After what proved to be a pivotal year in 2018, better-for-you protein snack brand Buff Bake is looking forward with a ti...
Problem
Americans love to snack but we don’t snack healthy, and most of the time we don't realize it
We often don’t always realize it because of misleading benefit-branding and complicated nutritional panels. 94% of Americans snack daily but for many, snacktime is not always healthy. This is contributing to the rising levels of obesity in the U.S, especially amongst 20-39 year olds. A serious change needs to be made in how Americans snack and it’s time to move away from products that are high in sugar, fructose corn syrup, and artificial ingredients.
While alternative healthy foods are available, they often lack the taste we crave at snacktime. There’s a big opportunity to create benefit based alternatives that support healthy living without sacrificing delicious taste.
Current “healthy” alternatives are falling short
The brands currently sold in these categories are struggling to find the balance between great taste and better-for-you benefits. The days of having to compromise taste for benefits is over.
Solution
Buff Bake: Healthy, delicious snacks that appeal to the masses
Buff Bake takes traditional snacks and transforms them into healthy, protein-rich and gluten-free treats that benefit, not harm our health. Lower in sugar and clean labels help us to snack without the guilt. Our products are all natural and feature premium ingredients without any artificial sweeteners or ingredients. We use the healthy added benefits of nut butters in all of our products and offer something for all types of snackers! Whether you are looking for something packed with protein, keto friendly, vegan, dairy-free, or just something to take care of that sweet tooth, we got you.
Buff Bake products find the balance of benefit + flavor. Our kitchen uses clean, natural ingredients to create recipes that are protein fortified, gluten free, Non-GMO, lower in sugar & carbs, and a great source of energy, all while maintaining the rich flavor.
Consumers can shop our protein packed Crunchy Sandwich Cookies & our Keto Fuelbars with MCT Oil -- snacks that keep you feeling great while satisfying any craving.
Clean ingredient panel
For us, taste has always been our #1 priority which starts with the quality of our ingredients... Ingredients that when you read them, you understand what they mean. We believe in the benefits of healthy fats and that can been seen in the use of nut butter in our products. Our proteins are easily absorbed without the unnecessary bloating or stomach aches that traditional protein snacks may cause. Our gluten-free ingredients help deliver an optimal level of nutrients that leaves people feeling satisfied and fueled with energy for any activity.
Fuel for all - Anyone, anytime, anyplace
Buff Bake’s better-for-you protein snacks provide your body with the fuel it needs for any activity. They are easy to pack and great on a hike, after the gym, at the office, or with your morning cup of coffee. Buff Bake truly is Fuel for All, with quality and deliciousness your entire family can count on.
Product
Leading by innovation in a tired nutritional set
Introducing...Buff Bake Protein Crunchy Cookies
Who knew protein could be so delicious... Well we did! These cookies were designed for the sweet tooth snacker in all of us. Only now you can polish off a pack of these and soothe your cravings while holding your head up high because an entire pack is only 220 calories and features 12g of Protein. Between each cookie is a delicious layer of natural nut butter to take these cookies to the next level.
Building a better bar
Better in every way! The FUELBAR is deliciously made with healthy fats, clean protein, and the Power of MCT oil which satisfies cravings while increasing your energy to burn more fat. Combining key ingredients with a focus on low carbs and sugar, the FUELBAR is built as a great addition to any diet, especially those seeking a Keto-friendly option.
Buff Bake's ingredient and nutritional panels can be seen here.
Traction
Strong sales, strong trends
We are focused on growing velocity within our winning accounts and our growing direct to consumer model.
Oh thank heaven
Buff Bake continues to see week over week growth at 7-Eleven and is positioned to grow throughout their North American locations. 7-Eleven has 9,000+ stores in the US and over 60,000 stores in 17 countries worldwide.
Setting a new trend for healthy snacks
Social media has been driving our community since 2015. We currently speak to around 240,000 followers across our social media channels are working with over 300 influencers and select brands to drive engagement and visibility. Currently Buff Bake is reaching millions of people a month through social media, influencer engagement, and digital advertising.
Customers
Fueling the masses
Our target market of healthy and active 18-40+ year olds are loyal to our brand. By engaging customers and influencers on social media, and by utilizing review programs like Yotpo that track verified purchases and rewards those customers for sharing their review, we have been able to greatly multiply our growth through word of mouth.
Business model
Through our key retail partnerships with 7-Eleven, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Publix, and with distribution partnerships with KeHE, UNFI, Muscle Foods USA, and Europa Sports we are selling products in over 4,000+ locations in the US.
Our goals for 2020 are focused around increasing our velocity in our current distribution, enhancing our ad spend to triple growth on Amazon and Direct to Consumer, and expand into the following retailers:
Market
Tapping into the $700B health food market
Healthy eating is a growing trend in America. In fact, 33% of U.S. consumers reported they are snacking on healthy foods compared to previous years. The health food market is already a $700B+ industry and it’s expected to grow at a CAGR of 6%.
In part, our target market is young women and men from 18-40+ years old who are leading or aspiring to lead a healthy and active lifestyle. Our clients are nutrition conscious that want delicious products, lower sugar and gluten-free alternatives to the options currently on the market. Between our capture of the protein, supplement, and health food industries, we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on a young, vibrant, healthy market demographic.
Our focus is separated into 4 main focus areas:
Direct to Consumer / Amazon
Convenience Channel
Grocery Channel
Health & Fitness / Gym Channel
Competition
We put taste before all else
Buff Bake is the only brand that has truly put taste before all else without the sacrifice of using artificial ingredients, sweeteners or excessive amounts of sugar. We have partnered with experienced veterans in the food space to thoughtfully build out our marketing, sales, and products and we have been very well received by our customers and retail buyers. Our Crunchy Protein Cookies are one of a kind featuring our proprietary protein nut butters sandwiched between the cookies. Finally ours bars check every box with deliciousness being priority number 1!
Here’s how our bars stack up:
Vision and strategy
Double our distribution by 2020
We’re looking to secure accounts with Target, Walmart, HEB and Kroger, with the end goal of reaching 9,000 points of distribution (double our current number). This will help us get more products in the hands of consumers while reducing our COG’s due to scale.
NEW Fuel Bar Flavors Launching Q1 2020
Coconut Blondie, Brownie, and a direct to consumer variety pack to enhance customer acquisition.Product Line Expansion: New innovation around a soft baked cookie, proposed Q3 2020.
Low Carb, Low Sugar, Keto Friendly, and loaded with additional benefits.Additional SKUs focused around baked goods.
Donuts, muffins, pancake / waffle mixes.
Exit strategy in a highly acquisitive industry
Pepsi, Kellogg’s, Hershey, General Mills are no longer in the business of building new brands. The reality is they could spend $50 million to create a new brand and it would come down to a coin flip as to whether or not the market will accept it. Instead, we have recently seen a shift in budgets from R&D to M&A. There have been a series of acquisitions in the past few years of healthy snack brands by the larger players. They are buying strong brands, authenticity, and innovation. Buff Bake is poised to capitalize on this trend in the next 3-5 years.
Funding
Raised almost $1M to date
Buff Bake is surrounded and advised by several industry veterans that have worked with our team to shape our approach in driving sales distribution, marketing initiatives, and investment opportunities.
We have raised just under $1 Million in investment from:
Outside of these major investors, we have raised an additional $375,000 from friends and family and have bootstrapped the business to focus on growth and future opportunity.
Strategic partnerships built for success
Omnipresence is a division of our national sales brokerage team, Presence Sales and Marketing. Omni is a select group of brands chosen to take part in an equity for service arrangement.