness.  The challenge is to use sweet notes to compliment  fresh flavors but not to over power them.   If you taste sweet first , the drink is poorly balanced. 

For a clean, light sweetness  that is complimentary and rinses easily from the palate, pure cane sugar is best.  Cane sugar vs Beet sugar grows above the ground and receives direct sunlight for nourishment as opposed to beet sugar which grows below the ground. 

Metabolically, sugars (HFCS- high fructose corn syrup,  granulated sugar, agave) are similar and eventually they all break down into glucose and fructose so taste and rinseability are paramount here.  Corn syrups do not have the best flavor and Agave is overly sweet and tends to linger more in the palate.

Stevia,  a sugar substitute, is extremely  sweet – masks desirable  flavors an leaves an undesirable aftertaste so not the best from a culinary perspective but serves a purpose for diabetics.

 It is unfortunate that  consumers have been conditioned  to accept excessive amounts of sugar in their sodas with traditional soft drinks utilizing 8-9 teaspoons or 32-36 grams per 12 oz bottle , resulting in 120-135 calories per serving.  Wow – no surprise the media and health authorities are giving this so much attention.

Thankfully, as soda culture evolves and responds to new consumer and industry demands there will be healthier, less sweet and lower calorie offerings.  “ Less is more” when it comes to sodas………so read those labels and enjoy a new soda experience!

 Jennifer A. Martin
Chief Soda Officer
SIPsoda co. ltd.
www.sipsoda.com

Are you Pouring on the Pounds?” – soda tax vs public awareness campaign

Kudos to New York City for their “Are you pouring on the pounds?” public awareness campaign that educates local citizens on the perils of drinking high sugar beverages. 
 Very effective posters which appear around the city and in subway cars communicate that ”just 4 sugary drinks per day is equivalent to consuming 85 packets of sugar.” All those extra calories can bring on Obesity, type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease.  http://bit.ly/dYEsu0
As North American health authorities struggle with how to get consumers to curb their consumption of high sugar drinks, local governments are considering soda taxes with some already implemented in certain states.  The concern is do taxes really work? Eg Tobacco, Alcohol.
The concept of a public awareness campaign really stands out when you see what NYC is doing with this very well marketed campaign.  We look forward to seeing their results and hope that Canada is watching.
As a parent I feel strongly about educating my children on healthy, beverage choices and after a decade of consistent messages, I am pleased to say it works … my boys do not choose high sugar drinks and comb labels to find something healthy.  Sadly, they are the minority so I applaud this campaign and appreciate the support.
Gandi is right  - “We must be the change we wish to see in the world”  
I developed SIP natural craft soda (25 calories) to support those who want to try –
Jennifer Martin, Chief Soda Officer
SIPsoda co. ltd.