<< Previous 1 2
MEET MARTHA STEWART
But Jones had little choice but to adapt and
change. Starbucks – the company that put Jones’
quirky glass bottles into the hands of millions of
consumers across the U.S. – scuttled their distribution
agreement last June to make room for
expanded menu offerings.
Jones hasn’t lost its toe-hold in national chains
altogether: you can still find them in Panera
Bread Bakery Cafes. And the company hasn’t
been content to stand still while the ground
shifts beneath it. Jones is taking new stabs at
building an independent network, and is also
being trumpeted by retailers like Wal-Mart and
K-Mart as one of those slightly upscale brands
that retailers now try to incorporate across all
categories. Martha Stewart, meet Jones Soda.
Meanwhile, Godwin said, the company has
big plans for the near future under the direction
of interim CEO Steve Jones, a former Coca-Cola
executive and Jones board member.
One bright light is 24c –the company’s response
to the vitamin-infused water phenomenon
– already making its way onto Whole
Foods’ shelves in powder form. The company
has also released a ready to drink version of 24c,
one that Godwin said entered the market at an
opportune time, as Coca-Cola’s purchase of glaceau has left a vitamin water-shaped hole in the
independent distributor system.
But Jones also has higher ambitions for 24c.
With more vitamins and minerals than anybody
else, he said, the company wants 24c to create a
premium fortified water segment, much like Perrier
created the premium bottled water segment.
Whether or not 24c cuts out new space for
Jones in the cooler case, Godwin said, the company
plans to make its entry into the functional
drink market later this year. The product is still
in the early stages of development, so it’s too
early for Godwin to discuss flavor profiles – or
much else, for that matter – but he said beverage
will likely be tea-based and will certainly include
an amino acid called Gamma Aminobutyric
Acid – or Gaba, for short. The substance is popular
in Japan, Godwin said, where golfers and
video game players consume it for mental clarity
and focus. If the additive is a hit, Jones will have
a jump on copy-cats, Godwin said, because the
company has an exclusive two-year contract to
use Gaba in beverages.
Despite all the big changes, Godwin said
Jones Soda wants to remain the same company
it has always been.
“We’re still trying to stay true to what our
brand is all about, which is self-expression,”
Godwin said.
But Steele remains unconvinced.
“To me, I guess they’re chasing everybody else,”
he said. “I’m not sure if that’s who they are.”
Maybe it isn’t, but scrappy little Jones Soda
has made it to Wal-Mart shelves, and the end
zone at Qwest Field. That represents an enormous
new arena with a lot of new seats to fill.
Jones needs to fill those seats, but can they do it
with the new lineup? Only time will tell.