Tag: Taat Lifestyle & Wellness

  • Taat Secures Production Capacity

    Taat Secures Production Capacity

    Taat Lifestyle & Wellness has secured commercial-scale production capacity for its tobacco-free and nicotine-free Beyond Tobacco cigarettes with a manufacturer in North America, the company announced in a press release.

    The manufacturer, whose name cannot be disclosed under the terms of the agreement, does production on a contract basis for global and regional brands of both tobacco and hemp cigarettes.

    According to Taat, the agreement provides terms for production of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes at pricing that is lower than tobacco industry averages for full-service cigarette production for an initial duration of one year, with renewal of such pricing terms conditional upon the company meeting a first-year production quota.

    The manufacturer has also agreed to warehouse Beyond Tobacco cigarettes after they are produced, while also providing outbound logistics services by coordinating the shipment of Beyond Tobacco pallets to the company’s distributors. To protect its trade secrets, Taat will continue to process the Beyond Tobacco base cigarette material in-house.

    “While our agreement with the manufacturer precludes me from going into too much detail, I can certainly say that I am very pleased to have them on board to manufacture Beyond Tobacco cigarettes for us,” said Taat CEO Setti Coscarella.

    Tim Corkum

    “Aside from being able to produce at a much lower cost compared to our initial estimations, working with an established player in the cigarette production space enables us to benefit from their industry-leading standards in machinery, quality control and efficiency.”

    In related news, Taat recently appointed Tim Corkum as its chief revenue officer to lead commercialization efforts for Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. Corkum, who spent more than 20 years working for Philip Morris International in the Caribbean and in Canada, is a recognized industry leader in the commercialization of cigarette products as well as reduced risk products.

     

  • Beyond Tobacco Batch Sells Out in 72 Hours

    Beyond Tobacco Batch Sells Out in 72 Hours

    Taat CEO Setti Coscarella
    Photo: Taat Lifestyle and Wellness

    A test market batch of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes sold out within 72 hours after the selected stores began selling the products, according to its manufacturer, Taat Lifestyle and Wellness.
     
    In July 2020, Taat undertook a test production run for Beyond Tobacco cigarettes with its manufacturing partner. An allocation of the batch from this test production run was reserved for market research purposes, with the balance to be offered to select retail stores in Nevada, USA.
     
    Less than 72 hours after the selected stores began selling Beyond Tobacco cigarettes, their inventories had sold out at price points aligned with the company’s planned pricing strategy. According to Taat, purchasers provided positive feedback about Beyond Tobacco cigarettes and expressed enthusiasm about the planned product launch in the fourth quarter of 2020.
     
    “One advantage we have is that Beyond Tobacco cigarettes are a completely intuitive product for anybody who smokes tobacco. There’s nothing to learn and nothing to adapt to—it’s something you use exactly the same way you would use a tobacco cigarette,” said Taat CEO Setti Coscarella.
     
    “The product essentially sells itself because of this, which I believe is precisely why the Nevada retailers who participated in the second iteration of retail market testing managed to sell out of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes in less than 72 hours despite being a new product with no advertising or promotion done to date.”

  • Former PMI Strategist to Lead Taat Lifestyle

    Former PMI Strategist to Lead Taat Lifestyle

    Taat CEO Setti Coscarella
    Setti Coscarella (Photo courtesy of Taat Lifestyle & Wellness)

    Taat Lifestyle & Wellness has appointed Setti Coscarella as its chief executive officer as the company prepares for the launch of its Beyond Tobacco cigarettes in the fourth quarter of 2020.
     
    Previously, Coscarella was a lead strategist for reduced-risk products (RRPs) at Philip Morris International (PMI). His leadership and execution at PMI led to the launch of numerous initiatives that collectively yielded a fivefold increase in leads and purchases for RRP.
     
    Beyond Tobacco cigarettes contain a proprietary blend of tobacco flavoring but no nicotine and no tobacco. The product has been designed to offer a user experience that closely resembles that of smoking a traditional cigarette, featuring a familiar traditional “stick” format and cigarette-style packaging.
     
    Each stick contains at least 50 mg of cannabidiol, which has been shown to mitigate tobacco withdrawals and reduce dependency upon tobacco. Beyond Tobacco is to be offered in an “original” and a menthol variety.
     
    “The molecule in our tobacco-free and nicotine-free cigarettes is delivered in a near-identical format to legacy tobacco products, and I strongly believe that smokers would be eager to make the switch if presented with the option,” said Coscarella.
     
    “The early-stage market research results for Beyond Tobacco reflect an extraordinary reception of the product among smokers, and I am very eager to be in the driver’s seat of Taat as we approach the planned launch of Beyond Tobacco in Q4 2020.”