Muddy Bites: Building a Brand Beyond Social Media and Kickstarter with Kate Kasch, Chief Customer Officer

Mariah Parsons hosts the "Retention Chronicles" podcast, sponsored by Malomo, a shipping update platform praised by Alicia, founder of Midstoppers. Guest Kate Kasch discusses her career in the food industry, from Wrigley to Mars Inc, and her transition to scaling brands like Good Pop and Muddy Bites. Kate highlights the challenges of translating consumer interest into retail distribution, emphasizing the importance of social media presence and retailer relationships. She shares a successful campaign by Good Pop, the "Good Pop Hotline," and discusses the significance of authenticity and consumer engagement in retention strategies.Episode Timestamps:Kate's Career Journey 3:22Kate shares her 20-year career in the food space, starting from her first job out of college with Wrigley.She describes her experience working for Mars Inc, including roles in logistics, sales, analytics, and marketing.Kate talks about her midlife career change, leaving Mars Inc to join a small, scaling brand, Good Pop.She highlights her role in scaling Good Pop and the challenges of competing with established brands.Introduction to Muddy Bites 7:06Kate explains her recent move to Muddy Bites, a brand focused on bringing fun and joy back to snacking and cookies.She describes Muddy Bites as a 3D cookie inspired by the best part of an ice cream cone.Kate shares the brand's history and the founders' vision of creating a unique, shelf-stable cookie.Mariah expresses her excitement about trying Muddy Bites and shares her personal experience with the product.Challenges of Scaling a Brand 9:48Kate discusses the differences between working at a large global brand and a small emerging brand.She highlights the challenges of translating consumer interest into retail shelf space.Kate shares the story of Muddy Bites' Kickstarter launch and the difficulty of securing retail distribution.She emphasizes the importance of building consumer demand and marketing efforts to prove the brand's value to retailers.Retail Distribution and Consumer Acquisition 12:52Mariah and Kate discuss the challenges of acquiring retail distribution and the role of social media in consumer acquisition.Kate shares examples of successful campaigns, including Good Pop's "Good Pop Hotline" and Disney's emotional advertising.They talk about the importance of virality and social media presence in attracting retail buyers.Kate explains the need for a strong social media presence to create brand love and drive retail sales.Retention Strategies for DTC and Retail 25:53Kate outlines the tactics for retaining consumers in DTC and retail channels.She emphasizes the importance of timely reminders, reviews, and discounts in DTC retention.Kate discusses the role of in-store promotions, shelf availability, and retailer relationships in retail retention.She highlights the need for a captive audience and effective communication with retailers to drive sales.Authenticity and Consumer Connection 30:11Kate and Mariah discuss the importance of authenticity and emotional connection in branding.Kate shares examples of how large brands leverage their history and family roots to create authenticity.They talk about the role of founder stories and consumer involvement in building brand loyalty.Kate emphasizes the need for small brands to create a sense of community and ownership among their consumers.Conclusion and Future Collaboration 35:03Mariah thanks Kate for sharing her insights and experiences on the podcast.They discuss the potential for future collaborations and additional episodes.Mariah encourages listeners to subscribe, follow the podcast on social media, and suggest future guests.The episode concludes with a shout-out to the podcast sponsor, Malomo, and its benefits for Shopify brands.