Yanni Hufnagel learned how to build a successful brand when he worked as a basketball coach for Harvard University and Vanderbilt University. He noticed many of the athletes drank popular bottled water brands like Vitaminwater and Bai. He drank his own homemade lemon water without sugar and wondered about creating his own beverage.

He decided to investigate making lemon water with plant-based sugar substitutes like Stevia. When he started to talk with investors, he brought the same passion and drive that he had for recruiting athletes for the teams he represented. One marketer told him the idea was an idea worth pursuing because it captured a part of an athlete’s routine during the day.

When he first started evaluating the product packaging, he knew the bottle looked wrong. It looked like a medicine bottle when it came off the production line. On paper it looked great but not in the physical form. He decided to call 40 investors and tell them he had to redesign the bottle and production would be delayed.

Yanni Hufnagel decided to hire a graphic designer to create a new design that stood out on store shelves. The bottle had bold colors and a simple design with a rainbow of colors. It made their customers billboards for the product, he says. At first, he marketed it as a refrigerated drink but later decided to reformulate it to beverage that could be sold on store shelves.

He wanted to have Lemon Perfect displayed on the store shelves and build attractive eye-catching displays. Today the product comes in seven assorted flavors for customers. The price of $1.99 per bottle appeals to customers. In Publix supermarket they have a promotion buy one get one get one free about six times a year. Yanni Hufnagel wanted to change the way water is marketed and sold and was willing to make the necessary changes to be successful.