From professional ice hockey player to passionate entrepreneur, Jack McNamara – co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tru – has created a business with serious cut-through in an increasingly crowded space: functional beverages. Inspiring everyone to live a more active and healthier lifestyle, his innovative brand combines great-tasting products with game-changing innovation to elevate the everyday. From shots to seltzers, flavour and functionality come together with disruptive branding and dynamic marketing to create a truly stand-out product.
Here, we sit down with Jack over a sparkling beverage to talk shop.
Hi, Jack – thanks for sitting down with us. For those who haven’t heard about Tru before, can you give us a bit of background on the brand and products?
“Of course. We believe in a dual pursuit: products with purpose and brand with impact. We were founded to improve the health and wellbeing of people and communities. While we’re an emerging brand, there’s no excuse for not delivering a high-quality experience while making an even greater difference. Since launching Tru, we’re incredibly proud of the $32,900 we’ve made in cash contributions to charities that continue to change the world. We just happen to make great-tasting enhanced beverages too.”
What are you doing differently from other enhanced beverages in terms of the science?
“While combining flavour with function is already a catalyst, the true value of the brand is in its strict formulations. Everyone is on their own health journey, whether an athlete, student or parent, so we ensure that our products fit all lifestyles. In an effort to build a welcoming and inclusive brand with a product for everyone, each of our original blends was formulated with low calories, less than 3g of sugar and free from the top eight major allergens.”
How does the brand deliver cut-through in the market?
“While we do our best to share our message to the masses via social media and clever marketing tactics, we believe in the old-school approach of getting cans into the hands of customers at their time and place of need. As a team, we attend store launches, visit boutique studios and partner with like-minded brands. Rather than creating a flash-in-the-pan success, we’re building a long-term brand that will change the game in nutrition and beverage, inspiring other brands to do the same.”
Why do you think functional drinks are so popular right now?
“The demands upon us in our daily lives are greater now than ever and will only continue to grow. Technology has set a new standard in the workplace. This has generated more workload to be executed in less time with fewer co-workers. Due to this multitasking evolution, consumers are constantly seeking ways to optimise their work and family lives as well as their diets to get the most out of each day. The rise of the energy drink market is only the beginning.”
As the CEO, can you tell us your story, from conception to launch, and where you are currently on your journey?
“Whether playing peewee ice hockey as a kid around Boston or professionally in Europe, I consistently struggled to find a beverage to boost performance. Either loaded with sugar or artificial ingredients, big brands consistently failed to deliver. After realising this problem extended into pantries at home, I hung up my skates to develop a solution. After years in development, our team launched Tru, an enhanced line-up of beverages to elevate every moment.”
Why did you choose BTV as your partner?
“When I started Tru in 2015, I was incredibly naive and believed that I could do everything from marketing and operations to sales and finance. That confidence led to costly mistakes and wasted time. It wasn’t until I met my co-founder, Yash Banthia, that I realised the power of experience and trust in business. From that point forward, we’ve built the brand strategically by adding partners who could level-up the business as well as the team mates around us. With BTV, we have this and more. Since joining forces, they’ve helped the team improve operations, introduced leadership to seasoned executives and challenged us to think bigger. Through their support, the aspirations for Tru have consistently evolved every day.”
What’s next for the Tru brand?
“People are label-reading, working out more than ever, and investing in their health as much as their bank accounts. With the ability to swiftly innovate, we’ll continue to fill the voids in the market with science-backed solutions. Our forward-thinking team and uniquely positioned platform give us a real opportunity to do something special.”
To find out more about Tru, visit drinktru.com and try the drink for yourself by adding our special BTV discount code TRUBTV at checkout for 25% off your order.
