Upon watching this episode of Shark Tank, the last contestant, the owner of “Tia Lupita Foods” resonated with me the most. Even though he was technically in debt & his numbers weren’t as solid and sustainable as the other contestants, his passion project finally proved profitable a month leading up to the episode. This spoke to me before even considering products, his devotion very clearly showcased what market gap he is trying to fill & how he was going to do it in an ethical manner.
His products consist of cactus-based tortillas and tortilla chips, ensuring his food & salsas are held to a certain standard in regard to health and lack of artificial flavors/fillers. This is vital, especially for people who genuinely enjoy Mexican food/snacks from the shelves of their local grocery stores, but are concerned or wish for a healthier lifestyle. This is clearly a gap in the existing market since the vast majority of similar products contain unhealthy amounts of sodium, fillers, and artificial flavors which are all detrimental to one’s long-term state of health. In addition to this, not a single judge had a negative comment in regards to taste, including Kevin saying it’s “one of the best” he’s had, in terms of healthy tortilla chips. This is also very important due to the number of people who care more about taste than health, a product like this may result in a positive and healthy switch for many tortilla enjoyers, and some of these switches may be necessary for people on the brink of horrible health problems. The number of different flavors may also ensure an uptick in loyal customers since it’d be more difficult to get tired of multiple flavors rather than just one, which is a major problem within many of the competitor brands.
Upon reading the chapter and assignment, I struggle to find advice to further his marketing skills, especially when it comes to packaging and branding, which happens to be one of my favorite aspects of “Tia Lupita Foods”. I genuinely believe the packaging and branding aspect of the brand is executed in a great manner since they cater and market specifically to his intended audience. When I first saw the bag my mind instantly went to Whole Foods, which has a prominent reputation for expensive, niche, organic brands. The packaging doesn’t look anything out of the ordinary in comparison to snacks off the shelves in Trader Joe’s, but at the same time, it’s original, authentic, and down to the core in regard to the company’s ideology and mission. The branding on the packaging is also very hip, with a playful font that appeals to anyone no matter the class or age, but at the same time goes with the same flow as many of these other organic/healthy snacks.
