DE: Hello! Drinks OR Hello English ?

I stumbled across this feed called Hello! Drinks from Brand Infection through my feed readers yesterday night and I was so eager to discover what is this all about, as myself I am always excited when it comes to new products launching and business ventures. I discovered it to be a smoothie brand.

A smoothie is a blended non-alcoholic beverage made from natural ingredients, usually fruits and juices but sometimes other natural flavors such as chocolate or even green tea. Smoothies and juice bars started becoming popular throughout the United States in the 90â€™s where Jamba Juice is the largest smoothie bar franchise, with 533 stores and sales reaching $345 million in 2005.

After visiting their blog I found the following initial posting by JÃ¼rgen Alker the creator of this new brand:

“After working all the years in the communication and marketing business and a lot of brand builing experience I want to start my own brand. I have had dozens of business ideas in the last years. Now I have chosen one that I want to implement. I needed something simple, something that does not require hundred thousands to start.I always liked fresh juice and asked myself why there is only all this crap in german stores. In February I visited London and was amazed by a juice brand. To be precise a smoothie brand. I heard about them already 2 years ago. But didnÂ´t expect them to taste that good. This was what was missing: the final “hint” for me to start something. This was it.

A smoothie brand. Product development is not too complicated. And I know how to do all the marketing. So why wait?“

So I wish you all the luck and success in your new venture, hoping we will see it growing globally soon !But I would like to comment on two issues after visiting their website:

1- The Website: I went through it and i got trapped into Deutsch language all over, even the front page shows some english words (i.e. check out our blog, stop, order here) while their blog is in full english.
After going deeply through the blog, I understood that at the launching stage they will cover only the german market, I fully understand this issue, but the internet No.1 language is English, so please consider having your website in English from day one, so surfers don’t let you behind after their first visit.

Another issue regarding the site, well you can not see any logo refering that you landed safely in the page you want except that bottle showing the brand name, while I visited their competitors: Fruchtbar, Grand Choice, b2b smoothies (listed in their blog) to discover more comprehensive and eye-catching design websites, but unfortunately also in German, all of them.

2- The Logo Design: I like the name, it can go global easily one day, but oops … have not we seen this somewhere before?

Next time I am in Germany, I will try to catch one of your smoothie.
By the way, you are now on my blogroll.
Hello! Happy Drinking !