As most people both inside the Network Marketing industry are aware, the Verve craze is achieving a lot of traction, especially amongst younger audiences (one of the most valuable and fickle demographics).
Nahreen Tarzi of the Los Angeles Loyolan (the student newspaper of Loyola Marymount College) recently profiled a former student, turned Verve distributor, who is working hard to spread the word about the Healthy Energy drink to schools around the country. Its always great to read about distributors who are passionate about their product and working hard to spread the word about their product by thinking outside the box.
Doug Bettencourt, an LMU (Loyola Marymount) graduate from the class of ‘94, has found his calling with the new healthy nutritional drink, Verve. With the booming success of this Vemma product in the sports industry, Bettencourt and his marketing team plan to try and bring this energy drink to high schools and colleges throughout the world, including LMU.
“On the healthy side, there’s not a better liquid vitamin on the market than the Vemma product,” said Bettencourt. A former member of Crimson Circle and Sigma Pi fraternity, Bettencourt graduated from LMU with an interest in sports marketing and a B.A. in Business Management.
After a few internships, however, he quickly learned the difficulty of entering the sports marketing field for those without inside connections or an athletic career, so Bettencourt decided to go a different route after graduation.
After returning from a year-long trip to Australia, which he paid for by working as a furniture mover and bartender the previous year, Bettencourt entered the corporate world for six years. Not satisfied with this career, he then tapped into his love for kids and became an elementary school teacher. He received his credentials while working at a restaurant. Now in his sixth year as a fifth grade teacher at a Title I school, Bettencourt spends his days encouraging kids from low-income families and broken homes to believe in themselves and work hard to succeed.
“I’ve always wanted to help make a difference in people’s lives,” said Bettencourt.
With the release of Vemma’s Verve in Nov. of last year, Bettencourt is now also making a difference in people’s health. “It feels good, especially with the [LMU] alma mater, to offer a product kids can enjoy and that can also make a difference for their health.”
When his best friend from high school retired at the age of 33 after marketing a liquid vitamin that went worldwide, Bettencourt took his friend’s advice to join the energy drink business. Finding Vemma through a connection with President and CEO B.K. Boreyko, a friend of his, Bettencourt began working on the marketing and distribution of Verve, calling it “the insanely healthy energy drink.” Filled with essential vitamins and minerals, Verve is approved by the FDA, USDA and National Homeland Security, as well as by major U.S. sports leagues like the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and NCAA.
Verve is all-natural and loaded with all of the daily vitamins and minerals rather than just vitamin B. The amount of each vitamin and mineral in one can of Verve (8.3 fl oz) either meets or exceeds the Percent Daily Value recommended by the FDA for a 2,000 calorie diet (ranging from 100% -500%), except for Vitamin A (50%). It has 80 mg of caffeine per can, which is equivalent to the amount in about one cup of drip coffee.
Vemma (a liquid vitamin and minerals supplement) contains extract from the exotic fruit mangosteen, which is full of antioxidants and phytonutrients (important for cell restoration). It also contains extracts of aloe vera and green tea, both healthy for the human body.
The new Verve energy drink is a combination of the Vemma supplement, ultra purified drinking water, and an energy and amino acid blend. The best part about Verve, according to Bettencourt, is it tastes good (a tangy fruit flavor) and doesn’t put you in a slump after your energy peaks.
“It’s gonna give you your pick-me-up, but it’s all-natural, you don’t get the crash, and it is loaded with vitamins and minerals.” Bettencourt also explained drinking Verve is better than taking vitamins in pill form because liquid metabolizes quicker in our body and any excess vitamins and minerals gets flushed out. Bettencourt added that, in addition to providing health benefits and energy, “it curbs your hangover.”
Verve is not only the official drink of the Phoenix Suns, but it’s also supported by Dr. Oz, Charles Barkley, Kendra Wilkinson, Shawne Merriman and other various celebrities and athletes. Like others in its market, this nutritional drink is spreading fast.
“Energy drinks in the past five plus years have gone up 526 percent,” Bettencourt explained. “It’s a $3.7 billion industry.” Within the first ninety days after its release, Verve sold over one million cans. Now the product is at $3.5 million in sales and just hit its 120-day mark yesterday.
At $65 per 24-pack, Verve is not sold in stores, but rather sold online and shipped straight to the customer. A sugar-free version is offered with only four calories per can, as opposed to 72 calories and 18g of sugar per can in the original version.
Bettencourt and his team are working on getting Verve in school vending machines across the nation. He believes with Verve, “parents can feel comfortable about what their children are drinking because it’s not loaded with sugar, and it’s not loaded with all these bad components or alternatives that get thrown into these energy drinks.”
Verve has appeared in over 135 college newspapers, but is also greatly advertised by word-of-mouth.
Bettencourt plans to try and get the LMU Athletic Department to support the product as well, believing its healthy effects will greatly benefit LMU students. His enthusiasm about the product made it clear that he believes in Verve’s quality and purpose. “You’ve gotta believe in what you’re working on,” Bettencourt said.
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