As a small business, standing out from the competition is crucial. Brooklyn-based Simply Gum makes all-natural gum and breath mints that come in flavors like maple, fennel and coffee — and that’s not all that separates them from the rest. Also putting them in their own category: A digital strategy for making big sales.
“The fact that we have an e-commerce site makes us unique in this space. We’re the first gum company that’s doing this,” said founder Caron Proschan. “Consumers are increasingly shifting to online purchase of groceries, so it just made sense to make gum and mints available online as well.”
Consumers can visit the website and purchase gum and mints by the pack or sign up for a subscription service that delivers packs on a monthly or bi-monthly schedule. They just select the product type, flavor and frequency, and then they’re all set.
But a robust e-commerce site is just one part of the company’s larger digital strategy. Since its launch in 2014, Simply Gum has been in partnership with Amazon. Three years later, the online retailer remains one of its largest sources of revenue.
“What I tell all entrepreneurs is that you don’t need a lot of money to start a business. People have this preconceived notion that it takes years to get into large chain grocery stores,” said Proschan. “In reality, once you develop your product, you can just put it up on Amazon and immediately start selling.”
The benefits of an Amazon partnership aren’t limited to immediate sales. Putting a product on Amazon essentially gives entrepreneurs a platform for consumers to review the item and provide realtime feedback. This is especially valuable for a startup that’s still tweaking its product.
“What’s so great about using an online retailer is that you’re able to see if your product is resonating with people. It lets you iterate quickly and make improvements without having to raise a lot of money,” said Proschan.
She added that the strategy is ideal for companies with smaller budgets to spend on marketing and focus groups. People trust Amazon, she said, so companies can make an easier sale — and piggyback off the retailer’s big promo events, like Prime Day, when Amazon Prime members receive exclusive deals on a multitude of products.
Though Simply Gum was listed on Prime Day every year, the company never ran a deal for members — until now. After noticing spikes in sales around this promotion, Proschan decided it was time to get on board.
“This is the first year we’ve been involved, and we’re excited to see how it goes,” she said. “We’re very happy with their performance over the past three years, and we continue to grow with the business.”
Image via Simply Gum.
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