The CPG Guys, Sri & PVSB, are joined in this episode by Doug Bouton, the founder & CEO of Halo Top International and its US Subsidiary DoJo Brands which manufacturers Gatsby Chocolate
Follow Doug Bouton on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/douglas-bouton-b1205a59/
Follow Halo Top International on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/halo-top-international/
Follow Halo Top International online at: https://halotop.com/
Follow Gatsby Chocolate online at: https://www.gatsbychocolate.com/
On September 29, 2023, Doug Bouton appeared on Shark Tank and secured financing for Gatsby from Mark Cuban and Lori Grenier.
Doug answers these questions:
1) You market Gatsby as a “safe addiction” food. To a degree, this is how you marketed Halo Top when you introduced pints of ice cream that contained less than 300 calories. Can you share with us your thinking in marketing products with indulgent legacies that have been formulated to reduce the caloric impact while retaining the experience?
2) HaloTop was one of the first brands to adopt a revolutionary product locator on its site that allowed consumers to not just find stores that carried HaloTop but actually specific flavors. Can you share with this audience how this helped you in engaging consumers interested in your assortment?
3) In 2013, you negotiated the sale of Halo Top NA operations to Blue Bunny while retaining the international business which you still operate now. Can you walk us through how that all transpired and why you didn’t just sell the whole company?
4) How do you operate Halo Top International in so many markets and how does it work when you share the “brand equity” of the Halo Top name?
5) Chocolate candy is a large industry dominated by some major players operating out of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Why enter this market segment and what did you see as being the defining characteristics of Gatsby that would differentiate it from the competition and deliver sustainable growth. Also, why the name Gatsby?
6) What are the primary marketing channels that Gatsby is leveraging to build awareness and foster brand loyalty? How do you go about designing an effective marketing mix?
7) You’ve also invested in a high protein milk-based beverage brand: Slate Milk. Can you help us understand your interest in this category and why you think there is a significant opportunity for growth?
8) What’s next for DoJo Brands? Are there specific categories within food & beverage that you think offer significant growth entry opportunities?
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