Michelle Obama’s Plezi grows up to serve expanding beverage wellness market

Michelle Obama’s Plezi Nutrition is learning that in the world of better-for-you beverages, less is more.

Co-founded by the former first lady in 2023, Plezi launched with the idea of developing healthier drinks for children with less sugar and more nutrients. The Washington, D.C.,-based company’s first offering, Plezi juice boxes, contained 75% less sugar than average leading fruit juice, plus fiber and nutrients, such as potassium, vitamin C, magnesium, and zinc.    

But executives soon realized there were opportunities for healthier launches in other products, such as soda and sports drinks, purchased by teens and adults. The company is now broadening its reach with new products aimed at older individuals.

“What we didn’t fully appreciate is that we have products and we have liquids that are really appealing to consumers across all age cohorts,” Sam Siegal, chief marketing officer at Plezi, said in an interview. “So the work that we’ve done over the past year, year and a half, is to say we’re not just a kid’s juice company.”

This year Plezi released carbonated fruit drink Plezi Fizz and sports drink Plezi Hydration, which the company says has half the sugar, less sodium and seven times the potassium of Gatorade. The product also has a full daily dose of vitamin C to support immune health and muscle repair.

Siegal, a former PepsiCo executive, declined to discuss sales at Plezi except to note that the brand is going after “ambitious year-over-year growth” rates. The beverage platform is growing and in some cases outpacing its better-for-you peers across velocity and customer repeat rates.

“We’ve got a long road ahead of us and by no means are we saying we’re on a soft, easy rolling street,” Siegal said. “We continue to put our heads down and work very aggressively for every sale, for every velocity, but we have indicators that are products … are resonating with consumers.”

While Plezi’s newer products follow the same low sugar, higher nutrition profiles as its kid drink, the company is changing how it goes about selling and marketing them.

Unlike Plezi, which was introduced nationally, Plezi’s Fizz and Hydration offerings were launched at a handful of retailers on the West Coast. This move allows Plezi to tweak the product, packaging and marketing before later expanding to other parts of the U.S. 

The slower release also enabled the company to prioritize driving velocities and repeat purchases at existing retailers that carried the product.

Plezi is prioritizing adding its soda alternative and sports drink to new geographies and consumers but will eventually launch more new beverage products.

“We would be doing ourselves and our customers a disservice if we didn’t give those products, give those brands space to grow before we expanded our portfolio.”