Rocky Mountain High Brands Announces Exclusive Distribution Rights in China
GlobeNewswire•August 29, 2016
DALLAS, Aug. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocky Mountain High Brands, Inc. (OTC PINK:RMHB) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Rocky Mountain High Brands China, a non-affiliated distributor based in Beijing, China, for exclusive distribution of its current line-up of hemp-infused beverages in China.
Mrs. Li Li, President of Rocky Mountain High Brands China, is originally from Beijing, and has spent the last several months establishing Rocky Mountain High Brands China and has opened an office in Beijing. Mrs. Li is an experienced New York real estate developer whose accomplishments include large scale Manhattan projects as well as turnaround management for manufacturing and other companies emerging from bankruptcy reorganization. She represents many affluent Chinese investors who have expressed a strong interest in marketing and distributing Rocky Mountain High Brands products in China.
Michael Welch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain High Brands, said, “We are pleased to expand our relationship with Mrs. Li Li. She has been an important part of the Rocky Mountain High family through our upstate New York distributor for some time and has been instrumental in introducing our products into the boroughs of Manhattan. We appreciate her long and diligent efforts in establishing Rocky Mountain High Brands China so that we will have a vehicle to distribute our beverages throughout China. With a population of over 1.3 billion, China has emerged as the world’s largest market for food and beverage, surpassing the United States. The market research we have conducted on China, some of which is quoted below, indicates that the time is right for a more healthful alternative to the current energy drinks on the market in China.”
According to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Chinese consumers are turning away from previously popular ready-to-drink teas and carbonated soft drinks in favor of ‘functional beverages’—drinks that offer an additional benefit, including energy, nutrition or hydration. The sales of beverages offering a functional benefit grew 6.9 percent in 2015, outstripping the growth of juice, the other fast-growing category in China’s beverage market, which grew 4.4 percent in the same time period, according to Nielsen Greater China data. Much of the growth in the functional beverage category is attributed to new product launches.
According to Euromonitor, functional or ‘refreshing beverages’ are attracting consumers with ‘lighter taste profiles and water-like appearance’, making them seem like healthier drink options. “The rise of health-focused concepts is one of the most prevalent trends in China today,” explains Yan Xuan, President of Nielsen Greater China. “A big driving force of this trend is the emerging middle-class. These consumers are working white collar jobs, putting in long hours for rising incomes, but they are also hoping to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle.”
Mrs. Li, stated, “I am very pleased to have been introduced to this unique line of hemp-infused beverages in 2015 and to have had the opportunity to establish Rocky Mountain High Brands China. We will continue to work diligently to make Rocky Mountain High a household name in China.”
GlobeNewswire•August 29, 2016
DALLAS, Aug. 29, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rocky Mountain High Brands, Inc. (OTC PINK:RMHB) announced today that it has entered into an agreement with Rocky Mountain High Brands China, a non-affiliated distributor based in Beijing, China, for exclusive distribution of its current line-up of hemp-infused beverages in China.
Mrs. Li Li, President of Rocky Mountain High Brands China, is originally from Beijing, and has spent the last several months establishing Rocky Mountain High Brands China and has opened an office in Beijing. Mrs. Li is an experienced New York real estate developer whose accomplishments include large scale Manhattan projects as well as turnaround management for manufacturing and other companies emerging from bankruptcy reorganization. She represents many affluent Chinese investors who have expressed a strong interest in marketing and distributing Rocky Mountain High Brands products in China.
Michael Welch, President and Chief Executive Officer of Rocky Mountain High Brands, said, “We are pleased to expand our relationship with Mrs. Li Li. She has been an important part of the Rocky Mountain High family through our upstate New York distributor for some time and has been instrumental in introducing our products into the boroughs of Manhattan. We appreciate her long and diligent efforts in establishing Rocky Mountain High Brands China so that we will have a vehicle to distribute our beverages throughout China. With a population of over 1.3 billion, China has emerged as the world’s largest market for food and beverage, surpassing the United States. The market research we have conducted on China, some of which is quoted below, indicates that the time is right for a more healthful alternative to the current energy drinks on the market in China.”
According to Campaign Asia-Pacific, Chinese consumers are turning away from previously popular ready-to-drink teas and carbonated soft drinks in favor of ‘functional beverages’—drinks that offer an additional benefit, including energy, nutrition or hydration. The sales of beverages offering a functional benefit grew 6.9 percent in 2015, outstripping the growth of juice, the other fast-growing category in China’s beverage market, which grew 4.4 percent in the same time period, according to Nielsen Greater China data. Much of the growth in the functional beverage category is attributed to new product launches.
According to Euromonitor, functional or ‘refreshing beverages’ are attracting consumers with ‘lighter taste profiles and water-like appearance’, making them seem like healthier drink options. “The rise of health-focused concepts is one of the most prevalent trends in China today,” explains Yan Xuan, President of Nielsen Greater China. “A big driving force of this trend is the emerging middle-class. These consumers are working white collar jobs, putting in long hours for rising incomes, but they are also hoping to maintain a healthy and fit lifestyle.”
Mrs. Li, stated, “I am very pleased to have been introduced to this unique line of hemp-infused beverages in 2015 and to have had the opportunity to establish Rocky Mountain High Brands China. We will continue to work diligently to make Rocky Mountain High a household name in China.”
