"A young man from Costa Rica chased from New Jersey to Florida, then brought it back across the sea to Costa Rica—just to share his favorite sparkling water with family and friends back home." At the overseas expansion forum of the 7th China FMCG Conference, themed "New Demand, New Supply," held from August 19-21, 2025, Wang Pu, Party Secretary and co-founder of Genki Forest, used this true story to reveal the brand's initial intention for going global. As someone deeply rooted in media for 20 years and having accompanied Genki Forest from zero to one, he delivered a speech titled "Genki Forest's Overseas Journey: Planting Asian Fruit Flavors on Global Shelves," sharing the brand's six years of overseas experience, including pitfalls, breakthrough strategies, and cultural commitment. The following is an excerpt from his on-site speech (partially edited), compiled by New Distribution for our readers. From "Drinking It Ourselves" to "40+ Countries and Regions" Good Products Are the Foundation Genki Forest's confidence in going global was planted at the brand's inception. When the company was founded in 2015, the team set a simple product standard: "Make drinks we love to drink and are willing to share with family and friends," putting user needs first. It was this obsession with "good products" that led the brand to take its first step overseas in 2019, embarking on its internationalization journey. Over six years, this confidence has translated into a tangible "global shelf map." In July 2023, Genki Forest sparkling water first landed on shelves at Costco in the US; in January 2024, Genki Forest completed channel placement in 591 Costco stores across the US and 109 in Canada; the same year, it launched in Coles supermarkets in Australia and entered 19 Costco stores and 35 Lotte Department Stores in South Korea; in 2025, it launched at Costco in Mexico. This shows that the global demand for delicious and healthy beverages is universal. In going global, Genki Forest has found its own pace. Today, Genki Forest products are available in over 40 countries and regions, deeply integrated into local mainstream consumption scenarios—over 1,500 stores in the US (including Central Market and H-mart), over 900 supermarkets and chain stores in Singapore, over 40,000 retail outlets in Indonesia (partnering with local giants like Indomaret and Alfamart), and even serving as the beverage supplier for Meta's Asia-Pacific headquarters. Asian natural flavors like white peach and lychee have become favorites among overseas consumers, truly bringing "Asian fruit flavors" into daily life globally. Overcoming Three Major Challenges From "Knocking on Doors" to "Standing Firm" "Good products can knock on the world's door, but to stand firm, good products alone are not enough," Wang Pu said bluntly. The core of going global lies in addressing three major challenges, and Genki Forest's solutions are rooted in "respecting differences and proactively adapting." The first challenge is "respecting users." Before entering the US market, the team found that local sparkling water was generally "plain and bland," and consumers cared more about "fruit flavor persistence"—for example, local sparkling water's aroma was only noticeable when opening the bottle, then quickly dissipated. To address this, young members of the Genki Forest Research Institute formed a "sparkling water task force," independently developing equipment and optimizing processes, ultimately achieving long-lasting fruit flavor. This led to the product ranking in the top 10 best-selling sparkling waters on Amazon US for three consecutive years, making it the first and only Chinese brand on the list. The second challenge is "overcoming channel barriers." Retail giants like Costco have audit standards detailed to the "millimeter": they check not only warehouse hygiene and production compliance but also equipment standards, food safety management, and even corporate social responsibility. "They personally come to our factories in China to inspect, leaving no room for ambiguity." It was through adherence to high standards that Genki Forest successfully "broke through" from Amazon's online channel to Costco's offline shelves, opening a gap in the North American market. The third challenge is "localization compliance." The "barriers" in Southeast Asian markets are particularly high: Indonesia requires products to pass BPOM certification and halal certification, with audits covering factory production processes and ingredient compliance; Singapore has world-leading food safety requirements, with strict controls on preservatives and additives. To adapt to these standards, in 2019, Genki Forest products obtained the "LCS Healthier Choice Symbol" from Singapore's Health Promotion Board, and in 2023, Genki Forest's Hubei factory obtained official halal certification from Indonesia (the second international halal certification after Singapore's MUS certification), giving consumers confidence through authoritative recognition. More Than Selling Drinks, Sharing Eastern Flavors "Good products are universal, and a positive, healthy lifestyle is universal." In Wang Pu's view, going global is not just about "selling products," but also about "building brand value together, sharing culture, and experiencing joy." Every move by Genki Forest subtly integrates cultural exchange into overseas markets. In 2023, they launched the "Panda Day" event, where the green grapefruit flavor with panda imagery became a "top trend" on the streets of New York. Consumers flocked to take photos, capturing the cuteness of Chinese pandas and the refreshing taste of sparkling water in their lenses. The brand also collaborated with the dragon boat team at the University of California, Irvine, using this traditional sport to let overseas consumers experience the vitality of Eastern culture. Even the Chinese calligraphy strokes on the packaging are a "little thought" from the team. "Calligraphy is not just a visual symbol; it also carries a positive and upward vitality," and consumers have responded that they "like this culturally rich design." Real feedback from overseas consumers has become the driving force for the brand's progress. "So good I don't want to buy sugary drinks anymore," "Super low calories, satisfies my soda cravings," "Like Asian fruit hard candies from childhood"... These comments not only reassure the team but also point the way for product iteration—this July, Genki Forest iced tea (white peach jasmine and grape glaze green tea flavors) became the second product to enter the Indonesian market after sparkling water, further enriching the "Asian flavor matrix." "No matter the outcome, we will keep going." At the end of his speech, Wang Pu spoke with firm determination. In the future, Genki Forest plans to explore more new markets and plant more unique Asian fruit flavors on global shelves. This initial intention of "using good products to convey Asian flavors and culture" may be the core secret to its ability to cross mountains and seas and be loved by consumers worldwide.