TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD. (CSE: TAAT) (OTC: TOBAF)
(FRANKFURT: 2TP2) (the “Company” or “Taat”) is pleased to
provide a corporate update from its Chief Executive Officer
following the Company’s closure of a $4,272,994 non-brokered
private placement as announced in a press release issued earlier on
September 11, 2020. To provide Taat shareholders greater visibility
into the Company’s current affairs, Mr. Coscarella has assembled an
overview of Taat’s most recent achievements with corresponding
commentary on how these achievements, both individually and
collectively, relate to near-term business objectives.
Ex-Philip Morris Commercialization Executive Tim Corkum
Appointed Chief Revenue Officer
August 21, 2020 Press Release: Click or Tap Here
Setti Coscarella: “Many companies attempt to introduce novel or
clever alternatives to tobacco cigarettes. No matter how good a
given product may be, there is one factor that stacks the odds in
favour of the ‘Big Tobacco’ firms allowing them to maintain market
share with their legacy products, and that is distribution. When
you consider that there are approximately 375,000 tobacco retailers
in the United States1 with different tobacco regulations at the
state, or even sometimes county and municipal levels, capturing a
portion of this market from very established players at a national
level is an unfathomably complicated undertaking that requires an
extremely sophisticated approach. Getting into national retail
chains doesn’t just require getting them to take your product
seriously, it also requires a professionally-prepared
commercialization plan to ensure you can consistently turn a profit
from selling the product in their stores. That requires a wholesale
pricing matrix, negotiation of payment terms, incentives for
performance, and many other safeguards to protect your
profitability and brand image. These safeguards are standard for
‘Big Tobacco’ firms, which means if Taat is to compete with them,
we must think and behave like them as well. In Mr. Corkum’s time at
Philip Morris International as an account manager, supply chain
expert, and commercialization executive, he has become thoroughly
versed in driving retail market performance for sustained market
share and positive bottom-line results. I am very confident that
Mr. Corkum can apply his acumen in commercializing ‘Big Tobacco’
products to our endeavours in building the market footprint of
Beyond Tobacco™.”
Commercial-Scale Cigarette Manufacturing Procured with
Favourable Pricing Terms
September 2, 2020 Press Release: Click or Tap Here
Setti Coscarella: “With most of the cigarette market controlled
by only a handful of firms, commercial-scale production of
cigarettes to mass-market standards is difficult to come by,
especially at a price point that can make the product affordable at
retail. After extensively assessing several prospective
manufacturers for Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes, we were able to
strike a very favourable deal with a large North American
manufacturer that also produces tobacco cigarettes for both
national and regional brands. Many products that are new to the
market experience limited success when attempting to scale upward -
whether that is because they do not have adequate manufacturing
capacity to meet demand, or because they have not negotiated
pricing terms that allow them to sell at a profit. This is a done
deal, we have already paid them a six-figure deposit, and they are
to begin manufacturing Beyond Tobacco™ within the next four weeks.
Having squared this away well in advance of the planned launch of
Beyond Tobacco™, I believe that we are protected from these
‘growing pains’, and we are correspondingly well-positioned to
scale dynamically in response to demand.”
Filing Completed of Taat’s First Patent Application for
Cigarette Material Refinement Process
September 4, 2020 Press Release: Click or Tap Here
Setti Coscarella: “No matter how well-prepared a company may be
to distribute and manufacture their product, none of that matters
if the product’s proprietary attributes can legally be duplicated
by competitors. Many people do not know this, but in the past
decade Philip Morris International2 and Japan Tobacco
International3 were each listed in the 100 Top Patent Filers by the
European Patent Office. Even decades earlier, ‘Big Tobacco’ firms
aggressively pursued patent protection for their respective
innovations in tobacco cigarettes. Because cigarettes are somewhat
of a commodity product, these proprietary innovations play a
significant role in building customer loyalty to cigarette brands.
The ‘secret sauce’ of Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes, which I believe
could make them the product of choice for current tobacco smokers,
is the refinement process of the base cigarette material which
causes it to impart a taste and scent that closely resembles
tobacco when ignited. While trade secrets such as these are
relatively easy to protect on a small scale, we are not thinking in
those terms. Our objective is for Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes to be
sold across the United States, and potentially in many other
markets worldwide. Patents play a major role in allowing ‘Big
Tobacco’ firms to operate at this scale without having their
innovations copied, which is why I have made a point to take that
precaution well in advance of launching Beyond Tobacco™, so that
our innovations are suitably protected no matter how large our
market presence eventually becomes.”
Engaging Flinnwest for Investor Relations and Digital Media
September 9, 2020 Press Release: Click or Tap Here
Setti Coscarella: “Getting set up with Flinnwest can expedite
the completion of several of our pre-launch objectives, in addition
to alleviating our internal resources so that we can focus on our
core business activities. You will notice that all of Taat’s recent
milestones have one thing in common; they all contribute to
‘Playing the Part’ of a viable competitor to incumbent cigarette
companies. Naturally, this alignment is mandatory from an
operational perspective. However, from the perspective of making
the right brand impression as a new cigarette company, ‘Looking the
Part’ is just as important. At the outset, Flinnwest is to redesign
our website, corporate deck, and social media channels to project a
relevant and compelling image for those who are first learning
about Taat and Beyond Tobacco™. Flinnwest will also administer our
investor relations department using cutting-edge technology to
drive conversions and diligently attend to all leads and contacts.
