Episode #472: Folk Revival-David Cantor Discusses Heirloom Ingredients, Sustainability, and the Acorn Revolution.

Dave Cantor is a 20+ industry veteran in the natural food space. His journey began in the Midwest, where he developed a passion for food, sustainability, and gardening during his college years. After honing his cooking skills and pursuing his interests in farming, Dave eventually ended up running his own organic farm in New Mexico. He later furthered his education by obtaining a Master's degree in nutrition with a focus on food and agriculture policy.

Dave discusses the inspiration behind his new brand, Folk Revival and offers up some solid takeaways from his many years in the trenches launching "better for you" brands with larger companies. He delves into topics like product development, marketing strategies, and the crowdfunding decision, and listeners will gain valuable, hard-earned insights into the world of nutrition startups.

Regarding the name of the brand, Cantor is a self-described 'music nerd' and states, "The 'folk' really speaks to the the people part, the human nutrition, the functional nutrition, and 'revival' speaks to the heirloom and heritage ingredients, which is really what we're trying to do . . . it's the mission of the brand to to deliver real, functional nutrition by reviving heirloom and heritage ingredients."

Key themes discussed

1. Crowdfunding: Funding method for expanding business.

2. Product Development: Creation of unique, nutrition-focused food products.

3. Marketing Strategy: Utilizing partnerships and grassroots marketing for product reach.

4. Industry Experience: 20 years in natural foods and corporate marketing.

5. Retail Selling Cycle: Long sales cycle for retail and food service markets.

6. Strategic Partnerships: Collaborative hiring and strategic investment decisions.

7. Brand Positioning: Differentiating product based on health, sustainability, and pricing.

A few key takeaways:

1. Cantor has extensive experience in the natural foods industry, with a background in marketing, innovation, and sustainability, and has previously worked with well-known brands such as Mars and KIND Bar.

2. His latest venture, Folk Revival, focuses on creating functional nutrition products, such as a hot cereal using acorns and other heirloom and heritage ingredients, with a mission of delivering real functional nutrition by helping to revive these ingredients. 

3. A major highlight of Folk Revival's product is its focus on high protein and low carb content, catering to consumers wanting to eat clean, or who are following keto, Paleo, and gluten-free diets. The product is positioned as a healthier alternative and will be priced slightly higher than regular oatmeal to reflect its higher nutritional value.

4. Dave emphasizes the importance of efficient use of marketing spend, highlighting the power of in-store promotions and targeting specific avenues like music festivals and events that align with the brand's focus on the HALO sector.

5. The podcast also discusses Dave's decision to leverage crowdfunding as a means to raise capital for Folk Revival, explaining the benefits and challenges associated with this fundraising method, which aligns with the brand's ethos of involving consumers in their growth and success.

Click here to download transcript. 

Resources:

Folk Revival: https://folkrevival.com/
David Cantor: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidcantorfr/ 
Prospect Wizard: http://www.theprospectwizard.com
Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com
HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com 

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