Sharm Tank Vol. 14

Author

Nik Sharma
February 23, 2024

Hey everyone,

I know this newsletter looks a little different from usual, don’t worry!

We’re trying out Beehiv as a newsletter growth platform for its cleaner layout. But feel free to let me know if you hate it.

Anyways, let’s jump into this week’s topic—rebranding, specifically around MrBeast’s Feastables.

The Main Course

Picture this: You’re the biggest content creator in the world with an incredibly loyal fanbase. You decide to launch your own product and see immediate success. But then, out of nowhere, you’re hit with a pretty nasty lawsuit that forces you to change one of your staple products.

Do you scale back? Nope, you double-down and go for a complete overhaul, addressing any and all problems you had with your brand to make it better than ever!

Feastables made its debut in 2022, building on the lessons learned from Donaldson's initial foray into the food industry with MrBeast Burger, which faced its share of challenges, particularly in quality assurance.

Donaldson understood that MrBeast Burger deviated from the community-driven spirit his brand was known for. He took these insights to heart for his next project.

In 2022, Jimmy unveiled Feastables and its flagship "MrBeast Bars," kicking off with a sweepstakes offering over $1 million in prizes, including a chance to win a chocolate factory in an upcoming video.

Partnering with Sharma Brands, Feastables shattered Shopify records within the first 24 hours and reportedly earned $10 million in the early months, largely thanks to active community engagement.

For instance, in March 2023, Jimmy encouraged his Twitter followers to tidy up Feastables displays at Walmart, offering a $5,000 raffle entry for proof.

Despite its success, Feastables faced a setback in December 2023 when a lawsuit from the flavored peanut company 'Dee’s Nuts' resulted in a court decision against the use of 'Deez Nutz' for its peanut butter-filled bar.

However, Donaldson embraced this as a chance to fully reinvent Feastables, resulting in a refreshed brand identity that's been fascinating to observe.

Feastables now boasts redesigned packaging for each flavor, a new recipe, and a novel mold for the bars. This rebranding effort distinguishes the flavors more clearly and reduces dependence on the MrBeast moniker.

The re-launch was heralded by two video announcements, including a sponsored challenge in his latest video ("Face Your Biggest Fear To Win $800,000") and a separate video detailing the brand's overhaul.

Donaldson also used this moment to tackle longstanding retail distribution issues. He shared on X about spending 15 hours visiting Walmart and Target stores, assisting with inventory management to improve product availability and sales.

Through his ongoing engagement with retail, Donaldson demonstrates to other entrepreneurs that, regardless of past successes, there's always room for improvement and growth.

What We’re Reading This Week

Brand Of The Week

You may have heard about McDonald’s, but what about WcDonald’s? The fictitious McDonald’s-inspired restaurant has been a cornerstone of Japanese media, popping up in dozens of anime’s most memorable movies and shows.

Just this week, McDonald’s announced that they would partner with legendary animation house Studio Pierrot for one of the more clever campaign to date. 

First off, McDonald’s is introducing a new Savory Chili WcDonald’s Sauce, adding a bit of Eastern flavor to the chain’s iconic 10-piece McNuggets. They are also completely redesigning the packaging with a manga-inspired design from illustrator Acky Bright. 

Fans can scan the code on the packaging to access a weekly digital manga in addition to a new short that drops with each manga.

McDonald’s is even opening their own sensory dining experience in Los Angeles, CA where they will be transported to the “WcDonald’s universe” through 360 projection mapping.

While the fast food chain is responsible for numerous collaborations and activation, this might just be our favorite.

Vendor of the Week

In a cookie-less world, first-party data has never been more valuable. You simply can’t trust Ads Manager like you used to, and while over-inflated stats are nice, every marketer needs a source of truth.

You know them, you love them, that’s right ladies & gentlemen, we’re talking about Triple Whale.

Triple Whale is an all-in-one dashboard that allows you to blend, compare, and analyze KPIs through seamless integrations.

But what sets Triple Whale apart from the rest is itsproprietary Triple Pixel to future-proof your marketing and light the path to profitable growth.

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