How one soup-and-more company grew bricks then clicks

In this Natural Products Expo West keynote session, Robert Jakobi, CEO of BOU Brands, shares how innovating in stale and not-so-sexy categories with little competition allowed him to create an extremely successful product line that touches on all things omnichannel. Watch and learn from this experienced brand leader who disrupted the bouillon, gravy and sauce space less than two years ago.

Molly McCahan

March 26, 2019

1 Min Read
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“I think it’s very hard for a brand to do all of these things [omnichannel] immediately. When we launched the business, my co-founders and I decided that we would focus on brick-and-mortar first … we felt that we needed to build a brand and get the brand out there. There are a lot of brands that go D-to-C first … before they even go into grocery. We felt we could always build a brand through online when we had a larger presence in brick-and-mortar.”

—Robert Jakobi, CEO, BOU Brands

Part 1: The story behind BOU

Highlights:

  • In just 18 months BOU has gained national distribution in roughly 6,500 locations, including Whole Foods, Wegmans, Sprouts and Safeway Albertsons.

  • BOU has a unique partnership with the only North American manufacturer that can make a BFY cube.

  • The consumer is key. We need them to come back again and again, so taste is our primary focus, Jakobi says.

  • Instant soup cups are a big focus now with BOU's foodservice strategy.

  • From digital amplification to brand ambassadors, discover the five steps of BOU’s omnichannel strategy.

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Part 2: Q&A

Highlights:

  • Getting feedback when you can’t afford focus groups.

  • Vetting brand ambassadors/influencers.

  • Packaging concerns and sustainability.

  • Manufacturer scaling and supply chain issues.

  • Funding and board strategies.

This session—Fueling Sales in an Omnichannel World: Keynote--Omnichannel from a Brand Perspective—was recorded at Natural Products Expo West 2019. Click "download" for the presentation slides.

About the Author(s)

Molly McCahan

Molly McCahan is a freelance writer.

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