Natural Sports Drink Startup Rallying Behind Texans
Q&A with Kasey Long, Marketing Director at Texas’s newest natural sports recovery drink: Rally Electrolyte Beverage
As Kasey Long warms into her new role as the Marketing Director at sports drink startup Rally Electrolyte Beverage, her first priority was to understand the “why” of the product. The story she frequently hears is that people drink Rally to feel better, and do better, as they pursue a personal goal, quite often participating in a fitness event like the recent Cycle for Hope at LIFE HTX benefitting CanCare Inc, or a team sport.
Understanding that “why” was a breakthrough. Rather than focus on selling a sports drink, Rally decided to focus on something bigger: fueling a joyful physical expression of what customers support and value, from education through training and day-of-event support, helping them achieve their personal best.
The new marketing direction focuses on Rally’s role in fueling customers in their physical support of the causes they care about and in help them train to show up strong for the teams and events that say something about who they are.
“Our product is at its best when we’re helping others be their best,” said Long. “That’s our optimal usage scenario- literally helping people Rally and push through when they’re hitting a performance wall at work or in fitness, due to dehydration. That was an unexpected marketing insight because it gave us such a specific and exciting direction. We want to Rally behind people as they push themselves to do their best. There’s a beautiful dovetail into supporting charities- people want to be their best for the causes they care about. That’s a goal that certainly speaks to the Why of our brand.”
Long says she was inspired to join the company after drinking Rally to recover from a series of hard workouts. She was seeking an electrolyte beverage and thought, “Pedialyte felt insufficient, Gatorade has too many artificial ingredients for my taste. Rally is clean and works, and keeps me feeling great as I train.” This first-hand experience with Rally made joining the company an easy decision for her. As a former Team in Training athlete for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, she was thrilled when management supported her vision to focus on Texas charities and health.
Long is no stranger to high-intensity occupations with a history in the legal community. Like most startups, Rally Electrolyte Beverage was created to meet a need. In this case, two young professionals feeling distinctly un-professional about drinking Pedialyte at their desks created something better to meet their needs after networking events and heavy workouts.
“I didn’t want an energy drink that would make me jittery and I didn’t want something with artificial colors and preservatives. I wanted an effective, efficient, utilitarian electrolyte drink with added vitamins.” said co-founder Eric Boss. That product didn’t exist. And so, from the blistering heat, and the high-intensity fitness and social scenes of Texas, Rally Electrolyte Beverage was born.
Marketing Director, Kasey Long, shares a quick Q&A:
What is Rally?
Rally is a restorative, rehydration, recovery drink. Dehydration effects physical and mental performance. Rally Electrolyte Beverage has more electrolytes than common pediatric electrolyte drinks, added Vitamin B and A, more potassium than two bananas in each 20oz bottle.
What’s is your greatest challenge marketing a startup?
I would have to say my greatest challenge is focusing on which market we want to target first. With any brand, you want to develop a marketing plan, and target markets, so you can condense your focus and make sure you are reaching people properly, and engaging with them, rather than just flooding them with advertisements. Since Rally is such an amazing product that could be beneficial to people of all ages, activity levels, and is so incredibly beneficial, I have a hard time narrowing down my target market, as I would love to get the word out to everyone, as quickly as I can, about how truly great this product is, and in due time I intend to. While this is a challenge for me, I feel it is a good one to have. If your main concern is an over excitement to spread the word on a product, then you are clearly working for something you can believe in yourself.
What has been the most rewarding part?
For me, the most rewarding part is getting to be a part of such an innovative, beneficial, and exciting product from the early phases, and be able to play a role in growing it to the level in which a product of this caliber deserves to be. I find it extremely rewarding to watch the amazing team I am working with go all in daily to enhance the growth of this product through all fields, and with such commitment to the brand. I am proud to be working with such an exceptionally talented and driven team, for a brand that truly makes me want to “Rally” behind it, because the benefits speak for themselves.
Where can Rally be found now?
The best place to look is on our website here. Right now you can find us in many HEBs in Houston, Austin and San Antonio with a larger HEB rollout in December to 200 stores. You can also find Rally in Spec’s in Houston and Austin, and at Royal Blue Grocery in Austin, TX and on Amazon. In the coming months we plan to expand to two additional retailers.
What exciting growth do you see on the horizon?
We’re excited to be expanding to other southern states early next year, and excited to be introducing powder packs in the next few months. New markets, new ways to facilitate recovery and hydration for our customers. Lots to look forward to.
Why is Austin an important market for Rally?
Austin is the perfect market for Rally: it’s comprised of energetic people who workout and care about their community. See Austinites running around Lady Bird Lake and the cyclists trekking the roads in Hill Country. I hope Rally can connect with these Austinites, and together, we can find a way to give back to the community.
Connect with Rally
Website:http://drinkrally.com/
Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/drinkrally/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rallydrink?lang=en
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/rallydrink/
