Insider Ep. 16: How to Win Online: Strategies For DTC and Influencer Marketing

Madeline Haydon, the founder and CEO of non-dairy creamer brand Nutpods, isn’t fazed by the occasional negative review of her products. On the contrary, she welcomes all customer feedback, good or bad. It’s the follow up that matters.

“You have to know you’re not going to get everyone and you have to be open to hearing what your customers really think about your product,” she said in an interview included in this episode. “We have very strict protocols with customer service because what I’m building is not just a brand; it’s an experience. And part of that experience is how you can turn someone who’s unhappy with your brand to say, ‘You know what? They have great customer service.’”

That focus on high quality customer service has anchored nutpods’ thriving direct-to-consumer and ecommerce strategies and helped it become a top-selling brand on Amazon. As part of our interview, Haydon also discussed her foray into entrepreneurship and how she laid the groundwork for a successful online business via targeted outreach to consumers with specialized diets.

Also in this episode: an interview with Nicole Cogan, the founder of Nobread, a popular social media brand focused on gluten-free lifestyles. In our conversation, Cogan spoke about her work with CPG brands, best practices for sponsored social campaigns and how influencer marketing has evolved in recent years.

Show notes:

1:39: Fancy Food, Dry January & Sliced Ketchup -- The hosts discussed the upcoming 2019 Winter Fancy Food and Good Food Mercantile shows, which will be held in San Francisco. They also spoke about brands that are embracing “Dry January,” new episodes of our Elevator Talk series, which is featured on YouTube and Instagram TV, and a recent Chobani Incubator event in Boston.

16:42: Interview: Madeline Haydon, Founder/CEO, nutpods -- Haydon is the founder and CEO of nutpods, a fast-growing brand of alt-dairy, unsweetened creamers made from almonds and coconuts. Launched in 2015, nutpods has become a best-selling brand on Amazon and parlayed its online success into the grocery channel, where the products are sold in major grocery chains, including Publix, Kroger and Wegmans. In an interview with BevNET CMO Mike Schneider she discussed the attributes of great products, testing nutpods at retail before launching online, the benefits of selling direct-to-consumer, and why reviews and high quality customer service are critical for nutpods.

36:42: Interview: Nicole Cogan, Founder, Nobread -- Haydon noted the importance working with social influencers that are authentically aligned with a brand’s mission and marketing strategy. That’s also the perspective of Nicole Cogan, who’s the creator of gluten-free lifestyle brand Nobread. As of the publication of this podcast, Nobread has over 163,000 followers of its Instagram page, which is loaded with content promoting gluten-free recipes, products and brands. Cogan discussed her role as a social media influencer and how she establishes mutually beneficial relationships with CPG companies.

Brands in this episode: Dry Soda, Ugly Drinks, Seedlip, Curious Elixirs, Slice of Sauce, Grain Elevator, Drink Simple, 6AM Health, Nuttin Ordinary, nutpods, Simple Mills, Enjoy Life Foods, Cocokind