Upon the birth of her son Isaac, Laura Allan came to the realisation and frustration that there is a lack of real food snack choices in the market. Tapping into her experience in the FMCG industry for 15 years and her love of baking and healthy eating, she sought to create a range of snacks that gave parents better choices for their kids. The result was the introduction of the brand Isaac’s Snacks in 2020.
Laura shares, “Isaac’s Snacks is in a unique position as a wholefood, plant-based snack brand that does not contain nuts, so is lunchbox friendly. We are also Australian-made and have a clear purpose to improve the eating habits of our children.”
Believing in the brand’s potential, Laura set out a lofty goal: for Isaac’s Snacks to be available in every lunchbox in Australia. Achieving this goal would entail having to spend a lot of resources in order to amplify brand awareness across the country, resources which they did not have initially. So she decided to utilise various marketing campaigns, including paid and organic social media, Google Ads, and partnerships with influencers and businesses.
One of the most integral parts of this marketing strategy is the tapping of brand ambassadors which Isaac’s Snacks call ‘Mumbassadors.’ Laura says, “We love our Mumbassadors! They’re the reason why Isaac’s Snacks exists – to give busy parents a better choice when it comes to kids snacks.”
There is also the partnership with retailers and stockists. Laura says that authenticity is important in building such relationships. “The most important factor when pitching to new retailers is to communicate a true authenticity and clear vision for your brand. Knowing who your customer is and the unique way your product will service that customer gives a buyer a clear value-add to their category,” she explains.
She adds, “The advantage of being a small business is that we are building a brand from the ground up. We take our retailers along on our journey and so they become part of the wins and growth, they are truly rooting for us and want us to do well which is wonderful.”
Laura also values the connection the brand has with its partners. “Alignment is so important,” she says. “We connect with like-minded mums to help us spread the word about Isaac’s Snacks because they’re our exact target demographic. Mums are also very social beings, whether it’s at school pickup, a WhatsApp group or a Saturday birthday party, there’s so many opportunities for them to speak with other parents and share recommendations.”
As the venture continued to grow, Isaac’s Snacks also set up an equity funding campaign not only to further its growth but also to get more people who share the business’ vision on board. “Crowdfunding is a fantastic way to raise money because it makes funding accessible to everyone, not just those with connections to banks or wealthy investors,” Laura says. “We really wanted a way of raising money that would involve people who shared our vision for the brand and believed in what we are doing.”
The equity funding was a massive success. Isaac’s Snacks managed to raise $157k from 109 investors. With this fresh capital infusion, the brand is poised for further growth in the next year as it plans to expand its number of stockists and take part in more family-friendly, health food events that will introduce the brand to a wider audience.
“As a founder-led brand, it’s important to me that we’re out there and meeting potential customers,” Laura says.