Fresh grad shakes up fruit juice brand

Increasing numbers of students are itching to start their own entrepreneurial lifestyle or join their respective family businesses after leaving university.

Arielle Escalona was just a fresh graduate when she presented an idea that would completely revamp a more than a decade-old company, shifting from the customary fruit shakes to the contemporary coldpressed juices, which are considered to be the newest and more premium way of juicing.

Upon graduating from Ateneo de Manila University with an AB Communications degree, the former member of the Blue Babble Battalion brought up the need to implement a total makeover of the wellknown Fruit Magic shakes that have been present in almost every nook and cranny of malls and other establishments.

“When I joined in 2014, the goal was really to revamp because I felt it was the newest and most premium way of juicing. This is like my baby. When I started, I did the entire marketing plan, the design. It was just me,” she

said.

Fruit Magic has been in the industry since 1999 and is considered as the pioneer of fruit shakes and juices in the cup form.

Just like any other business, Fruit Magic now known as Pure Nectar had its ups and downs.

“There was a huge hesitation with our sales. Most of our sellers and crew members have been with our company for more than 10 years so they were used to the old method. Educating them was so difficult and we had to do several trainings and orientations so they will be encouraged to know more about the product,” Escalona shared.

“Also, they’ve been doing the same routine for the longest time, some people were still hesitant because it became more medical and it was too overwhelming for them,” she added.

Escalona said she even flew to the US to do her research on the business including pricing.

“We felt confident because we knew the business so well in terms of procurement of products and we have supply of fruits and vegetables,” she said.

When it started in March 2015, Pure Nectar initially launched six flavors which were picked up from the old menu and incorporated with the new juicing method.

After introducing it to the market, the new facet of the business eventually picked up after eight months and gained a market of its own.

As Escalona believes in the power of collaboration, she started negotiating with diet and food delivery companies and restaurants to include Pure Nectar juices in their packaged meals. Among these firms include Sexy Chef, Healthy House, Green Pastures and The Breadery.

“In terms of growth, partnership and collaboration is more powerful especially through online commerce because it’s really going digital, fast-paced. And the only way to do that is to make a product that is also fit with the market which is on the go,” she said.

When fruits and vegetables arrive at its commissary, everything is in its freshest state and juiced right away, Escalona noted.

“We use an industrial juicer and we get to extract everything from the fruits and vegetables,” she said.

Escalona’s father, a doctor and the CEO of the company, formulated the juice recipes, integrating it with the needs of the Filipinos.

“Diabetes is one of the most common illnesses that’s why we launched a whole new line of green juices because according to doctors, greens are essential for balancing [the diet],” she said.

Pure Nectar is banking on the health-conscious market that wants to save time in preparing health-infused food and drinks.

“The goal is to make people who don’t eat vegetables to buy our products. If you’re working, it’s not so easy to prepare a meal that is completely balanced. If you do it yourself, there’s so much effort to be exerted. So why not just buy it?” Escalona said.

Pure Nectar sources its everyday produce from various areas in the North, 80 percent of which comes from Baguio.

On an average daily basis, it consumes almost 500 kilos of pineapples, mangoes, apples, oranges, among others and up to 15 kilos of green vegetables like kale and parsley.

“There are some fruits and vegetables that you can only find here in the Philippines. There are others that you can find abroad but it doesn’t taste as good and delicious as the ones here,” she said.

“Most farms are small so we have to jump from one farm to another. But, we will be helping the farmers even more when we buy their fruits and vegetables,” she added.

Pure Nectar is in the process of renovating its entire factory to fully maximize the potential of its new way of juicing. On a daily basis, the company produces over approximately 2,000 bottles with its 27 existing flavors.

Forward-looking to the next three to five years, Escalona expects to have more depots that will carry their products.

By end-2016, Pure Nectar aims to have 100 refrigerators scattered in different parts of the metro from the current 67 units.

“We aim to make healthy and delicious beverages that are accessible to people. Our goal as a company is to have the products available to every single Filipino,” she said.

It also plans to reach consumers in the ASEAN region in the coming years after having obtained an international franchise.

Escalona said the company was also looking at expanding and establishing a factory down south particularly in Davao and Cebu.

“The potential is good because there are several fruit and vegetable plantations there and the market will likely accept [the product],” she added.

As a complimentary drink diet, Pure Nectar is also being prescribed for cancer patients in some of its partner clinics.

As studies showed that the most common sickness of Filipinos is due to an unhealthy lifestyle and choice of food, Escalona envisions consumers to start including the healthy aspect of life in their everyday routine.