There’s a new tenant at aloha.com. It was noticed in Hawaii at Wanderlust this year when people handed out samples of a new green energy powder in little boxes with “Aloha” on it and a phrase: “The daily good.”
The boxes had plenty of information about the powder, which contained no animal products or soy or GMO or peanuts or herbicides or preservatives or dyes—but it didn’t have any information about its maker, Aloha, or how it relates to the Hawaiian philosophy. Who are these mysterious aloha-ists (what they call “alohis”) and how did they acquire such a coveted URL?
People scratched head, drank it down, liked it. But other than giving a definition of aloha and saying its mission is to “inspire your healthiest, happiest alohi life,” neither the box nor the website give much context as to its connection to the aloha state.
Constantin Bisanz, 40, a New York-based serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of Aloha (the health business), says he chose to call his new company Aloha because he really likes Hawaii.
“[In 2011] I traveled the world for 2 years. I spent some time in Hawaii and other magical places and fell in love with the Hawaiian spirit. The people I met who live in Hawaii live very holistic, happy lives. They take care of themselves, have great relationships; they are spiritual. They have a special energy.”
He hopes to provide this energy in healthful content, both in edible and digital forms. “U.S. people want to live healthily, but there is so much bullshit around healthfulness and businesses making false claims,” he says. He uses the sugary Vitamin Water as an example. “It’s hard to find really good products you can trust, [because] FDA regulations are so weak. It’s really confusing for people [...] as it is driven by marketing claims. My goal is to create a movement where we help people to live healthiest in a simple way.”
All the confusion opens up a need for a trusted brand, and what better way to gain global credibility than with “aloha”? The brand’s message is louder at Aloha.com, a URL Bisanz purchased from a group of people for an amount he wouldn’t divulge. The powders and pills are listed and available to buy, and their blog “The Aloha Way,” features articles written by “ALOHA Experts” including chefs, athletes, fitness coaches, herbalists, and others.
The green juice packets, called The Daily Good, break down to about $2.50 each if bought in bundles of 30 ($75), and the pills, called The Foundation, are $95 for a 30-day supply. By these prices, as far as Hawaii is concerned, it seems Aloha’s target audience is Kahala moms or anyone already paying $195 per month at Core Power Yoga.
But since Bisanz sold his previous business, brands4friends, to eBay for $200 million, he says Aloha isn’t about money. “This is not for money. We want to do something good. Aloha can also stand for a life of happiness, and that’s why we love the word. [...] It’s really important that people understand that we are extremely passionate about the Hawaiian sprit and culture. There’s a special energy that I feel when I go there. We want to democratize and share it with other people that don’t have the chance to live there. We only have good intentions.”