RAPID GROWTH & HIGH AGUA PLUS DEMAND LEADS PLUS BRAND TO ACCELERATE OPERATIONAL GROWTH UTILIZING ADVANCED A.I. TECHNOLOGIES

OCTOBER 31, 2023 – Plus Brand is pleased to provide a meaningful glimpse at some of the exciting progress that has taken place in order to accommodate the next phase of growth for the Company. Distribution demand for the Company’s current flagship product, Agua Plus alkaline water – offering the only sustainable and fun solution to the problem of bottle confusion – has continued to skyrocket. The innovative product and technology marriage has triggered the need for a bolstered growth strategy, including expanding several aspects of operations even sooner than anticipated. 

“Honestly, while we anticipated the need for these (necessary) accommodations for growth, we just didn’t quite think it would be required this quickly.” said Founder and CEO Chad Willis. “From the very outset of Agua Plus DSD distribution earlier this year, we mapped out a plan to control our rollout and focus it on the state of Michigan in order to get a solid sense of what would be required from a support perspective. We have been fortunate that the plan worked very well and has allowed us to really dial various advertising and merchandising support processes in. It worked, so well in fact, that it only accelerated the incoming requests from several large chains and other DSD distributors. It required us as a Company to take a brief step back and really assess our internal processes and infrastructure in light of the volume requirements that it would need to facilitate. We are very pleased to acknowledge that it has brought about some much needed improvements that will position Plus Brand and Agua Plus well for the next season of growth.”

Thanks in large part to successful implementation of the processes described below, the Company has already created the space and capacity to imminently increase DSD distribution of Agua Plus across additional states which are to be announced shortly. The world is changing at an ever-expanding pace and Plus Brand is committed to harnessing the potential of that change from an operational perspective in the same way that we have from a product perspective. As a Company largely focused on leveraging technology to set itself apart, evidenced by the unique intellectual property that constitutes the All-Scratch!® solution to bottle confusion, it was equally important to harness the exponential efficiencies being created by today’s Artificial Intelligence software capabilities. Much of what used to come down to human experience, intelligence and “gut-feeling” is now being replaced and bettered by real-time data gathering that possesses an incredible ability to automate, predict, recommend and ultimately reason. While great people are and will always be at the heart of what makes Plus Brand a success, great people can be made to shine even more with great information and tools. All of which translates to an ability to better serve the Plus Brand distribution partners as well as every valued Company stakeholders.

Much time has been invested in partnering with industry-leading operational software experts in order to develop and implement internal systems and processes that benefit from a high degree of automation in order to facilitate the growing demands placed upon each sector of the Company. A full mapping of each department has identified opportunities for efficiencies and the development of repeatable systems to standardize and often automate certain menial but critical tasks. This type of Company-wide embrace of A.I. modeling positions Plus Brand well to experience monumental efficiency improvements across the board, bringing clarity and transparency to all processes and outcomes. It also facilitates capacity increases which will help to meet the market demands for Agua Plus both nationally and internationally. 

Co-Founder and COO Adam Gauer added “It’s absolutely incredible what is possible now from an automation perspective. A background in franchising always impressed upon me the importance of creating repeatable processes; but now technology has given us the ability to not only automate those processes, but also incorporate elements of reasoning and interpretation to actually do something with the data right away. In the past we could often create systems of data capture, but meaningful interpretation was all-to-often left on the table. And forget about being able to do it in real-time! Now that has all changed and as a Company we want to ensure that we become known for utilizing the best of technology both in our products and our operations. The foundation we have built (and that will continue to evolve) will empower our team members across the board to excel in their roles. Automating everything from new member onboarding to daily work flows, project oversight and KPI measuring allows us to immediately inject new people into our systems much quicker and at a much higher productivity rate right out of the gate. It also helps eliminate a lot of the menial administration that no one likes doing which allows for our people to focus on what they do best.”

Even the digital customer service side of Plus Brand is about to be catapulted into the leading edge of technology with the implementation of our new Plus A.I. chat assistant: Droplet. Soon to be implemented across all primary websites and applicable platforms, the endearing and sharp A.I. assistant has been learning company operations at an exponential pace in order to support customers along with the curious. It is nearly impossible to tell that the interaction isn’t taking place with a human being and is fully integrated into the new operational platform. The ability to process data quickly, adapt to information on the fly and reason will create support interactions that are actually helpful, not to mention entertaining. 

In parallel with the vast operational improvements, Plus Brand has also taken the opportunity to listen and act swiftly when it comes to retailer, distributor and customer feedback in order to continually improve product experience at all stages. The initial focus was on scaling packaging and bottling capacities to meet the rapidly expanding distribution demands across a growing number of states. We are pleased to share that we have completed the process of incorporating additional production facilities which has resulted in major improvements to both monthly production capacity and transport logistics; both of which are also dramatically reducing manufacturing costs. 

Packaging improvements aligned with distribution stakeholder needs include:

• • Integration of the effective “SCRATCH YOUR NAME HERE!” instruction on the front label of each individual bottle of Agua Plus; directing the user with simple instructions on how to utilize and benefit from the innovative solution to bottle confusion
• • Double-walled, pre-cut handles added to the beautiful Agua Plus 24-Pack point of sale boxes
• • Easy to use perforations added to the top and front sides of the Agua Plus 24-Pack point of sale boxes for easy retail display of individual bottles outside of coolers
• • Easy to use perforations added to the front of the 4 and 8-Pack master shipper boxes for easier retail floor display of 4 and 8-Packs

The beautiful new Agua Plus corrugated retail displays have been going out across Michigan over the past month and have immediately created a positive impression. Many have received premier location placement in order to showcase the availability of Agua Plus at those locations. The addition of the SCRATCH YOUR NAME HERE! graphic on the label of each bottle will also serve to improve the visibility of our unique selling proposition inside of retail coolers as well. 

“We couldn’t be more excited with everything that is taking place right now because it’s ultimately driven by retailers and customers who are passionate about Agua Plus.” Chad went on to say. “If we aren’t taking advantage of every opportunity to be proactive about continually adapting and harnessing the power of technology, we aren’t acting in the best interest of our customers and stakeholders. I will never allow Plus Brand to follow. Everything that we do will align with that pioneering spirit. It is the reason why we were able to create what they said couldn’t be created and why so many great partners and customers alike are now connecting so intimately with our vision for this brand. Believe me when I say… this is only the beginning!”

If you are a retailer looking to be serviced by a DSD distributor that offers Agua Plus, please feel free to reach out to info@plusbrand.com in order to be connected with one in your region. Plus Brand is committed to supporting wholesale customers with localized marketing and brand awareness campaigns to build demand within the regions served