OK Energy

University of Virginia, McIntire School of Commerce

Industry: Energy Drinks/ Consumer Packaged Goods

Founding Student Name(s): Evan Nied

Brief Description of Solution: Energy drinks are one of the fastest-growing beverage categories in the world, especially for young people. However, energy drinks are largely the same in not just their flavors and nutritional content, but in their overall branding and marketing strategies. This presents a blue ocean in the beverage category for an energy drink that utilizes differentiated branding to target customers who do not feel seen in the current marketing space. OK Energy differentiates itself with ironic designs and marketing that attempt to reach the disenchanted consumers. OK Energy’s slogan is “Don’t Be Yourself. Be OK”. Our brand ambassadors are “OK Guys” and “OK Girls” and our flavor names are Meh-ango and Feelin’ Blue-Raspberry.

Funding Dollars: $80,000

What led you to launch this venture? I discovered a discontinued soda brand from the early 1990’s called OK Soda. I was blown away by the brand’s design and marketing, which showcased morose cartoon figures and semi-ironic slogans such as “What’s the point of OK? What’s the point of anything?”. I found that the trademark for the brand had entered the public domain and I came to the conclusion that if the product was relaunched in the 2020’s it would have huge success amongst disillusioned GenZ consumers who were tired of hyperbolic marketing for the incredibly fast-growing market: Energy Drinks.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far with venture? The biggest accomplishment so far was the manufacturing of over 7,000 cans and distribution of product into 40 outlets. We were able to sell out our first round of cans in our first quarter.

How has your business-related major helped you further this startup venture? The entrepreneurship programs available with McIntire have given me incredible freedom to work on my company both inside and outside the classroom. The programs have phenomenal flexibility for me to try out new companies and guidance on how to make the most out of my time.

Which business class has been most valuable in building your startup and what was the biggest lesson you gained from it? I had the opportunity to take the Entrepreneurship Minor Capstone Course, taught by Eric Martin. The class was incredible in giving me the opportunity to work on my company with incredible freedom. The biggest lesson I learned from the course is that it is essential to have straightforward and comprehensive communication with your team. Trying to take on the majority of tasks or operating without feedback leads teams to the wrong conclusions. Creating a space of dialogue and speaking to individuals involved in all aspects of business has a profound impact.

What business professor made a significant contribution to your plans and why? Professor Eric Martin and Alex Zorychta were both incredibly influential on my plans. I generated the idea for my company within Professor Zorychta’s class and was able to execute on my plans within Professor Martin’s class. While Professor Zorychta no longer teaches at UVA, he has acted as an incredible mentor outside of the classroom, connecting me to business leaders within the beverage space. Eric Martin has been phenomenal in-and-out of the classroom and his experience in the beverage space has helped me learn about pitfalls to avoid and overcome.

What founder or entrepreneur inspired you to start your own entrepreneurial journey? How did he or she prove motivational to you? My biggest inspiration for my current venture is Mike Cessario. Cessario is the creator of Liquid Death, a Unicorn water startup that sells water in beer cans. His startup showed me that marketing outside of the box and towards customers who traditionally don’t receive attention within a commodified field could lead to incredible growth.

What is your long-term goal with your startup? My long-term goal for the startup is to have distribution nationwide and have the energy drink be the fastest growing beverage CPG product in the next two years. I believe this can be achieved through guerilla marketing and eye-catching designs that challenge conventional expectations.

How has your local startup ecosystem contributed to your venture’s development and success? The local startup ecosystem has been spectacularly helpful and has enabled me to meet new individuals who are interested in starting companies across industries. UVA’s investment into entrepreneurship is clear with the creation of new buildings focused just on entrepreneurial growth. The support of UVA vendors to stock OK Energy has also been essential to our success.

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