The shipment departed early March carrying Dark Dog’s original energy drink (non-organic), and four organic SKUs. However, the Suez Canal blockage last month delayed the journey by several weeks, only arriving in April.
Dark Dog set up an office in Singapore in January 2021, which will also handle its Asia distribution. In just three months, it sold out initial stocks of the non-organic drink (1,200 cans) and organic drinks (1,200 cans). The organic drinks come in original, blood orange, cranberry mint and coconut water variations.
Its latest shipment carried 5,200 cans of non-organic, and 53,600 cans of the organic range.
In Singapore, the drinks are sold on major e-commerce platforms including Amazon, Redmart, Lazada and NTUC online.
According to marketing manager Lester Ong, the non-organic version, which the brand markets as a guarana and vitamin energy drink, is lower in sodium compared to other brands.
Ong said the typical role of sodium in energy drinks was to provide taste. While lower in sodium, Dark Dog’s non-organic energy drinks still has an “earthy taste, quite caramelised, not as sickly and sweet, with a faint berry aftertaste”.
The taste profile is contributed by the presence of natural guarana (caffeine extract). It is made from Austrian alps spring water and vitamin Bs.
The non-organic product was first launched in 1995.
The organic range is USDA certified organic and non-GMO verified to tap into the healthier lifestyle trend among global consumers.
The difference between the organic (355mL) and non-organic (250mL) is the presence of taurine in the latter.
Both ranges are manufactured in France. Dark Dog’s HQ is located in Barcelona.
Sales channels
According to Ong, the firm is currently in talks with Dairy Farm Group in Singapore to retail its products.
Dairy Farm is a major retailer in Singapore which operates supermarket and convenience stores including Giant, 7-Eleven, Market Place, and Cold Storage.
Ong told us that the firm was also shipping products to New Zealand and expect to retail in supermarkets in a few weeks’ time.
It is now eyeing the South Korean market, popular for local tonic drinks with many containing ginseng.
Tapping on Singapore’s success, he added: “We are hoping to target upper markets in Asia such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, and South Korea.”
