Ocean Spray Cranberries Inc.’s Lighthouse, an innovation incubator in the Boston Seaport District, has launched Atoka, a line of herbalist-crafted, plant-based drinks offering a variety of health benefits. Atoka is Ocean Spray’s first-ever new brand and ushers in the next era of products that will be emanating from the Lighthouse.
Middleborough, Massachusetts-based Ocean Spray founded the Lighthouse to inspire collaboration, creativity and ingenuity, with rapid innovation playing a critical role in Ocean Spray’s growth. Taking an entrepreneurial approach to innovation, Ocean Spray is creating new products that resonate with a more diversified audience. The Lighthouse cultivates a new entrepreneurial culture from the inside out—creating products and brands indicative of a new disruptive era with a “build” mentality.
“Our Lighthouse Incubation team is set to tackle the most interesting challenges we face as a food and beverage industry today and position Ocean Spray at the forefront of change,” says Rizal Hamdallah, global chief innovation officer at Ocean Spray.
Aside from the five-month speed at which the Lighthouse will ideate and bring to market new products, there is another big difference that sets Ocean Spray’s incubator apart from other food and beverage companies: Ocean Spray is farmer-owned. This structure energizes the Lighthouse team to innovate sustainable, nourishing food not only for people worldwide, but also for its farmer-owners. The Lighthouse is committed to Ocean Spray’s purpose of connecting farms to families for a better life, and the launch of a wellness-focused brand like Atoka is the Lighthouse’s first step.
“Atoka is the first new brand to be incubated here in Boston at the Lighthouse, indicative of our emphasis on an intensely innovative, agile approach to product development and cultivating a culture of innovation throughout the organization. Atoka brings Ocean Spray into an entirely new category of wellness drinks, including a variety of oatmilks, tea tonics, and herbal shots offered in different herbal blends,” says Hamdallah.
“The Lighthouse Incubation team is uniquely structured with strong entrepreneurial talent filling key positions and designed to push boundaries, and through that process we’ll continue learning,” says Santi Proano, head of the Lighthouse Incubator. “We are committed to accelerate innovation within only five months from idea, test and then market launch.”
Featuring the iconic cranberry superfruit and inspired by Mother Nature, the Atoka line of Tea Tonics, Oatmilk Elixirs and Herbal Shots come in each of the following herbal blended flavors:
- Herbal Blend: 01 – Cranberry, guayusa, ginseng and ginger are blended to elevate the day into focus.
- Herbal Blend: 02 – Elderberry, reishi, rosehips, ginger and spices come together to become a modern elderberry syrup, curated to support a daily wellness journey.
- Herbal Blend: 03 – Dark cherry, chamomile, hops and ginger mix to help ease the tensions and quiet the busy mind.
- Herbal Blend: 04 – Cranberry, linden flower, lemongrass, orange peel and ginger combine to soothe the stomach and the senses.
Atoka will launch as test market in Boston area and the plan is to roll out in January 2020.
