Is the world ready for another health and wellness network marketing company that relies on another Amazon superfruit? The folks at Maakoa (Maakoa.com) are making a bet that it is. Maakoa, based out of Orem, Utah, officially launched on July 4th, 2009. The translation of the name of the company means “fearless” in English, and that is Maakoa’s motto. According to its website, the company exhibits its fearless philosophy by “taking on bold new challenges and succeeding when others may fail. It’s about building relationships and treating people the right way.”
At the present, the company offers two products. The first is a juice called Koopuwa. Like many other juices these days, Koopuwa has Açai Berry, Pomegranate and Blueberry. But Maakoa is betting that what will set Koopuwa apart from the other juices is its inclusion of the latest Amazonian superfruit to make its way to the United States – Cupuaçu (pronounced “coo poo ahh sue”). Cupuaçu is the most popular fruit in the Amazon and is used to make jams, cakes, ice creams and a number of other foods. The indigenous people of the Amazon have used the fruit as a primary food source for centuries and believe that Cupuaçu had medicinal properties to relieve labor pains and abdominal problems. The Cupuaçu tree grows about 60 feet high and the fruit resembles a coconut. The plant is a distant relative of the cocoa plant, and while the sweet pulp is used in the Maakoa juice product, the seed of the Cupuaçu is used to make a chocolate like product called culpulate.
Cupuaçu also has a unique type of polyphenols called theograndins, which are a relatively new discovery. Theograndins have potent antioxidant activity and provide cardiovascular protective and immune supportive benefits. It is also said to improve mental clarity, energy and stamina, libido, circulation and provide a host of other healthy benefits.
Maakoa’s second product is MXp3 – a performance protein powder – which comes in two formulations. One formulation is for those who are focusing on building muscle mass while the second is designed to build lean muscle mass while also suppressing the appetite to support weight loss. The product documentation for MXp3 claims that it “is the complete drink that offers the necessary building blocks of health and nutrition, while building the muscle mass you desire. The unique formula of MXp3 provides the essential protein and body building nutrients for those looking to build lean, strong muscle.” The ingredient list very typical of many protein shake powders, and Maakoa is not claiming any unique proprietary formulation.
Maakoa’s compensation plan is based upon a binary system and promotes seven ways to earn income. In addition to retail sales and autoship rebates, associates can earn bonuses for signing up new distributors. There are two buy in plans at $229 and $499. On the lower priced package, the associate will earn a bonus of $40, while a $499 package earns an associate $100. You can earn higher bonuses of $80 and $200, respectively, if you sponsor 2 or more new IBOs every four weeks. Once you have personally sponsored two IBOs, you are eligible to earn a weekly 10% commission on the total volume of your lesser binary leg. There is no requirement to keep the volume of each binary leg within a certain ratio of the other leg, as is common with some binary systems. Associates can also earn bonuses of $80 by helping their downline recruit new IBOs within the first four weeks of the IBO’s signup. Maakoa also has a leadership matching bonus program that is completely separate from the binary plan. Once you have achieved a certain rank, you can earn matching bonuses on your personal sponsors and their direct descendants down to six levels deep.
The brain trust behind Maakoa is Bruce Davis, who is the president and CEO. Davis previously was an executive with a software company that provided infrastructure to other network marketing companies. David Simpson is the vice president of operations for Maakoa. For the previous 25 years, he owned a real estate development company. The vice president of sales is Todd Kirkpatrick, who has a background in corporate recruiting, development and training. Kimble Smith is the vice president of product development. Smith is the founder of Kimac Industries, a supply chain and product distribution company. In the first months of operation, Maakoa has attempted to increase its branding by sponsoring several sporting events near its home base in Utah and recently entered into a multi-year marketing partnership with the Utah Flash, a team in the NBA’s development league.
So is Maakoa the next big network marketing company or will it be a distant memory in a year or two? I think it is hard to say. Maakoa has stylish marketing materials and a well organized and designed website, although I believe it needs to increase its content. Much will depend upon the juice craze and how long it continues. Many have claimed that juice companies are over saturating the market place, yet they continue to emerge and many do well. As with most companies, long term success will depend upon the management team, the capitalization of the company and how quickly and how well the company develops additional products. Time will tell, but Maakoa seems to be off to a promising start, and I will be interested to see how the company develops over time.
Note: The author has no association with Maakoa or any of its management team.