Problem

After conducting our initial research, the reason Empower Puck struggled to scale became evident. They were too broad in brand concept. Sounds counterintuitive, but by targeting simply “women”, the brand was not distinctive enough to big box buyers. Most buyers already had multiple bars targeting the female demographic that had proven sales. To put another on the shelves would have threatened to cannibalize sales. Additionally, these bars were high in calories and our research showed that most women consume protein bars as a weight management tool. In the female category, this put Empower Puck at a disadvantage. We had to find a way to reposition these incredible bars and find their blue ocean.

Solution

After a series of interviews and deep brand identity work, we discovered our proprietor developed these bars as a means to solve a problem she had as an amateur rock climber. A nature lover with a true competitive spirit, our client regularly embarked on long and dangerous adventures. The recipe for these bars were carefully crafted over years with slow release carbohydrates, omegas for brain function, and low sugar to avoid “sugar fog brain”. She created this bar because she needed to have proper nutrition that would sustain her on half a day climbs and long treks. She didn’t want to worry about being hungry and needed to be clear headed to make sound decisions in dangerous situations. Now we were getting somewhere… With this in mind, we created a new position for this protein bar. The recipes stayed 100% the same. We simply targeted a new audience. After receiving its new name and look, we were ready to begin beta testing the concept on our new ideal client- outdoor and endurance athletes. Almost immediately, our client received interest from an ex-NBA player as an investor. Soon after, an international rock climbing celebrity agreed to endorse and be the face of the product. It wasn’t long before local climbing gyms and outdoor sporting supply shops across the nation wanted Redpoint on their shelves. And then it happened… Redpoint got a buyer’s meeting with REI to discuss placement.