YAKU - Bottled aromatic plant drink

To produce and commercialize YAKU, based on aromatic plants that, treated and bottled, generates a sports-nutraceutical drink which progressively improves the "physical and mental" performance, low calories, as well as of clean production to offer an alternative.

Products to be commercialized are sports drinks in 3 presentations: Chamomile, Mint, Slimming, and Relaxing

"Yaku" is looking to be differentiated from the notion of "temporary energizing or stimulant", proposing a new concept that exploiting the characteristics of aromatic plants, it allows the client to be hydrated and or/nourished, to improve standard of living through the prevention of diseases, conservation of the figure and improvement of the consumer's figure.

The aromatic plants are selected based on the 4 products (chamomile, mint, slimming, relaxing), cleaned and purified. To the boiling water a sweetener ("Estevia") is added, as well as a natural preservative ("Macavi"), and then the beverage is bottled.
The bottles have been purified beforehand.
At last, the labels are attached to the bottles, and they are stored at a low temperature (around 3 to 7 degrees Centigrades).

Commercialization strategy shall be focused on positioning Yaku as a product synonymous of “pure nature, clean production, health, and well-being”, strategies that shall be implemented with an estimated annual investment of 10% of the sales in promotion and advertising. Initial distribution shall be made through direct channels (supermarkets, spa centers, and specialized stores) and other more profitable channels shall be developed as the product is positioned in the market. In the first year the product shall be sold in popular stores with no more than 10% of the total production.

Market research reflects that the target consumer is formed by the segment of men and women between 22 to 45 years old, who belong to medium and high social-economic levels of Ecuador; who have a restless lifestyle and who are searching for health, convenience, and pleasure in food they consume.

Potential market of nutraceutical drinks in Ecuador is about USD 600.000.

There is no direct competitor for the bottled aromatic water product in the market.
Indirect competition is given in the producers of infusions in Ecuador, who might diversify their products made from aromatic plants, which already are handled by the competition.

There are other enterprises engaged in the production of nutraceutical drinks, but their characteristics are based on artificial products, which give the chance to generate comparative advantages towards the competence. In general, nobody has a natural stabilizer.

Competitive advantages are two: 1) 100% natural products based on products that traditionally have been produced in the zones and whose agriculture system has been enhanced to increase production. By being native plants, the adding of pesticides is zero. Stabilizers are natural, result of research and systematization of indigenous knowledge that allows keeping the product up to for 15 days. 2) The drink do not cause addiction, it prevents diseases in a short-term basis. 3) It has natural sweeteners.

Transformation of aromatic plants into a fast-consumption drink, as well as the 100% natural stabilizer, allow to generate a 100% natural drink.

The business shall be strengthened through alliances with specialized centers and spa and physical culture centers which position the business. Lately, it is intended to develop a positioning strategy at a country level, with massive means always associated to means canalizing the marketing to the above-mentioned target.

Daniel Casañas native-born of the are, professional in agriculture and agribusiness, with 10-year experience in developing and implementing rural development experiences, especially in enhancing products based on fair trade and agro-ecological production.

Daniel Casañas will be responsible for implementing the business plan in his capacity as Manager. The support team shall be formed by one technical assistant who shall perform the accounting and general administrative work of the company. There will be and agro-industrial Engineer in charge of YAKU production and of quality control of raw material quality.
There will be a 3 salespersons team in charge of the sale zones.

The team consists of an agribusiness and market specialist, as well as an agro-industrial engineer and specialist in business administration.

1 day in sourcing of raw materials, 3 days with production and parallel to that 5 days spent with distribution.

“Yaku” productions is based on a business model in which the production is grounded in plantations which naturally has been grown in the zone and therefore are compatible with the ecological system, for which pesticides are not added. It is necessary to point out that this production strategy is in the frame of the community’s environmental services plan.

The business model strengthens the community in economical terms, due to annual contracts are generated over the production that is delivered as raw material, and that also has preferential prices. On the other hand, producers have access in its entirety to profits generated by the business.