Something in the Water

KIWI BUSINESSES ARE KNOWN FOR INNOVATION, creativity and a can-do attitude, but we’re also good at another thing that is essential to survival, let alone success, and that is perseverance. The ability to keep on keeping on has seen many a Kiwi battler make it in the end, and when looking for a great example of hanging in there, look no further than Whakatāne’s Wai Mānuka, a non-alcoholic beverage company started by a bunch of Māori boys and now taking on the world.

The Wai Mānuka story began on New Year’s Eve in 2019, when mates at a barbecue were bemoaning the lack of really interesting non-alcoholic drinks, something that wasn’t sugar-packed and overly carbonated, but interesting enough to sip throughout a dinner. They also wanted it to be authentic and made from locally sourced ingredients, so in typical ‘just do it’ style, they set to work with mānuka honey, lemon juice, sparkling water and a soda machine - which promptly exploded!

“Yeah, the science definitely wasn’t dialled in, bro!” laughs Joe Harawira, one of the Wai Mānuka founders and chief executive. “But that’s how it is when you’re learning a new game - you break a few things until you get it right!” And never was a truer thing said in jest, as we shall see.

Some fine-tuning was definitely needed in those early days, but the crew got stuck in, and the result is what Joe calls “a little taste of Aotearoa in a glass.” Mānuka honey from just up the road, sparkling water from Tauranga, and a touch of raw lemon juice from Hawke’s Bay. Not too sweet, light, and gently sparkling, a refreshingly balanced elixir that’s hard to put down after the first sip.

“That’s how it is when you’re learning a new game - you break a few things until you get it right!”

Tapping into local Whakatāne talent, they set up marketing and production plans, but if the boys were starting from a small town, they were aiming for the big time. This wasn’t long in coming when they managed to be selected as an official beverage of the America’s Cup. That exposure was worth its weight in gold, but there was just one problem: they hadn’t actually gone into production!

A frantic scramble to meet deadlines began - and then, history repeated itself. “Yeah, things started blowing up again!” laughs Joe. “Holy Heka! We had bottles exploding on the production line and lost thousands of dollars’ worth of product - all while pouring our savings into what felt like a bottomless pit and managing stress levels we didn’t know we had!”

But they got through it and securing a spot in one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious sporting events, alongside global giant Coca-Cola, gave Wai Mānuka an unprecedented launch to market. “That opportunity opened our eyes to the possibility of taking Whakatāne to the world,” says Joe. “If we were serious about creating an iconic Kiwi brand, we had to start thinking globally.”

And that’s how Joe found himself overseas on government trade missions to the Middle East, North America, and across Asia. “One of the silver linings of COVID was how it put wellness front and centre. People everywhere were doing more to look after themselves and each other. That shift, along with the Aotearoa provenance story, the mānuka honey factor, and the global rise in non-alcoholic drinks, created the perfect backdrop to launch Wai Mānuka. People want to feel connected to something that brings them meaning, it has to be authentic and reflect their values. That’s exactly what we set out to bottle.”

“We wholeheartedly believed in what we were doing but the thing with growing a fastmoving consumer brand is you’re constantly burning capital! At times, it’s scary, especially when you’re burning through your life savings, you’ve sold your home, and you’re basically paying to work in the business. It’s in those moments of self-doubt, when emotions are high, that you’ve got to find a reason to keep going. The only way this was going to end was if the bank or the taxman said stop!”

“People want to feel connected to something that brings them meaning, it has to be authentic and reflect their values. That’s exactly what we set out to bottle.”

Post-COVID, there was an initial surge in growth but as costs rose, supply chain issues mounted, and disposable incomes shrank, the hard times returned. It became a case of hunkering down and battling on. But the hard yards are starting to pay off: Wai Mānuka has expanded globally, with trials underway in Japan and New York, and initial discussions taking place in China and the Middle East.

“A little taste of Aotearoa in a glass.”

“Just cracking one of those markets would be a game changer. Whenever I travel for business, I’m always struck by the regard the world has for New Zealand, our country, our people, and our culture. There’s so much about Aotearoa that the world loves and trusts. I’ve never liked it when we say, ‘we punch above our weight,’ because it downplays the fact that we’re genuinely world-leading in so many areas. Even with all the global uncertainty, it just reinforces the importance for Kiwi businesses to focus on what we’re good at, back ourselves, trust the reputation we’ve built, and stay the course. We know we’ve got a great product and a strong brand, and it’s an honour to represent our country and our culture on the world stage.”