Final Pitch

FINAL PITCH:

(Nikanda) We are CoCupsable and we believe in sustainable waste reduction through innovative design offering convenience and eco conscious options. We are developing a reusable, collapsible travel mug for hot beverage consumers who need a reusable and easy to transport cup that offers best of all convenience. (click)

Today's takeaway coffee culture may appear to be offering consumers the convenience of a quick cuppa on the go, however the reality is, this is causing a detrimental effect on the environment. We are talking tens of thousands of coffee cups hitting our landfill, daily, where it will continue to stay for the next 50 years, at least. The consumption of one coffee cup per day, per person, equates to 10kg of waste.

There are a variety of reusable cups on the market, however, research shows that the lifespan of a reusable cup is generally only between 8-12 weeks before the consumer begins to experience feelings of inconvenience towards carry it around. (click)

Our research showed that the main reason people don’t use reusable cups is because they are inconvenient and a nuisance to carry around. (40%)

(Melinda) But what if there was a reusable travel cup that could be easy to transport when not in use? (click)  What if the cup itself was as thin as the wallet in your back pocket?

We at CoCupsable are looking at these consumers and wondering how can we get more people using less disposable cups and alleviate the nuisance of carrying these bulky reusable cups around. (click)

We have designed a reusable collapsible cup which is made out of silicone and bioplastics which collapses down like so. The materials can at the end of their life be recycled or repurposed. It includes a lid which is secured by a thread and a mouth piece which is secured by a plug. Thus making it leak proof, which from our research, was a main concern for consumers. The different collapsible levels each show the measurements for the different cup sizes - this was suggested by the baristas we interviewed who communicated a need for these markings so they know what size drink to pour. (click)  These cups will come in a variety of colour patterns with our first release being these combinations. To ensure we keep our product relevant in the market we hope to continue developing its look and coming out with limited edition designs, working with artist and designers, and involving other causes.

(Catherine) We've spoken to a variety of cafes around the Wellington region and a number of them have said they would like “more initiative around reusable cups”, sharing our ideas with them they expressed interest and enthusiasm towards our idea. (click)  When asked - Would your business be interested in potentially selling this product in store? The response was immensely positive, however, aesthetic was definitely an important factor. (click)

From conducting our own research we found that of the people surveyed, 61% are already using reusable cups.When asked why, 30% said their main objective was because of convenience, whilst 40% of responses were due to environmental factors and waste reduction and 15% of current users take discounts and cheaper coffee into account.
Of the 39% of non users, 20% don’t have one due to its size and inconvenience. Other key reasons were that many respondents haven’t yet found a cup where the value of the product exceeds the price, and many don’t buy, or drink hot drinks. (click) When asked if they would be more likely to use a reusable collapsible cup 88% would while the other 33% of those were non users.  

We understand that the problem we face here stems from a behavioural pattern and we cannot change people's behaviours simply by inventing a great product, so we are looking at ways we can educate and influence a behaviour change to create movement and create further impact on consumers. (click)

(Brittany) Customers are currently willing to pay up to $35 for reusable cup products that already exist in the market. From our research 66% surveyed (click)  are willing to pay between 20-30 dollars or more for our product. So we see it sitting nicely within this range. (click)

The cost of the product itself including manufacturing costs we broadly predict to be at about $5 a cup and within this amount we have divided the cost of the injection moulding tool we need to make the product, which is our biggest cost at about $42000. So we would need to sell 8000 cups in order to pay off the machine. (click)

We have been in contact with Scion, a Crown research institute that specialises in research, science and technology development for the forestry, wood-derived materials, and other biomaterial sectors. We discussed how the manufacturing process of this product would work and how specifically the bioplastic in our design would function. They communicated an interest in our design idea and can see it working and spoke of a potential relationship in the future. They mentioned they would be able to introduce us to their whole team and put us in contact with their line of suppliers. This was a very encouraging conversation to have these manufacturers willing to work with and help us.

(click)

(Melinda) We plan to reach our customers through direct sales, distributing to shops cafes and (click) online outlets as well as having our own online presence. We see potential in strategic alliances working with existing brands and companies in a way to reach a wider market and create a broader movement. This could include roasteries or working with established reusable cup brands. Potentially bringing in an investor who has experience or knowledge within the coffee industry could also be beneficial for pushing our brand further. We have already reached out to some local retailers including Moore Wilsons and though they couldn’t speak to us about our design specifically they did say “in principle the cups sound like they would be a good fit for us”.  They also outlined some key concerns which they would look at before bringing in our product. (click)  These include: How it’s packaged, how it differentiates from current offerings, does it work, break or leak. These are all things that we have been considering and would be able to accomplish easily when the time comes. So we predict getting into these retailers to be very doable.

We have also been in contact with a variety of local coffee outlets (click)  including Havana and People’s coffee. They really

liked our design idea, seeing potential in selling our product or working with us in some way.

(Catherine) We believe it is important that we maintain relationships not only with these partners but also with our customers. (click)  By offering a solution to their needs, as well as a locally well-made product we hope that our best marketing tactic will be through word of mouth. (click) From our research, we found that people will be encouraged to use reusable cups more, if they are leak-proof, compact, lightweight, and easy to clean. These are key considerations for us when it comes to designing and in the future, making this product.

(Nikanda) (click) Our Plan looks like this for the next 2 years. We will continue with R&D over this period while fundraising through platforms like kickstarter, gaining angel investors, and hopefully you, to gain the funds for our design engineered and produced in order to run a pilot to test the product's performance over the 12 week period in which people usually stop using reusable cups. This will also give us the assurance that our product is the best it can be before being released on the market. From the large amount of interest we have received for this product we are next looking at trademarking our brand and getting a patent on our design. Our goal for the first year is to sell 5000 Cups and continue to increase that with the following years. (click)  With a larger goal of becoming a well known international brand diverting 40,000 kg of waste from landfills per year. (click)

(Brittany) So we are asking for a hand in taking on this next step. We have estimated our start up cost to be over 60,000 and we are looking for investors but also we are asking for expertise in helping ensure our business can and will start up.

With your help we are one step closer to influencing a greater change.

I’m Brittany, this is Nikanda, Melinda and Catherine and we are CoCupsable

Thank you for your time