Oatsu is set to makes its television debut after founder Lauren O’Donnell won a Dragons’ Den-style competition.
The challenger overnight oats brand will take a share, along with two other winners, of a marketing package worth more than £300k, which includes support to make a professionally produced TV commercial to be aired on Channel 4.
At a special pitch event held this week in London, eight small businesses – chosen from thousands of hopeful entrepreneurs who entered the competition – presented their ideas to a panel of experts, including former Dragons’ Den star Piers Linney.
Along with O’Donnell, Natalie James, founder of sustainable skincare brand HelloSkin, and Jennifer Bailey, founder of footwear business Calla Shoes, emerged as the winners of the ‘Small Business, Big Break’ competition run by digital marketing agency Constant Contact and business support platform Enterprise Nation.
Each winner receives a bespoke TV commercial for their brand, along with professional production and strategic digital marketing support from Constant Contact.
The win comes at an important time in the development of Oatsu as it launches a ready-to-eat overnight oat range with a 45-day shelf life, made without preservatives. The brand has spent more than a year developing the innovation and claims it is a UK first.
The new range, which is already available DTC from Oatsu’s website, goes live in Ocado on 21 July and in Selfridges in September.
“I’m absolutely over the moon to be named a winner in Constant Contact’s ‘Small Business, Big Break’ competition,” said O’Donnell, who launched Oatsu in 2019.
“This win comes at a pivotal time for Oatsu. After over a year in development, we’ve launched the UK’s first ready-to-eat overnight oats range with an industry-leading shelf life – without preservatives.
“With strong interest from major retailers and a loyal customer base, we’re now ready to scale. The opportunity to showcase our brand on Channel 4 is a game-changer, helping us in positioning Oatsu as the UK’s leading healthy breakfast brand.”
Erika Robinson, UK general manager at Constant Contact, added: “Small Business, Big Break is about giving our UK entrepreneurs the recognition they deserve and to make a difference to their growth trajectory. The quality of pitches we witnessed underscores the incredible innovation within the small business sector. We are proud to award these winning SMEs a chance to escalate their growth through a national TV campaign.”
Aaron Asadi, CEO of Enterprise Nation, said: “Following an exhilarating pitch event, the compelling stories and innovative visions of the winners are now destined to reach audiences nationwide. We are excited to see the success stories of Natalie, Jennifer and Lauren as they move forward.”
Nick Archer, client & business development leader at Channel 4, said: “Television remains one of the most powerful mediums for building brand credibility and reaching vast audiences, making it the perfect stepping stone for our winners to go from strength to strength. We’re so excited to support these innovative SMEs as they embark on their journey to national recognition by connecting with Channel 4’s varied and engaged audience.”
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