Food Entrepreneur - August 17, 2021 - 3

FOOD ENTREPRENEUR®
COMMENTARY
To rebrand or
not to rebrand?
Engage consumers in the process
to ensure a successful transition
BY MONICA WATROUS
ustin Wiesehan created a product line people loved.
They just didn't love the name.
Two years ago, Mr. Wiesehan launched Macro
J
Snacks, a direct-to-consumer brand of puffs formulated
with pea protein, chickpea flour, brown rice flour and
organic sunflower oil. The products were developed to
deliver a specific balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat
for consumers like him who tracked macronutrients to
achieve health and fitness goals.
The problem, he discovered, was there weren't very
many consumers like him.
" About 60% of the customers I talked to or surveyed
through email had no idea what a macro was, " Mr. Wiesehan
said. " I realized as I get bigger and want to scale,
that the brand isn't approachable, it isn't appealing, and it
doesn't mean anything to anybody. "
While such a self-critical conclusion may seem
overblown, discussions with retail buyers offered further
proof a new name was needed if the brand would ever
land in grocery stores.
" Retailers told us they loved our product, but they
didn't believe macro counters were a big enough market
to warrant shelf space, " he said.
Entrepreneurs must consider numerous factors
when naming - or renaming - a business. Brands that
refer to a specific ingredient, category or diet are limiting.
A brand name should adequately communicate the
product offering while standing out among competitors
in a crowded marketplace.
Rebranding, though, carries risks and may be
expensive. Mr. Wiesehan feared he would lose the online
following he worked
hard to build. So he
tapped into that very
community to gain a
better understanding
of why they purchased
the product.
" A lot of them
Monica Watrous is the managing
editor of Food Business News.
Email mwatrous@sosland.com.
August 17, 2021
told us they used our
product as an alternative
to unhealthy
snacks they used to
eat, " he said. " They
completely replaced
their unhealthy
Entrepreneurs must consider
numerous factors when naming -
or renaming - a business.
HA! SNACKS
snacking habits with our products. "
This insight inspired the new name, HA! - punctuated
by the tagline " The Healthier Alternative. " Mr. Wiesehan
invited consumers to vote and provide input on various
aspects of the rebranding and new packaging design.
" Engaging the consumer, our current customers,
throughout the process helps them feel like they were a
part of it, and now they have some identity tied to this
brand, " he said.
The new website, hasnacks.com, and refreshed packaging
rolled out in July. (Ensuring a domain name was
available was another key consideration). The new name
not only is more relatable; it also broadens the scope of
new product development, Mr. Wiesehan noted.
" The possibilities are limitless now, " he said. " We can
basically go out and create a healthier alternative for any
type of product. "
With the rebranding process complete, Mr. Wiesehan
has launched a crowdfunding campaign and plans to
expand onto retail shelves next year.
" The biggest point is to talk to your consumers, " he
said. " If you have a good community of customers who
are consistently buying your products, listen to what they
have to say. They're your early adopters. They're going to
be the catalyst for growing your brand. Involve them in
the process in any way you can, whether that's new flavor
development, whether it's rebranding, whether it's new
product development. They're the ones voting with their
wallet for your brand and your products. Utilize that. "
Whether HA! hits its growth objectives remains
to be seen. In advocating for consumer engagement to
fine-tune branding strategies, Mr. Wiesehan's counsel and
experience offer valuable lessons. ▪
Food Business News
27
http://www.hasnacks.com
Food Entrepreneur - August 17, 2021

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