The juicy mystery behind Bossa Nova’s Mangosteen

When Samot tried Bossa Nova’s acerola juice he never imagined what he was getting into. From acerola, to açaí, to... mangosteen.

Bossa Nova’s mangosteen brought a change to Samot life that he has not envisioned happening. He felt more energetic, healthy and became “hooked” into it to the point he would drive miles to the supermarkets that carried those juices to have a reasonable inventory of his newest “addiction” available in his refrigerator. At any given time.

What Samot did not know is that he was in what appears to be a dead end road. Bossa Nova’s mangosteen juices are soon to be discontinued. Well… At least according to the manufacturing company. And Samot found himself in a dilemma.

After a few months having plenty of mangosteen to satisfy his needs, Samot took trips to supermarkets in vain. Mangosteen shelves were empty more and more frequently, no matter how often he went back for more juices. He talked to produce staff members, managers, and came to the conclusion someone else in town was also enjoying mangosteen juices as much as he was. Of course! That had to be it! Right?

Huh… not so much. The only supermarket chain which carried the juice in town was simply out of it. When looking into their inventory, the manager said the mangosteen juice, specifically, was being scratched.

While inquiring the manufacturing company about this matter, Samot learns that the juice will be discontinued due to lack of interest from the clients.However, at this point, the distribution centers had plenty available.

How come there is a lack of interest from clients, while there are at least a few – granted that it is from a small sample – of them looking for the same product and cannot find it at the grocery stores? Would it be competition regarding shelf space? Was Bossa Nova being eaten by the gorillas? Was Bossa Nova missing a point in its marketing efforts?

What now?

As far as I am concerned, I have never seen an advertisement about Bossa Nova’s juices, although on the website there is a video that can be watched on youtube (has anybody seen it on TV?). The juices were found “by accident”. When I was looking specifically for açaí, not knowing any brand, I tried Bossa Nova because its name is in Portuguese and reminded me of the beach and the fresh juices I used to drink when I lived in Brazil. The grocery store in town only carries a few bottles at a given time, making me and other fans – including Samot – to always crave for more. I am also a witness that everyone who tries the juices, whether mangosteen or acerola, falls in love for its taste, and after drinking it more than once, realizes the benefits it brings to their health. So why… why can’t we find any juice in the supermarket? Moreover, why is Bossa Nova discontinuing the production of Mangosteen? According to Bossa Nova, discontinuation will only take place in April. In the meanwhile, the distribution centers have plenty of products. But the shelves are empty.

I wonder what really happens in the relationship between a manufacturer company and its retail “partners”. We all know that the big companies have the best spots. Given that space is limited, the smaller companies have their products in lower shelves, less valuable spaces, and many times end up being completely left out, resulting in nothing but product discontinuation. On the other hand, marketing data drives production. If people are buying it, the product continues to be manufactured. Otherwise, it is out of the manufacturer’s portfolio.

I am curious to see a market research from Bossa Nova, in which data shows no interest from its clients in the mangosteen juice. Furthermore, I would like to see how that data would change if Bossa Nova advertised its products more heavily. I believe that an advertisement effort from them could result in larger interest from the public.

Are you with me? Where do you believe is the source of this dilemma? Is mangosteen’s lack of interest real? Is Bossa Nova being eaten by the gorillas? Should Bossa Nova partner with a new supermarket chain? Should it discontinue the production of its mangosteen juice? In your view, what is the juicy mystery behind Bossa Nova’s mangosteen?