To start off this is a blatant plug for my new business. But I’d also see if the ST crowd has any feedback for me as well, as I can see athletes as one of my potential marketing targets. Here are some details about what B-Nuts trail mix is all about. I tried to keep it short at first and can elaborate in later posts.
Quick History: I started out making trail mix for myself as a nutritious snack while training for IMWI. This past spring I officially started the business and have been selling products at farmers markets and retail stores but I am looking to expand.
What separates my trail mix products from others out there is quality and variety. For example my “original” blend has almost every different type of nut, as well as maple roasted nuts. There are four types of dried fruit as well as dark and milk chocolate covered pieces. I currently offer seven different varieties. I could include all sorts of information in this post, but it’s all on my website bnutstrailmix.com. If anyone has specific questions I’d be happy to answer them.
Here are a few questions I’ll throw to the ST crowed, I’m sure I’ll have more as this discussion (hopefully) develops.
If you were in the market for trail mix, what specific qualities would attract you to purchase?
What don’t you like about currently available options, or keeps you from buying trail mix (or similar products)in the store (besides allergies, etc)?
If you do buy similar nut/dried fruit products, what attracts you to your typical brand?
What other pre-packaged healthier "snack" type food do you regularly purchase and what is your main factor in choosing that product? (ex. powerbars, granola bars, etc)
I know there are a lot of you out there that are more business oriented than I, so please feel free to share anything you have learned from running a small business. If yours failed, I’d be interested in what you would do differently that I could apply. Any superb resources I should check out? Thanks in advance for any advice.
First off, good luck with the new venture. As for what you are asking, I am usually disappointed with the lack of variety within the trail mixes. I like the stuff in some and the stuff in others. I usually end up going to Whole Foods and making my own batch up since I am able to get what I want and usually for a lot cheaper. Ironically, I am not a fan of Almonds and almost every mix has them (they are too waxy for me). I prefer walnuts, pecans or cashews…usually not found in mixes. Overall, I would say a good mix with lots of concentrated variety (more fruity mix, more nutty mix, general mix of both, etc) with a good price point and you should be good to go.
as a holistic health coach I guess I would be an expert on trail mix.
I usually make my own but when I do buy it I look for quality, nothing extra. I like dried fruits that aren’t full of sulfur or sweeteners.
That said good looking stuff. I like the names and logo, I would buy if I saw them. And you are in Petosky so you have my favorite stuff, Michigan dried cherries! That is my go to snack.
Good stuff, good luck. If you would like a professional review of your product I would be happy to sample it and write an article about it posting on both our sites (I am just getting started too.)
One thing I’ll say is that is it difficult to read what is in each package. I would create a bulleted list, saying something like:
PeanutsPecansMacadamia nutsTears of Craig Alexander
Do that for each main nut or fruit. Still keep the ingredient list on the bottom for the oils, emulsifiers, and stuff like that.
I just checked out your website and saw your product.
I would never buy it based solely on perception. Here is why:
I am busy. I spend a short time of picking out my food. I try to eat clean. I see an ingredient list of close to 75 ingredients. That doesn’t look clean. I would never buy it.
In contrast, I just looked in my pantry and read ingredient lists. My dark chocolate has 5 ingredients in it. My (bad bad) ice cream has 5 ingredients. My cereal has 7 ingredients.
You have 3 seconds to capture my attention. You lost it with a list of 75 ingredients.
I just checked out your website and saw your product.
I would never buy it based solely on perception. Here is why:
I am busy. I spend a short time of picking out my food. I try to eat clean. I see an ingredient list of close to 75 ingredients. That doesn’t look clean. I would never buy it.
In contrast, I just looked in my pantry and read ingredient lists. My dark chocolate has 5 ingredients in it. My (bad bad) ice cream has 5 ingredients. My cereal has 7 ingredients.
You have 3 seconds to capture my attention. You lost it with a list of 75 ingredients.
But his whole point is that the trail mix has more variety.
If I bought some I’d get the Weasel Munch (without the chocolate) and it’s just a long list of nuts and berries. How is that not “clean”?
Mike and Schroeder- A completely valid point that I completely understand. I wouldn’t really expect people to look through the list that closely at first glace to dissect what’s really there. Here’s the story. There are 4 different chocolate items in the mix. Per Dep.of Ag. requirements each ingredient has to also show all the “sub-ingredients” each time. So that dark chocolate that has 5 or 6 ingredients has to be repeated in the ingredients list 4 times so there’s “20-25 ingredients” right there, when really it’s the same 5. Same goes for dried fruit where I have to repeat ingredients for each dried cherries, blueberries, etc. The situation is similar for each of the different types of nuts. So in part it’s deceiving and I can’t get around that on the official label.
But I’m glad it was pointed out and I’ll work on it. I really like Fartleker’s idea. I’m thinking about modifying the ingredient list* on* my site as “non-regulatory” people would see it. Would that seem reasonable to you or would you feel mislead? Would you get confused if I listed the nuts, fruits etc in the main part and then you saw a longer “official” list at the bottom of the page?
