{"id":2789,"date":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"\/www.youradv.com\/advantage-news\/sampling-is-in-our-dna-how-advantage-is-helping-mid-day-squares-conquer-canada-2\/"},"modified":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2024-05-13T00:00:00","slug":"sampling-is-in-our-dna-how-advantage-is-helping-mid-day-squares-conquer-canada-2","status":"publish","type":"mrktblog-posts","link":"https:\/\/youradv.com\/mrktblog\/sampling-is-in-our-dna-how-advantage-is-helping-mid-day-squares-conquer-canada-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Sampling Is in Our DNA\u2019: How Advantage Is Helping Mid-Day Squares Conquer Canada"},"content":{"rendered":"

Selling 90,000 Mid-Day Squares. In one store. In 13 days.<\/p>\n

That kind of record-breaking performance calls for a special dance. So that\u2019s what Jake Karls did. Oozing with pure joy and understandable excitement, the Mid-Day Squares co-founder and \u201crainmaker\u201d filmed it and shared the video<\/a> with his nearly 40,000 LinkedIn followers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s just the latest story underscoring the power of product sampling services<\/strong> in partnership with Advantage Solutions\u2019 Club Demonstration Services (CDS), a sampling and demonstration powerhouse that\u2019s worked alongside Costco for more than 36 years across 12 countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cSampling is everything,\u201d says Nick Saltarelli, who along with Karls is a co-founder at Montreal-based Mid-Day Squares<\/a>, a fast-growing maker of functional chocolate bars. The third member of the power trio behind the brand is Lezlie Karls Saltarelli, Nick\u2019s wife and Jake\u2019s sister.<\/p>\n

“It’s the cornerstone of our business and always has been. It\u2019s in our DNA because while the best marketing in the world will get you the first sale, repeat business is where great brands are made.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd the only way to get a repeat purchase is to make sure your product delivers on a promise to your consumer. What’s better than saying, try this? Experience it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hitting the Road<\/h2>\n

Mid-Day Squares began working with CDS in March, embarking on its first Costco Roadshow event in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, the exterior of which became the site of Karls\u2019 viral LinkedIn dance.<\/p>\n

Over 13 consecutive days of intense selling and sampling from store open to close, Mid-Day Squares sold more than 90,000 squares.<\/p>\n

How? A customized approach by Mid-Day Squares and CDS, who leaned into the team\u2019s high-energy vibe and lively personalities to generate personal connections. On top of that, the brand\u2019s founders were there every day, says Advantage\u2019s Pierre-Marc Pepin, country general manager for Canada.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey help to create an environment where our people became their people,\u201d Pepin says. \u201cThere was so much energy and infectious rallying, it didn’t matter whose colors you were wearing. We were all part of the Mid-Day Squares team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sampling That Sells<\/h2>\n

Costco\u2019s treasure-hunt approach \u2014 surprising customers with products they didn\u2019t even know they were looking for \u2014 is a big part of its merchandising strategy. Roadshows are an ideal environment for brands to test and learn what their products can do with a ready audience, Pepin says.<\/p>\n

And no one knows sampling better than CDS.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know what works and what doesn’t when it comes to creating the right experience for the right member,\u201d Pepin says. \u201cIt gives us an incredible sense of purpose when we can connect Costco members with products and experiences that enrich their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

After their success in Pointe-Claire, the Mid-Day Squares team has been on the road with CDS, recently holding their second Roadshow in Laval, Quebec. They\u2019ll be traveling to warehouses in Ottawa and Etobicoke in the months ahead.<\/p>\n

A Rapid Rise and Bold Strategy<\/h2>\n

The Canadian Costco tour represents the culmination of a historic rise for the trio, who launched Mid-Day Squares in the kitchen of a Montreal condo in 2018, producing just a few handfuls of the snacks each day.<\/p>\n

Since then, the business has exploded, thanks in large part to the founders\u2019 bold approach to building a consumer fan base for its plant-based, protein-packed chocolate squares, as well as its personality-driven social media presence.<\/p>\n

Today, their fully automated manufacturing plant<\/a> in Montreal produces more than 80,000 Mid-Day Squares in a 24-hour shift.<\/p>\n

And when it comes to effective marketing, Saltarelli says, actively entertaining the brand\u2019s customers is what turns a one-time buyer into a fan and brand loyalist.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe think about entertainment as, \u2018Are we making you laugh? Are we inspiring you? Are we pushing you to your limits? Are we making you feel bold?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Face-to-Face With Fans<\/h2>\n

Securing a spot in Costco was a golden grail for the company, says Jake Karls. So, they wholeheartedly embraced the relationship with CDS and the Costco Roadshows.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team was fired up,\u201d he says. \u201cI’ve always been a staunch advocate for the power of personal engagement, of showing up and being present. These long days spent in the aisles of Costco, face-to-face with members, have been invaluable. Through this in-person approach, we’ve connected with Costco’s membership base.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Selling 90,000 Mid-Day Squares. In one store. In 13 days. That kind of record-breaking performance calls for a special dance. So that\u2019s what Jake Karls did. Oozing with pure joy and understandable excitement, the Mid-Day Squares co-founder and \u201crainmaker\u201d filmed it and shared the video with his nearly 40,000 LinkedIn followers. It\u2019s just the latest […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":2788,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"mrktblog-category":[41],"class_list":["post-2789","mrktblog-posts","type-mrktblog-posts","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","mrktblog-category-advantage-news"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow CDS Helped Mid-Day Squares Sell 90,000 Bars at Costco<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover how Advantage\u2019s product sampling services helped Mid-Day Squares go viral and break sales records in Canadian Costco stores.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"\/www.youradv.com\/advantage-news\/sampling-is-in-our-dna-how-advantage-is-helping-mid-day-squares-conquer-canada-2\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" 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