SmartSweets targeted functional directors instead of founders for brand partnerships
Tara Bosch · SmartSweets: Tara Bosch · Aug 5, 2024 · at 47:39
Tara Bosch, founder of low-sugar candy brand SmartSweets, describes her early grassroots partnership and outreach playbook when operating with zero marketing budget.
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“We would often not message the brand's pages or the founders, but we would message, like, the director of marketing, the director of finance, the director of ops.”
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“When Whole Foods, when we're like, okay, we're doing a national launch with them, simultaneously, at the same time, the first manufacturer that we had, sketchy things start happening. There's metal that's starting to be found in some bags. There's I get a call…”
SmartSweets raised $3M on common shares using only a four-page deck
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Bosch: Candy requires physical retail distribution because it is an impulse purchase
“So, I always felt clear that e-com, I think for us, was going to be a surprise and delight, but that candy is an impulse purchase, and People are gonna wanna have a sweet tooth and pick up the bag in store.”