Further, Flinnwest will take the reins of our social media accounts
to publish original content on a regular basis, interact with the
public, and cultivate an engaged base of followers on a variety of
channels. Everybody knows how important social and digital media
are for both new and established brands, which is why I have seen
to it that our online presence is in expert hands to both attract
and sustain interest in Taat as a company for investors, and in
Beyond Tobacco™ as a product for of-age current users of tobacco
cigarettes.”
Near-Term Outlook and Next Steps
Setti Coscarella: “With Friday September 11, 2020 being just my
28th business day as Taat’s Chief Executive Officer, my confidence
in the Company has increased considerably as the growth potential
for the innovative Beyond Tobacco™ cigarette became strengthened
with an application for patent protection underway, and confirmed
commercial-scale manufacturing of the product sorted out at a
favourable cost. With the brainpower of a superstar
commercialization executive for the world’s largest tobacco company
behind bringing Beyond Tobacco™ to market, I believe an unforeseen
level of potential can be unlocked. With Flinnwest behind our
investor relations and digital media initiatives as well, I believe
the Company is on a far more exciting trajectory compared to where
it was before I joined. As stated in an earlier release, fewer than
100 days remain until Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes are to be in
stores and available for purchase. I look forward to sharing
further developments regarding retail distribution of Beyond
Tobacco™ cigarettes, our launch roadmap, and early-stage market
performance where I anticipate the numbers will be able to say it
all. I encourage our shareholders, investors, and supporters to
follow Taat on social media for all of the latest updates, as
Flinnwest will be putting out an exciting lineup of content for us
over the next several weeks.”
Sources
1 -
https://www.cdc.gov/statesystem/factsheets/licensure/Licensure.html
2 -
https://www.pmi.com/media-center/press-releases/press-release-details/?newsId=12091
3 -
https://www.jti.com/sites/default/files/default/files/press-releases/documents/2020/jti-ranks-among-top-100-for-european-patent-applications.pdf
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,
TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD.
“Setti Coscarella”
Setti Coscarella, CEO
For further information, please contact:
Jamie Frawley1-833-TAAT-USA
(1-833-822-8872)investor@taatusa.com
About Taat Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd.
Having developed Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes, which contain no
tobacco or nicotine, Taat’s objective is to introduce an
innovative, experience-driven alternative to tobacco cigarettes for
tobacco smokers who aspire to leave nicotine behind. Beyond
Tobacco™ cigarettes, which are to be offered in “Original” and
“Menthol” varieties, are designed to closely emulate every aspect
of smoking a traditional cigarette. From the cigarette-style
packaging and stick format, to the proprietary flavouring blend
which imparts the flavour and scent of tobacco, to the draw
sensation, and to the amount of smoke exhaled, Beyond Tobacco™
cigarettes have been meticulously engineered to enable smokers to
continue enjoying the ritual of smoking, while discontinuing
nicotine intake. Taat plans to launch Beyond Tobacco™ cigarettes in
Q4 2020 and is seeking to position itself in the USD $814 billion
(2018)1 global tobacco industry to capitalize on the growing
worldwide demand for alternatives to traditional cigarettes.
For more information, please visit http://taatusa.com.
References
1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market
Forward Looking Statements
This news release contains “forward-looking information” within
the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often,
but not always, forward-looking information and information can be
identified by the use of words such as “plans”, “expects” or “does
not expect”, “is expected”, “estimates”, “intends”, “anticipates”
or “does not anticipate”, or “believes”, or variations of such
words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results
“may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur, or be
achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes
statements regarding the potential launch of Beyond Tobacco™
cigarettes, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes
relating to the four milestones described in the release. The
forward-looking information reflects management’s current
expectations based on information currently available and are
subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause
outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the
forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the
assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking
information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on
such information and no assurance can be given that such events
will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that
could cause actual results or events to differ materially from
current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii)
changes to the growth and size of the tobacco markets; and (iii)
other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company
operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge
from time to time, and it is impossible for the Company’s
management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess
the impact of all factors on Company’s business or the extent to
which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual
results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking
information. The forward-looking information included in this news
release are made as of the date of this news release and the
Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update
or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of
new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by
applicable law.
The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by
Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each
individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the
Company’s products will vary from person to person. No claims or
guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Company’s products
on an individual’s health and well-being. The Company’s products
are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any
disease.
This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party
entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names)
typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with
such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or
(ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with
the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such
trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or
licensees.
Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations
Firms
Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by
Taat Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd. can be found under the Company's
profile on http://sedar.com.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/61f6338f-03a6-4aab-afdb-a4e0caa03897
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c7b5500-5852-491f-b92a-c605d6ff6dc9
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