Health-conscious Ontarians can now indulge in guilt-free drinking.
Canadian startup Social Lite Vodka has launched its ready-to-drink sparkling vodka beverages at the LCBO. The product, which comes in 355mL skinny cans, has no sugar or artificial sweeteners, uses all-natural flavours and has just 80 calories per can. Social Lite comes in Lemon Cucumber Mint and Lime Ginger, and the company is currently developing two new flavours.
Social Lite has been available in Western Canada for about a year. It was started by Toronto entrepreneurs Dan Beach and Kevin Folk, who wanted a drink they could enjoy with friends and still feel good enough to go on a run the next day.
“We all try to make healthier choices in our diet and there was this realization that it shouldn’t feel any different for a drink,” said Neetu Godara, a former PepsiCo marketing executive who joined Social Lite as co-founder and chief marketing officer in January. “You shouldn’t have to throw all those decisions you make in every other occasion out of the window.”
While Social Lite skews toward women, the brand sees its target as a psychographic one: people who are healthy and active, “but not necessarily on the extreme,” said Godara. “They’re out on the weekends and enjoy going out with friends.”
Without a big marketing budget, the company is taking a grassroots approach to building the brand. It’s focused on telling the startup story of Social Lite through PR and social media, and will drive trial in Ontario with in-store marketing and sampling, with no big agencies involved.
“We want to get out there and meet people ourselves, so we’ll be doing everything from LCBO tastings to food and wine shows to maybe driving up to Muskoka and handing people our products,” said Godara.
The company is also getting some help from Arlene Dickinson, CEO of Venture Communications and former Dragons’ Den cast member, who came on board last year as a partner.
Last March, Beach and Folk appeared on an episode of Dragon’s Den Next Den, but didn’t land any deals.
“We tweeted Arlene Dickinson our clip at 11:30 pm one night, as we knew she had invested in alcohol businesses in the past, and asked if she would give Social Lite a try,” said Godara.
“To our surprise, she tweeted us back 30 minutes later and asked us to come in for a meeting. One week later we were in her boardroom pitching. She opened the drink, tasted it, and said ‘let’s make a deal.’”
Venture Communications helped develop new packaging for Social Lite, adding the “effervescence” design and playing up the brand’s fun personality. Social Lite is also working with startup agency The Hatchery on Social Lite’s visual identity and brand position.
“We’re continuously refining [the brand],” said Godara. “We believe that SocialLite is about removing the guilt from life’s social moments… but I think as we evolve and as we learn more about what’s resonating with consumers, we’ll continue to refine how we look, how we talk and how we feel.”
