Hitting 8-Figures via a New Category | Jake Tannenbaum, Craftmix

On this episode, we’re joined by Jake Tannenbaum, Founder & CEO of Craftmix - the instant cocktail (and other things) mixer brand built for people who want better drinks without the mess, prep, or sugar bombs. Jake started Craftmix after years of bartending and realizing that even he couldn’t make a decent cocktail at friends’ houses with what they actually had on hand. That insight turned into a new product format - single-serve powdered mixers - and eventually an entirely new product category. We get into the early days of Craftmix, from six months of kitchen R&D and roommates spitting out bad iterations, to the “brownie mix” insight that explains why a little bit of participation makes products more fun. Jake breaks down the decision to move from DIY production to co-packers, what founders consistently underestimate about formulation and scale, and how building a brand is very different from building a product category. We also dig into demand planning lessons from selling out multiple times, how brand identity and packaging design impact shelf clarity and velocity, why the target demographic ended up being different than expected, and what it really took to win on Amazon before expanding into retail. We cover Kroger learnings, corporate gifting as a legitimate channel, how QVC works behind the scenes, and what’s next on Craftmix’s product roadmap.---------------Episode Highlights:🍸 Bartender-to-founder origin story and the real problem Craftmix solves🧪 Formulation and R&D lessons from early kitchen experiments🧁 The “brownie mix” variable and why interaction matters🏭 When and how to transition to a co-packer📦 Building a brand while educating consumers on a new category📊 Demand planning, inventory risk, and avoiding stockouts🎨 Brand identity and packaging design in a cluttered aisle🎯 How and why the target demo shifted🏆 Winning on Amazon before expanding into retail🏪 Retail velocity, Kroger learnings, and category education🎁 Corporate gifting as a real, scalable channel📺 QVC: live selling, pressure, and unexpected upside🧭 Product roadmap and trends JT is watching---------------Table of Contents:00:00 - Intro00:00 - Origin story02:37 - Formulation and R&D03:43 - The “brownie mix” variable05:13 - Transitioning to a copacker10:34 - Building a brand AND a product category12:10 - Demand planning14:43 - Brand identity and packaging design16:43 - Target demo17:51 - Winning on Amazon21:11 - Breaking into retail26:23 - Brand awareness and product category drive velocity27:19 - Winning in Kroger28:16 - Corporate gifting is a real channel29:26 - QVC31:41 - Product roadmap32:21 - Trends JT is watching---------------Links:Craftmix – https://www.craftmix.com/Follow Jake on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-tannenbaum-a21876128/Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.