Welcome to another installment of the Rafflecopter Brand Showcase. Last week we introduced you CrazyDog T-Shirts. This week, we’re very excited to introduce our friends at Herbal Water (@HerbalWater).
In September, the folks at Herbal Water shot us an email asking questions about Rafflecopter. It was at this time we were first introduced to Herbal Water. Having never heard of Herbal Water before, we were intrigued.
We were fortunate to have several bottles of each flavor shipped to our office: Lavender Mint, Cinnamon Orange-Peel, Lemongrass Mint Vanilla, Cloves Cardamom Cinnamon, Ginger Lemon-Peel, and Verbena Geranium.
If I had to describe drinking this beverage to anyone in two words, it would be ‘uniquely refreshing‘.
But Seriously… It Was Good.
Come to find out after we drank all twelve bottles in three days that the water comes with recommended food pairings (similar to wine). They have a two page PDF on their site for recommended pairings for each of their flavors. It’s a beverage in it’s own genre.
Today, we’re happy to introduce Ayala Laufer-Cahana M.D., who is a mom, a physician, a blogger, and the founder of Herbal Water. We’ve had conversations with Ayala over the past six months are thrilled to introduce Herbal Water for this week’s brand showcase.
Ayala – Tell Us A Litte Bit About Yourself
As a pediatrician, I was always advising parents to stay away from sweet drinks, because there are so many calories and so much junk in them, and drinking sweet is so habit forming.
Since I try very hard to practice what I preach, and I truly believe that anything you put in your mouth should taste good, and not just be good for you, I started exploring calorie free beverages for my family and for my guests.
I grow an organic herb garden, and have an abundance of herbs in the warm months. Culinary herbs are the natural way to flavor anything. Herbs are also, to me one of the most sensual foods, and really connect you to nature and memories. I would make herbal beverages to pair with meals, and our guests were offered this herbal water as an alternative to regular water or wine. They came to expect it, and asked for it whenever they came. But I couldn’t make it in the winter, since I didn’t have the fresh herbs growing then.
The enthusiasm for this healthy alternative led me to believe that this beverage answers a true need in the market and that we should make it commercially available.
So How Did You Turn Your Idea Into A Business?
We launched Herbal Water in the summer of 2007. Herbal Water created a new category of drinks, and is the first and only drink that relies only on culinary herb combinations for the creation of a balanced drink. Ayala’s Herbal Water infuses exotic organic culinary herbs into pure water, creating flavorful harmony with zero calories, zero additives and no preservatives. It’s the drink that many of our fans and reviewers claim finally helped them kick the soda habit.
The flavors are complex and refreshing — providing a wonderful alcohol, soda and plain water alternative — and include: Lemongrass Mint Vanilla, Ginger Lemon-Peel, Cinnamon Orange-Peel, Cloves Cardamom Cinnamon, Verbena Geranium, and Lavender Mint. We have a line of still Herbal Water, and for the bubble enthusiasts, we expanded into a sparkling line.
We had nationwide distribution in our second year of operation – which is truly amazing, and shows just how much the food market has changed. We received a many rave reviews and awards — including top honors from Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine, Self Magazine’s Healthy Food Award, and Good Housekeeping Magazine Best Flavored Water award — but most importantly, we have passionate and dedicated fans, who’ve helped us spread the word and our mission.
How Have Your Experiences Been Working With Bloggers?
As a start-up, bloggers have been terrific for us. We’re swimming with very big fish (Coke, Pepsi and such), who spend billions of dollars on marketing and advertising. Social media and blogs are where small, innovative companies like us find a level playing field – perhaps even have an advantage.
What Are Some Characteristics You Look For In A Blogger?
What we look for in a blogger who wants to partner with us is for someone who’s an influencer, has a following and a voice. We especially appreciate bloggers who share in our mission of getting people to better understand food choices, and who believe in the importance of healthy lifestyle and environmental protection. Word of mouth of trendsetting bloggers is part of what made the rise of a unique, homegrown brand like Ayala’s Herbal Water possible.
A trusted blogger’s community often consists of like-minded fans, and Rafflecopter helps us connect with this group. Savvy bloggers utilize Rafflecopter by streamlining the giveaway process and this automation makes accruing fans and followers easy and efficient.
Tell Us What You’re Promoting Today!
We’ve got not just one… but two prizes to giveaway.
1st prize: a dazzling array of our entire line – a real party!
- 12 bottles of still Ayala’s Herbal Water (2 bottles of each of 6 flavors)
- 12 bottles of single serve sparkling Ayala’s Herbal Water (3 bottles of each of 4 flavors)
- 3 family size Sparkling Ayala’s Herbal Water (1 bottle of each of 3 flavors)
2nd prize: try one of each of our herbal flavors:
- 6 bottles of still Ayala’s Herbal Water (1 bottle of each of 6 flavors)
- 4 bottles of single serve sparkling Ayala’s Herbal Water (1 bottles of each of 4 flavors)
Thanks again to the folks at Herbal Waters for the opportunity. Below is a giveaway that is open to folks in the US residing in the lower 48 states (sorry to those in AK, HI, and our international friends!). Giveaway ends on Thursday, 4/26 at 12:01am. First winner chosen will be for the 1st prize pack. Rafflecopter was not required to write this post, we asked the folks @ Herbal Water to be featured. As a way to say thanks, Herbal Water provided us with about a dozen bottles of water :) All opinions we’ve expressed are our own. We’re disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Enter The Giveaway Below:
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