The Weasel Munch was introduced more recently than the Original and Premier, thus it was in more of a “market testing” phase. I was planning on adding a 24oz of it when I do my next batch of labels. When I sell it at farmer’s markets and such I usually just do bulk pricing for 4-6oz bags. Also good to see you could see through the repetition of the ingredients list.
i don;t even know what trail mix is and whether I should be using it!
I guess I assumed “trail mix” is a pretty commonly known food. Is your response in regard to you not knowing and you check out the website for info and still don’t know? I’d appreciate some elaboration.
Your products look good, the only thing that catches my attention (both good and bad) are the Maple roasted nuts (good), and the use of peanut oil in roasting the nuts in the peanut free mix (bad).
When I make a snack mix like this (I almost never buy them, for the reason of gluten and peanuts allergies) I pretty much go with dried fuit w/o a lot of added sugar and nuts that have not been roasted in peanut oil and crystalized ginger (my favorite).
Good luck on the business, might be buying csome of those maple pecans form you soon!
Just not knowing what it is before checking out the site. However, checked out the website and it just looks like a bag of fruit n nuts?
Is this used as some sort of ubber endurance food. Holland & Barrett have fruit n nut mix you can get 400g for £2.53 which is equivalent of 14oz for $4, maybe yours has extra endurance stuff in.
I wouldn’t ever have thought of using it out when training because its fruit n nuts wouldn’t have thought it easy to digest? Am I missing the obvious?
Your products look good, the only thing that catches my attention (both good and bad) are the Maple roasted nuts (good), and the use of peanut oil in roasting the nuts in the peanut free mix (bad).
When I make a snack mix like this (I almost never buy them, for the reason of gluten and peanuts allergies) I pretty much go with dried fuit w/o a lot of added sugar and nuts that have not been roasted in peanut oil and crystalized ginger (my favorite).
Good luck on the business, might be buying csome of those maple pecans form you soon!
This is also an issue that’s been brought up as one of my buddies didn’t know if peanut oil would irritate his peanut allergy. I would like to use raw nuts when possible, but the shelf life is much shorter than roasted and if they are roasted unfortunately the only one’s I have available are roasted in peanut oil. Same goes for the dried fruit, sweetened has a longer shelf life than unsweetened. But none of the fruit is sulfured so that’s a plus. Thanks for your feedback!
So you are differentiating you product on variety…because there is so much variety in trail mixes it will be hard to stand out. The difference will have to be obvious because most consumers aren’t going to take the time to study the ingredients to see just how the blend is different. If you truly are considering athletes (I’m assuming endurance athletes) as a target, you’ll need to come up with a blend that supports dietary habits…high in quality carbs and some protein. Then you’ll need to make sure the brand communicates this benefit loud and clear. Perhaps you could call the blend “Natural Fuel” or something similar. My answers to your questions are below:
If you were in the market for trail mix, what specific qualities would attract you to purchase?--Good tasting dried fruit----apples and pears are freaking gross dried and all too common in available trail mixes.
What don’t you like about currently available options, or keeps you from buying trail mix (or similar products)in the store (besides allergies, etc)? Cost----in my house trail mix functions as a healthier alternative to chips that are use for snacking or to complement lunches.
If you do buy similar nut/dried fruit products, what attracts you to your typical brand? I don't have a typical brand.
What other pre-packaged healthier “snack” type food do you regularly purchase and what is your main factor in choosing that product? (ex. powerbars, granola bars, etc) Granola and granola bars-----convenience and portability are key benefits of my other snacking habits.
Two things, products that are truly the “premium product’ in their class do not have to claim so. When there are claims such as “Your bespoke…” “The only premium…”
The Most Premium…” it is code that the product just wants to me and is not actually a premium product.
So what makes your product premium?
Second do not make false claims such as “For example my “original” blend has almost every different type of nut” Really almost every type? I count “7”
Cashews, Almonds, Brazils, Filberts, Pecan, Macadamia, and Peanuts of those, only Filberts are true nuts.
Cashews, Almonds and Pecans are not nuts, they might be considered culinary nuts but they are Drupes.
Peanuts, Macadamias, and Brazils are Angiosperm seeds.
I would spend more time researching your own claims and product, but with all that said best of luck.
First, good luck with your business.
Second, there are plenty of businesses out there with the same idea as yours. Why and how are you different? Your statement "What separates my trail mix products from others out there is quality and variety. " is the same as everyone else.
However, you also mentioned that your “Original” blend is what differentiate you from all the other ones out there. If that is true, then you need to highlight that on your homepage. If I didn’t read your post, then I wouldn’t spend another second on your site.
Third, if you want to get serious about your business do yourself a favor and get a decent website and highlight your products with nice photos. I don’t get the beach photo with the bag of nuts on the sand. Get a decent web host and build your site. If you have a limited budget, you can do one yourself or just hire a designer.
Plus, submit your special offer (coupon) to the site below
