BodyArmor is the sports drink company that was co-founded by Mike Repole and Lance Collins. The vision that they had for BodyArmor was to create a healthier and more effective alternative to traditional sports drinks that have artificial ingredients and sugars.
Mike Repole, born in 1969, was a very prominent entrepreneur in the beverage industry. He had been apart of many other companies before co-founding BodyArmor. Repole had already achieved considerable success with the creation and sale of Glacéau, the company behind the popular Vitaminwater and Smartwater brands. He had a good business sense and understanding of consumer preferences, which played a pivotal role in shaping the success of BodyArmor. Lance Collins brought experience in the beverage industry to the partnership. He had previously founded Fuze Beverage, a company focused on producing natural and healthy beverages. Collins’ expertise in developing drink formulas and marketing strategies further helped BodyArmor’s development.
BodyArmor, launched in 2011, was conceived as a premium sports drink with natural ingredients, essential electrolytes, and vitamins. The founders aimed to offer athletes and active individuals a beverage that not only provided hydration but also delivered nutritional benefits without artificial additives or excessive sugars. Through strategic marketing campaigns and athlete endorsements, Repole and Collins successfully positioned BodyArmor as a credible and sought-after alternative in the sports drink market. The brand garnered attention by securing high-profile partnerships with athletes like Kobe Bryant, James Harden, and Mike Trout.
In 2018, The Coca-Cola Company recognized the potential of BodyArmor and acquired a significant stake in the company. The success of BodyArmor is a testament to the entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking of Mike Repole and Lance Collins.
I really like how Collins and Repole teamed up and used their different expertise to create a new, successful product. They did a really good job of publicizing their new drink with big names like Harden and Trout.
This was an interesting story for me, especially because I really like Body Armor. It was also interesting that Repole already had prior steps in the beverage industry. I feel like the means that body armor was less of a risk to take. I wonder which of his beverages truly was the first leap of faith. Did the ugly baby survive to popularity or is it unrecognizable?
I think it was a smart move, especially from the view of an entrepreneur for Collins and Repole to team up and that led to the creation of a successful product. It is a good example of what can happen what you collide your hunches together.
This post is pretty cool because it shows entrepreneurship by both the makers of Body Armour, and then Coca-Cola. The original creators brought the company out into the light, and then Coke ultimately turned it into what it is today. I think it is a sweet picture of start-up entrepreneurship, and rebranding entrepreneurship.