There perhaps was no person more popular than Mitch Jacobsen during Day 2 of Global Pouch Forum last week. The CEO and Founder of Rviita Energy Tea, Jacobsen addressed the hundreds of attendees as a keynote speaker, during which he discussed the story behind Rviita, his embrace of pouch packaging, the challenges he faced during product development, and ultimately, the commercial success of Rviita as a result of the company’s unique approach.

“Rviita Energy Tea is a natural energy drink packaged in a custom-designed flexible beverage pouch,” explained Jacobsen during a post-presentation interview. “We launched early in 2020, we’re carried in about a thousand stores across Canada, and are soon to expand into the U.S.”

Wanting to create a natural and refreshing alternative to coffee and other energy drinks, Jacobsen launched Rviita after two years of experimenting with a multitude of ingredients and drink formulas, and while many of his trials were unsuccessful, by his own admission, he has now managed to create six outstanding flavors using all natural ingredients like honey, tea, fruit juice, and guarana seed extract. Guarana seed extract is found in Brazil, and has long been used as a powerful source of slow release caffeine, while also containing double the caffeine concentration of coffee beans. Because of Rviita’s all natural ingredients, the typical crash associated with consuming other energy drinks is avoided. 

Rviita Variety Pack (PHOTO: Rviita)

Pouch packaging was a key part in the success of Rviita. Because most energy drinks come in cans, flexible pouches gave Jacobsen a way to differentiate his product from his competitors, while also embracing sustainability as a result. 

“If I want to differentiate, what’s going to make [the customer] stop and say, ‘Hey what’s that?’ It’s the pouch. And that gives me a competitive advantage to compete with the big boys {in the energy drink market,” said Jacobsen during his presentation. “For a brand like us to compete in arguably the most competitive beverage category there is and be somewhat successful, that speaks to the power of the pouch, the power of differentiation, and the fact that consumers want something different. ”

To learn more about Rviita Energy Tea, please visit https://rviitalize.com/.