My company makes savory cheesecakes and I wanted to know how many of you are familiar, would you call them something else? if so what? 

 

Hi Chefamy,

 

I had not heard of your company until I saw a few of your posts.  I checked out your website and it looks so good!  I did think it was dessert though until I saw the site.  I'm not sure what I would name it if you changed the name though.

 

Have you looked in to those companies like Sally Foster who do the school fundraiser sales?  They usually have food.  One school in our area sells cheesecake and frozen cookie dough.  They gear toward holiday celebrations and holiday gift-giving.  I don't know if it would be a fit for you but, if so, you'd get your products infront of tons of parents.

 

Tracy

Thanks Tracy,

 

You are the second person that suggested fundraisers, I will look into them.

HOw do you get the word out about your products?

Her product is cheese. I think the 'cheesecake' is confusing your audience. Your appetizer looks wonderful, something I would love to be able to purchase local. Get out there and get Cosco, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and Sam's Club.  I'm sure easier said then done, but I can see your product at many of those places.  Find the right contacts, and start with letters directing them to your website and send them a sample.   

 

Good luck!

Janie 

This is the perfect example of what we are dealing with, it is cheesecake just savory instead of sweet which throws everyone off, however how do you change the phrasing to get your audience to understand that it is a cream cheese and fresh herb baked appetizer produced in exactly the same manner as a traditional sweet cheesecake?

I have spent the past 3 years trying to 'get the big guys' to some success but still noting that will end in me having my bills paid.  Currently we are in Whole Foods in Nashville, NeimanMarcus.com and a few wineries in VA.  Costco demands such a low price point that we cannot even begin to meet it and they also have crazy demo requirements that cost thousands.

 

What else would you call it?  My thought is if you don't say cheesecake then you are putting yourself back another step in explaining that it is a baked cream cheese and herb cake?

 

No one said this was going to be easy -right!

There is always a challenge in introducing a product that people aren't familiar with. That happened for me when I started a staging business - before there were all those awesome shows on HGTV.

 

Whether you call it something else or not, you're going to have to edu-market your product. That is, educate as you market it. What problem does your product solve? How do people use it - appetizer? For company? Spell it out so that people don't have to wonder.

 

As far as how to get it on the market, I have some friends who've had great sucess marketing their cake ball business (another wierd, but delicious food product: www.madcravings.com), by marketing it to high end and gourmet companies like Harry and David. These kinds of companies have a higher price point and you can actually make a profit on them.

 

In the meantime, be thinking about how you're going to fill all those orders when they start coming in. The most dangerous time for a business is not at the begninning, but when things (finally) take off. Building in the capacity now will help you stay sustainable in the long run.

 

Good luck!

 

:) Jennifer