Interview with Gonzalo Abia, Founder of La Fantástica Soda

We’re kicking off our series of INTERVIEWS WITH #PRODUCERS!

We love being surrounded by people with vision who offer products that improve people’s lives while loving and respecting our dear Mother Earth.

This month we chat to Gonzalo Abia, founder of La Fantástica Compañía de Refrescos y Sodas, a company with a unique, modern, maverick spirit that’s reflected in everything they do, from their social media and website content to their packaging. And, of course, their fantastic recipes!

Thank you so much for your time and passion, Gonzalo! We all know that launching innovative products is a real challenge. What mistakes should companies just starting out in this booming sector try to avoid?

Thank you. It’s a pleasure to talk to you. Regarding mistakes to avoid, it’s important to highlight the fact that when you’re a microenterprise you must be prepared to take on all the roles, to be a real one-man-band. For that reason, you should have a global vision and be able to define all the policies: communication, product, price, distribution, and management.

In our case, the most important thing to do first was define the target audience and understand that our product needed to find its place in a market that’s saturated with supply and highly volatile.

Our goal is to appeal to consumers with mouth-watering flavours while using the highest-quality and healthiest ingredients possible. Our recipes include certified organic and sugar-free products.

What advice do you wish you’d been given when you started the project?

We launched in the middle of a global pandemic and are currently being impacted by instabilities deriving from the international geopolitical situation, particularly as regards price increases and material shortages. Any prior predictions have therefore been rendered somewhat redundant. Nonetheless, we consider ourselves fortunate because our product fits in very well in points of sale and we are growing month by month. Our biggest challenge at the moment is stabilizing supplies and the prices of logistics and raw materials.

I’m sure that in more normal circumstances there would be a whole host of other problems to deal with, but currently these exogenous factors are the ones that affect our day-to-day running of the company.

I think the best thing about OB is the precision in your approach to the market, your capacity for management and organization, and the seriousness with which you work for both suppliers and customers.

Do you think it was a good idea to choose us to grow your business internationally? Would you recommend our services to other producers?

I’m delighted to be working with you. You work with a niche market that can be difficult for microenterprises like mine to get access to. I’ve already recommended your services to a number of colleagues who produce high quality organic products because I’ve always thought of our collaboration as being reciprocal.

When your product is on a shelf in a supermarket or local store, or even behind a bar, it’s vital to attract the attention of potential consumers. You need to pique their interest and entice them to try something new.

In our case, we worked with Marisa Llongo, a highly professional design studio. They helped us define the whole universe of La Fantástica Soda – its unique characters and characteristics – to make it really stand out from all the other drinks on offer.

What does La Fantástica Compañía de Refrescos y Sodas have in store for the coming months?

We have several projects in the pipeline that we haven’t yet been able to bring to fruition due to the international situation. But soon we intend to launch some product ranges aimed at emerging niche markets. We will also probably launch another line of bottled cocktails.

We’ve already developed a range of cocktails in kegs for tap service in events and the hospitality industry.

Thank you so much, Gonzalo. We’re sure that this interview will be hugely inspiring to many. We’ll keep working hard to make going green a right, not a luxury!