There's a famous saying: "It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind." For women CPG entrepreneurs, we propose the following: "It's a founder's job to evolve with her customers and stay ahead of the innovation curve, even if that means changing course."
Changes, especially in the CPG industry, are the norm. CPG companies face increasing pressure to remain relevant, meet changing consumer demands, and adapt to external challenges. These shifts are essential for staying competitive and thriving in an ever-changing landscape.
Tazzy, a 2022 Pitch Competition Finalist, recently went through a product soul-searching journey and decided to add more snackable products, including cookie bites, to their hard candy offerings.
We talked with Delia Hughes, co-founder of Tazzy, to understand the thought process behind the extension and what advice she would give to other entrepreneurs in similar situations.
See below for the full interview.
Enthuse Foundation (EF): Thank you so much, Delia, for talking with us about Tazzy's new direction. What made you and Lindsay (Simon, Delia's co-founder) decide to expand the candy offerings to include cookie bites?
Delia Hughes (DH): We have wanted to get into a more snackable product category for about two years. Hard candy is a long-lasting product, so working through a bag of candies takes a while. Hard candy is considered a slower-velocity category in the candy world compared to many other sweet treats. We have been working on a few innovations (gummies, chocolate, chocolate snacking) to see what has the most significant opportunity and need with our target customer. We eventually landed on launching a chocolate snacking innovation, the chocolate-coated cookie bites, as our first move outside of hard candy. The mission of Tazzy still remains the same, to develop treats with ingredients we love!
EF: Thank you for that insight. What logistical changes were necessary to make the innovation possible (formula, new packaging, etc.)?
DH: We needed to create everything new! We started by ideating a brand-new innovation pipeline. Next, given our food science backgrounds, we got to work on product development, which was the most exciting part for us! Of course, what you make on a benchtop is never the final product in the market, so this took a few months. Then we had to source a new contract manufacturer, arguably the most challenging part of launching a food product. Finding a partner with the capabilities you need, who wants to innovate and is excited about your vision, is hard. Not to mention locating a partner willing to take a chance on you on a small scale. Once our partner was in place, we needed to scale the formula, finalize all flavors, and develop the packaging. The last piece we needed was overhauling our website, emails, and communications with brand-new assets and updated chocolate cookie messaging.
EF: So what's happening with the hard candy product line.
DH: We are still selling them. They were recently on QVC and are available in Amazon's store.
EF: That's quite the undertaking to expand the brand. What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs exploring their extensions?
DH: It's not for the faint of heart, but if you believe in the idea, go for it. People may question you, but we found most of our network very supportive. Our friends, family, and retailers all saw how hard Lindsay and I worked to build and stick with hard candy. They were rooting for us to get into a category with a more extensive consumer base and more substantial velocities.
EF: How did you document the initial launch of Tazzy Candy? Is it essential to learn from the past in the journey?
DH: Absolutely. Remember all the challenges you overcame up until now, take what you learned, and apply it to this pivot. We opened up a Google slide (because we think in slides). We listed everything that went well for us and what didn't go well for us with our current products to determine the key learnings to bring into our next launch. It helped formalize our strategy and be clear on what we wanted next. The entrepreneurial experience is beyond challenging, and sometimes you feel like you're not making the progress you want to. Still, you must remember how much you are learning along the way- always use that.
EF: What great advice! Describe Tazzy's response to the new direction.
DH: Excitement! Lindsay and I are very motivated by our new direction with Tazzy; people can feel that. Retailers are excited to bring in the items, and we are eager to build brand awareness with consumers looking for mini indulgences in small portions!
Bottom Line: Another famous quote is "evolve or die." Yes, it's direct and a little harsh, but it's true, especially in the über competitive world of CPG. By utilizing consumer feedback and leaning into industry trends, Delia Hughes and Lindsay Simon added more value to the Tazzy brand and are ready for the next chapter.
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