LemonAid is a social business that seeks to create fresh, healthy lemonade akin to the kind your grandma used to make, but with a social cause. With a sharp focus on branding and design, LemonAid is a company with a personality—and a tongue-in-cheek personality at that. More importantly though, LemonAid’s ingredients (fresh organic lime, cane sugar and water) are all completely fair trade. What’s more, the company creates vital relationships with the countries that they import their ingredients from and, therefore, support social aid and sustainable development in those areas. In order to end the degrading exploitation that farmers in many countries are stuck in, LemonAid impacts the livelihoods of small farmers who are able to gain a greater portion of the profits of their cash crops.
As a project that first started in someone’s humble kitchen in St. Pauli, Hamburg, LemonAid has kept its grassroots ethos by now producing in a family-run bottling firm. Interestingly, all the people that work at LemonAid quit the jobs they once had in order to work with LemonAid’s project. Accordingly, LemonAid is about a passion to make a difference. And it shows: on the website, they assure you that they won’t "sell it off to Coke one day."
At first glance, LemonAid seems like just another trendy organic drink with a corporate social responsibility mandate. However, what makes the brand special is that its marketing isn’t aimed toward those who already shop at health food stores and are aware of the fair trade movement. By calling to a specific taste and design, LemonAid has a sense of humor and a conscience—and that’s hard to find.
Contact Information:
LemonAid Website
Bernstorffstraße 71
22767 Hamburg
Telephone: 040 - 88 17 84 94
Fax: 040 - 22 60 18 72
Fair Trade Beverages
LemonAid is a Chic Social Business with a Conscience
Trend Themes
1. Fair Trade Beverages - The trend for producing drinks made from 100% fair-trade ingredients has created new opportunities for socially conscious entrepreneurs to enter the market.
2. Socially Responsible Branding - By combining humor and a conscience, socially responsible brands like LemonAid are finding new and unique ways to connect with consumers.
3. Grassroots Ethos - With a humble beginning and a passion to make a difference, the trend of grassroots organizations is leading to increased support for small farmers and their communities around the world.
Industry Implications
1. Food and Beverage Industry - The food and beverage industry could benefit from adopting fair-trade practices and socially responsible branding to appeal to a wider audience of consumers looking for ethical products.
2. Social Entrepreneurship - Social enterprises like LemonAid are leading the way in creating products that not only have a positive impact on people's lives, but also on the environment and economy.
3. Agriculture Industry - The agriculture industry can benefit from increased fair-trade practices and building relationships with small farmers to promote sustainable development and improve the livelihoods of farmers and their communities.