Datesy
Launching a new category brand from zero (Featured)
CASE STUDY 03
BRAND STRATEGY, INSIGHTS
FOCUS
Go-to-Market, Brand Strategy
MY ROLE
Co-Founder & Head of Marketing
THE CHALLENGE:
Introduce an unfamiliar product into a crowded sweetener category with limited capital and no existing brand awareness.
MY ROLE:
Owned positioning, brand, go-to-market, and the full marketing ecosystem; partnered on distribution, pricing, and commercialization.
THE APPROACH:
Found the whitespace. Competitive research positioned Datesy between traditional date syrup and mainstream sweeteners: versatile, clean, everyday.
Built B2C and B2B personas. Three consumer personas (health-conscious families, intentional food enthusiasts, and active consumers) plus two trade personas: the Foodservice & Trade Channel and CPG & Beverage (Re)Formulators.
Won on Amazon. Listings, creative, storefront, and search strategy with marketplace specialists.
Validated in the field. Sampling, pop-ups, and outreach to 80+ retail accounts, feeding insights back into messaging.
Built the full ecosystem. Website, Amazon storefront, photography, social, sales collateral, recipes, and educational content, delivered through a network of photographers, designers, consultants, and interns.
Drove commercialization. Partnered on distributor outreach, retail presentations, pricing strategy, and the operational processes needed to launch and scale.
THE RESULTS:
Amazon Overall Pick in the date syrup category
National launch on a startup budget
80+ retail accounts contacted; [retail placements secured]
Consumer adoption validated across everyday cooking, baking, and beverage occasions
WHAT IT TAUGHT ME
This is where I built a company from the ground up. Constraints force clarity about what actually moves a customer.