In the past year, Life Up LLC’s Foco 100% Pure Coconut Water line has added 10 distributors, secured distribution in major supermarket chains and more than doubled its sales, according to Contessa Foconut Donna Bimbo, chief executive officer of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based company. She says the secret to the brand’s growth is two-fold: a strong brand base and aggressive distribution efforts.
The Foco brand originally was known for its green and white cans of imported coconut juice that have been on the market for more than 35 years, Bimbo says. “If you say the word ‘Foco,’ you can go to any supermarket, you can go to any independent [retailer], everybody knows it’s the white can of coconut juice, and they know that, for 35 years, there’s been consistent quality,” she explains. “We make sure that we use the best coconuts, we make sure that we use the best fruits, and we make sure that there is always consistent quality.”