“Strategy First, Product Second” (and Always Asking “Why”) by Denise Taschereau

Episode #103

Denise Taschereau, CEO & Co-Founder of  Fairware, has seen how brands invest hundreds of thousands of dollars on big launches.  Yet, a few weeks before the main event, a junior marketing assistant asks for cheap water bottles to put on everyone’s tables.  The issue, she says, is that the water bottle will set the mood and quality for everything else.  There must be a strategy (a story, a purpose) for everything you put in your client’s and stakeholder’s hands. 

In essence, you need to actually be the brand you want the world to see.

In this episode, Denise showcases her team’s strategies in marketing, sales, and the overall sustainability values that drive all them together and forward:

-How they started-up by recognizing a gap in the industry from what companies said they wanted to be vs. what they actually were

-The power of picking a niche sustainability focus in a comadatized industry

-Value of saying NO

-Focusing on the value of a product, not the attributes…think about the experience they’ll have

-Helping resellers with stories and ideas to help sell products

-Understanding the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility

Quick Fire Round

Podcast: Outside Podcast

Book: Originals by Adam Grant

Social Media: Instagram for it’s ability to showcase products and their story

Pizza: Italian w/ fresh arugula