These six manufacturers include gourmet and low-sugar gummy makers, Project 7 and SmartSweets; Little Secrets; pretzels and popping kernels company Quinn Snacks; Biena Snacks and Goodie Girl that produces gluten-free cookies.
In-store and digital campaign
According to Tyler Merrick, founder and CEO of Project 7, the campaign was initiated by Whole Foods’ global category manager and buyer of candy and functional snacks Jason Krolikowski, and it runs from October 3 to 16th, 2018.
During this period, Whole Foods stores will be displaying these products at their end caps with a signage on top, saying: ‘Remember treats as a kid? So do we.’
“This is a very visible display at the end of the aisle with brands set up in a specific way,” said Poorvi Patodia, founder and CEO of Biena Snacks.
“There is a mailer that goes out to 2.5 million households across the country that features all the brands… At Whole Foods’ headquarter store in Austin, Texas, there will be a showcase floor showcasing our products,” she added.
Additionally, Whole Foods has also blasted out a mass email to shoppers with promotion materials, as well as sharing campaign images on social media.
According to the participating brands, Whole Foods’ consumers are looking for better-for-you alternatives of the classic snacks and candy brands that Whole Foods is not able to carry due to its quality standards.
All of these brands are like-minded in their missions, and that’s why the US organic retailer aimed at bringing them all at once and telling their stories.
Advantages of end cap
Chris Mears, founder and CEO of Little Secrets, noted this campaign was different from commercial activities of a large single confectionery company, such as the promotion of seasonal items.
“This was putting a whole group of brands together and growing the category together rather than competing against each other.
“You wouldn’t see this type of movement in big food so much, so it speaks to the makers and founders coming together and refreshing their consumers,” he said.
Smaller brands also find themselves outshined by big brands in the candy-dedicated aisle, so the end cap is able to provide extra exposure to their products, according to Merrick.
He said: “End cap is actually the most sought after spot in the store, especially in Whole Foods, because they all face the checkout line, which is usually a busy area with shoppers.
“So giving a dedicated end cap in addition to our existing shelf space in store really helps bring a lot of the attention to the campaign and the products themselves.
“[It] also drives trials from consumers who never had the products,” added Merrick.