Arepa
The Situation:
Angus Brown, founder of Arepa was working at the FoodBowl where I was helping a number of leading-edge export-focused food and beverage clients. He had developed his own idea on the side and sought me out to help coach him through the process of taking his idea to market.
The Transformation:
I undertook an ongoing coaching and mentoring programme with Angus to build his capability as well as help steer his strategic direction. We worked through the basics of market validation from appraising markets and future trends to scoping out the market opportunity in stages. We went on to work through the foundations of building a powerful value proposition and brand, sharing many of the techniques I had used in transforming ecostore – developing all parts of the Marketing Mix from product attributes, formulations, ingredient sourcing, pricing, branding, communication and distribution channel strategies. We further worked on the basis of building a powerful brand story, defining his purpose, vision and values. This helped narrow Angus’s focus (inch wide, mile deep) and invest in strengthening his product – working with leading neuroscientists to hone his formulations and provide a solid product-led platform for growth.
The Result:
Arepa has gone from strength to strength; as a powerful brand with a powerful story selling a powerful product. He has a full suite of products providing multiple revenue streams with strong cross-selling ability, has expanded into new markets, and has a tribal following of loyal customer advocates.
“Melissa’s energy, eye for detail, empathy and experience have led me to believe she is a real world walking Wonder Woman! Within a short-time frame Melissa was able to help me craft the right business plan and strong brand positioning to attract investment and move forward into early stage market entry. Without her help I would have struggled to get to where I am now.”
— Angus Brown, Founder Arepa
