100UE Fundee Blog: Cool Fruit Sensations
Founder: Don Harding Jr.
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November 1, 2011: Angling for a Super Bowl Slot, and Thoroughly Researching the Market
Our focus of late at Cool Fruit Sensations has been to set the stage for an explosive 2012 and beyond. In February 2013, the Super Bowl will be held in New Orleans, where my company is headquartered, so we’ve responded to an RFP (request for proposal) for companies who want the Super Bowl selection committee to consider their products for the event.
This would obviously be a tremendous leap forward for us if we can pull it off; from a marketing standpoint, there is nothing on earth like the Super Bowl. We’ve therefore contacted all the relevant people and provided them with as much information as possible. Our 100UE mentor, Dan Carriere — the foundation’s chairman — has pitched in by sending letters of recommendation about us to all of the decision makers.
We should know this week if we’re one of the chosen vendors. We agree with Dan’s advice that we should try to get as much media exposure as possible for our product. To that end, we’ve signed on for as many high-profile events as possible in the upcoming weeks.
In the short time that Cool Fruit Sensations has been in the 100UE program, our thinking and focus have shifted dramatically. Our new top three priorities, in no particular order, are marketing, branding and media exposure. For us, branding and marketing go hand in hand to help us get ready for our first storefront, set to open next spring.
We initially saw Cool Fruit Sensations as merely a festival product. We didn’t think that in this economy, locals would pay for a handmade, fresh-fruit, labor-intensive product such as ours. Time and time again, though, locals at various events we’ve been to have proved us wrong. We’ve researched our competition, meanwhile, and have learned that our prices are very competitive.
The research that we’ve conducted on some of our direct competition — Jamba Juice, Juice Zone, etc. — has us considering a “light food” component for the future. And although we consider them to be an indirect competitor, we would like for our initial storefront to be similar in design (very efficient, wastes no space, has a drive-thru) to those of Smoothie King.
Doing research on our competitors has opened our eyes in so many ways. We’ve always known that our product stands up well against theirs — but what we’ve learned from research, and our 100UE mentor conversations, is that having a viable product is only one piece of the puzzle. Another thing that has impressed us are our competitors’ Web sites. They’re very well-organized and visually pleasing. A good site is, of course, an important part of our marketing and branding strategy.
Cool Fruit is one of those rare products that appeals to all sex, age and gender categories. Yet our strongest support comes from the younger, better-educated demographic that has a better understanding of the benefits of a fresh-fruit product like ours. Ages 19 to 35 is our target market — the more affluent the better.
We’re not just trying to appeal to those ages, though; we’re currently looking at different flavor combinations to reach out to sub-19 customers, and to enhance our appeal to those older than 35, we’re looking to work with a nutritionist to develop fruit and vegetable combinations that benefit people’s immune system, energy levels and metabolism. There’s plenty more ahead; stay tuned.
