In this episode of the Omnichannel Marketer, host Kait Stephens interviews Heather Wood, SVP of Marketing at GOODLES.
Heather shares her journey from the organic produce and craft coffee industries to leading marketing at GOODLES, a better-for-you mac and cheese brand taking on the biggest incumbents in the category. She discusses what it takes to build a brand people genuinely love, how GOODLES made the bold leap from D2C into nationwide retail with Target before they even officially launched, and why packaging is still their number one point of discovery.
The conversation explores how GOODLES uses community — not scale — as their north star for engagement, the bold decision to turn off all paid media when transitioning to retail, and why keeping creative entirely in-house has been central to the brand's authentic voice.
TAKEAWAYS:
GOODLES is a better-for-you mac and cheese and pasta brand built on the principle of maximizing nutrition without compromising on taste.
Going up against major incumbents requires being nimble, creative, and authentic — and getting the product and brand right before launch, not after.
GOODLES launched into Target nationwide before their official launch, making a bold go-or-no-go decision that set the trajectory for the brand.
D2C is used primarily as a community and education channel, not a primary revenue driver, with the GOODLES Clubhouse serving as a hub for their most passionate brand promoters.
Word of mouth is the second-biggest point of discovery for GOODLES, right behind on-shelf packaging, and investing in quality community engagement is what drives it.
Packaging is the brand's biggest billboard; GOODLES built it with a timeless strategy to outlast fleeting dietary trends.
GOODLES keeps all creative in-house and uses AI very sparingly, believing that authentic, passion-driven creative cannot be outsourced or replicated.
Turning off all paid media when transitioning to retail was a scary but ultimately successful bet that forced full commitment to the retail channel.
Celebrating wins and expressing gratitude to your team is one of the most underrated and important things a startup leader can do.
