Page 26 - MASALA LITE ISSUE 85 | OCTOBER 2017

26 IN FOCus

Wake Up and

Smell the

Coffee

Rapheepong ghai on brewing success

one bottle of coffee at a time.

by Deboshree banerjee

Rapheepong Ghai, more fondly known as Karan, strives for success in the coffee How did you come up with the name?
industry by pursuing entrepreneurship. Going beyond the regular concoctions, Karan The name was the result of us playing around with the word ‘cold brew’. We wanted
and his team of eight entrepreneurs introduced Cool Bro, a brand that sells ready- our brand image to express fun and relaxation — something that ignites energy and
to-drink, bottled cold brew coffee online and at health and organic stores around the connects to the community at the same time. Hence, we came up with a name that
city. Launched only four months ago, the quality ingredients and refreshing flavours embodies that thoroughly. Now, everyone can smile and just say our tagline,
make this drink a success among individuals on-the-go. “It’s Cool Bro!”
Equipped with a Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering from Georgia Institute How long have you been in business?
of Technology, Karan is currently pursuing a dual degree in MBA and Masters in Officially for about four months! The first two months were the initial preparation
Engineering at Sasin Graduate Institute of Business Administration of Chulalongkorn period where we laid the groundwork for our product. We held our official launch
University. Soaking up the coffee culture, this ambitious businessperson captures the party in August. Since then, we have managed to place Cool Bro on the shelves of nine
trendy concept of ‘grab and go’ that’s tailored to fit with the fast-paced lifestyle of
Bangkok’s society. different locations — primarily health and organic stores such as Good Health,
The Organique, Natural Rich and Health & Co. Customers also have the additional
Where did you get your entrepreneurial spirit? option of buying online through our website, Line, Instagram and Facebook accounts,
Most Thai-Indians get their entrepreneurial spirit from their parents and I was no which is where the majority of our sales come from.
exception. My parents started their business in 1992, and they have always been Why did you opt for organic and health stores rather than convenience stores?
business owners for as long as I can remember. Having them as role models is what Our coffees are organic. They contain no sugar and preservatives; we use honey as a
encouraged me to take the leap into entrepreneurship. substitute for sugar. So it seems fitting to sell our products in stores that endorse the
What are your inspirations? same lifestyle we do.
I want to be involved in the bigger picture of the world where I can make my fair share With such a large group of entrepreneurs, what is your main responsibility?
of contributions, instead of just settling for a corporate job with an insatiable lust I am handling all the CFO duties. I ensure that the company continues to make a
for money. My inspiration comes from my need to do something meaningful and profit and manage areas where we are overspending.
progressive that is beneficial for both me and the society.
How does Cool Bro differ from its competitors?
What was the biggest lesson you learned that has made an impact on the way you We have unique characteristics and brand objectives. We want to do more than just
work today? serve our customers a bottle of coffee and refuel their energy. We want to offer a
I learned quickly to not get too focused on things you cannot change. Instead of happy and refreshing experience that leaves them craving more.
pointing fingers at others and sulking over failure, focus on what you can do next to
fix it; it’s an optimistic approach that reduces stress and allows you to focus How do you market your business?
on productivity. Online channels are a huge part of our marketing strategy and we are placing
special attention on marketing via our Instagram page @coolbrobkk. We also grab
Take us through the journey of Cool Bro. When was the brand conceived and where opportunities to participate in exhibitions and use word of mouth to get our name out
did the idea come from? there to create brand awareness. Our marketing goal is to expand beyond our already
The journey was initiated by a colleague at Sasin — Pailin Goseyarakwong, one of established networks.
the owners of Ansel & Elliott Café. Her passion and fascination with brewing was
infectious and she was determined to lay out more choices of caffeinated beverages What is your company’s goal?
for people in Bangkok. She came up with the initial idea of Cool Bro cold brew coffee When you think about the ready-to-drink coffee market, the first brands that come
and we were quick to act on it. to mind are Birdy and Nescafé. What we want to achieve is similar, but with cold brew
coffee. When you think of cold brew, the first name that should come to mind is
Cool Bro!

What advice would you give to start-up entrepreneurs?
I recently watched an inspirational video on YouTube. It was a speech by a man who
said something along the lines of “everyone gets good ideas. But the only difference
between someone who has good ideas and someone who succeeds with those good
ideas is that they do something about those ideas.” All in all, you don’t need a world-
changing idea but you need to act on whatever you have. You can think of doing
something all day long, but you need to actually start doing it in order to move forward.

To purchase Cool Bro’s two flavours for B100 each on social media, follow or
add them on:
Facebook, Instagram and Line: @coolbrobkk
www.coolbrobkk.com/whats-coolbro/
*Special Promotion: To purchase three bottles for B250, enter Masala250 when
From left to right: Milk Honey Flavour; Original Black Flavour
checking out.
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