Midday Squares, a CPG brand, shares its journey of disrupting the chocolate industry by focusing on authentic storytelling and building a founder-led brand. This episode offers valuable lessons on leveraging authenticity to attract consumers and influencers, achieving rapid retail expansion, and growing a loyal customer base through genuine connection rather than traditional marketing tactics. Ecommerce operators will learn how to cultivate a strong brand narrative and presence that resonates deeply with their audience.
Key takeaways
Brand founders should leverage their personal stories and journeys to create authentic connections with consumers. Midday Squares' partners act as 'influencers' for their own brand by sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of building their business, fostering a loyal community.
When working with influencers, focus on authentic alignment rather than scripted messaging. By having a compelling brand story, influencers can genuinely amplify your message by simply experiencing and sharing your product.
Consider the strategic use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) even with a strong retail presence. Midday Squares maintains a 30% DTC share to foster loyalty, offer specialized pricing, and maintain 'freedom to play' with their online strategy.
Building 'in public' by sharing the unfiltered journey of your business, including struggles and breakdowns, can build strong customer loyalty and attract investors who feel an intrinsic connection to your brand's story.
Implement "influencer seeding" by sending free products to relevant individuals with no strings attached. This low-pressure approach can build genuine hype and awareness, as demonstrated by Gymshark and Midday Squares.
For businesses with co-founders or partners, consider professional business therapy to navigate interpersonal dynamics and foster open communication. Midday Squares uses a weekly business therapist to address potential biases and maintain a healthy partnership.
In this episode, we’ll be talking to Jake Karls, the co-founder of Mid-day Squares. Today will be talking about how telling a unique story assists Mid-day in building relatability with consumers and attracting the right influencers to work with.
TIMESTAMPS
[01:01]: Getting Mid-day into 3000 stores.
[01:33]: Business split. (D2C/Retail)
[02:04]: Size of business.
[03:55]: Family dynamic in a business partnership.
[05:01]: Market penetration secret.
[07:10]: Building a brand in public.
[10:14]: Getting awareness for a brand.
[11:49]: Inbound vs outbound percentage.
[12:14]: Marketing budget spent on influencer.
[13:47]: Budget breakdown.
[15:09]: ROI of Influencer.
[15:59]: Tapping into affiliate marketing.
[17:24]: Driving traffic to stores through ads on Meta.
[18:10]: Scalability of customized photo strategy.
[19:40]: Influencer approval process.
[20:36]: Influencer marketing manager.
[21:31]: Advice to brands working with influencers.
[22:43]: Video customer service.
Cody Wittick: Twitter
Taylor Lagace: Twitter
Frequently asked about this episode
What does this episode say about brand authenticity?
Brand founders should leverage their personal stories and journeys to create authentic connections with consumers. Midday Squares' partners act as 'influencers' for their own brand by sharing the good, the bad, and the ugly of building their business, fostering a loyal community.
What does this episode say about brand storytelling?
When working with influencers, focus on authentic alignment rather than scripted messaging. By having a compelling brand story, influencers can genuinely amplify your message by simply experiencing and sharing your product.
What does this episode say about direct-to-consumer?
Consider the strategic use of direct-to-consumer (DTC) even with a strong retail presence. Midday Squares maintains a 30% DTC share to foster loyalty, offer specialized pricing, and maintain 'freedom to play' with their online strategy.
What does this episode say about influencer marketing?
Building 'in public' by sharing the unfiltered journey of your business, including struggles and breakdowns, can build strong customer loyalty and attract investors who feel an intrinsic connection to your brand's story.
What does this episode say about retail expansion?
Implement "influencer seeding" by sending free products to relevant individuals with no strings attached. This low-pressure approach can build genuine hype and awareness, as demonstrated by Gymshark and Midday Squares.
