Viral TikTok cereal brand Crispy Fantasy is soon to launch its own direct to consumer operation, as well as a major sampling campaign with rapid grocer Zapp.
The brand – which started selling on Amazon last summer – has amassed millions of views on the social media platform, and claims to be Europe’s most followed cereal brand.
Company co-founder Andrea Rodrik said after “blowing up on TikTok” the brand was now working on how to convert views into sales, which he dubbed “the million dollar question”.
“We don’t yet have the distribution, but that’s the next priority in our masterplan,” he said. “To ensure accessibility throughout the UK, so if another video blows up – which I’m sure it will – it’s easy for people to try it.”
Crispy Fantasy ran a campaign with Zapp last year during which 2,000 free samples were added to the quick commerce player’s orders. The brand is planning to repeat the campaign, with 10,000 units to be given away, in the coming months.
“It was insane what happened, our rate of sales tripled,” Rodrik said. “Because if you try the product, you’re likely to purchase it again. Zapp worked flawlessly. Our hypothesis worked.”
Later in the year, Crispy Fantasy is expecting to become available in physical stores and has ambitions for “mass market” distribution through “the major mults” Rodrik said, adding the brand was hoping to emulate the success of Candy Kittens and Little Moons.
“The supermarket is good for availability. An online platform is good for data and to constantly optimise the brand,” he added. “We’re a flexible business, we can churn out R&D. What takes Kellogg’s 24 months we can do in a matter of weeks.”
Last summer, the company completed a “significant” fundraise and secured the backing of Halo Top co-founder and CEO Doug Bouton; Peter Rahal, who previously built and sold RXBar to Kellogg’s; and US investment fund Pareto Holdings.
As explained in the brand’s first TikTok video, which has gained 3.4 million views, the company was formed in 2021 by Rodrik and Raphaël Nahoum, after Rodrik posted a LinkedIn post seeking a co-founder for a new healthier cereal business. Nahoum turned down a six-figure salary offer at a US investment bank to join the venture.
Regarding distribution, the company was in a “walk not run” mode, Rodrik said. “Once we push on the gas we want to be pointing in the right direction,” he added. “Because DTC can be very costly, you can make a lot of mistakes that can cost you a lot of money.”
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