‘Guilt serves nobody’: Meet the snacks start-up taking on toxic diet culture
Snacks brand Raw Bake Station was founded in 2016 by Evie Waxman, who serves as the start-up’s CEO. Now, more than seven years on, the business is undergoing a brand revamp. From 2023 onwards, Raw Bake Station will be branded as D*mn Good to push its guilt-free, healthy indulgence messaging.
‘Rebel against dieting hell’
“I founded Raw Bake Station on the back of my own poor relationship towards food in my earlier life, constantly battling with poor mental health,” revealed Waxman at ProVeg Incubator’s recent Demo Day.
“I wanted to create something that I could personally enjoy 24/7 that was both plant-based and clean label.”
Waxman responded to these demands with Raw Bake Station, and its latest work with a creative agency has served to strengthen its brand identity, we were told. Messaging to accompany the D*mn Good rebrand, which features cartoon devil imagery, is designed to lean into healthy indulgence and away from toxic diet culture. Slogans include ‘Rebel against dieting hell’ and ‘Guilt serves nobody’.
“We’re rolling out a whole new ‘us’,” explained the CEO, “tapping into that emotional space and connecting with consumers on a much deeper level. Encouraging consumers to embrace their inner demons and free themselves from their fears”.
The result, Waxman continued, is a ‘new brand, a new look, and new energy’.
From sweet snacks to savoury
The rebrand will rollout in early 2023 on Raw Bake Station’s current product line of plant-based ‘mini cookies’ available in three flavours: Salted Double Choc, Chocolatey Orangey, and Vanilla Chop Chip.
Being free-from animal products and sold in recycled plastic, Waxman said they are ‘planet-friendly’ and offer a 12-month shelf-life. They are also free-from gluten, dairy, refined sugar, and peanuts, and come in under 200 kcal per pack, “which is perfect for the calorie conscious consumer”.
Waxman continued: “We will always differentiate ourselves from competitors in the space by being a clean label and indulgent snack.”
This year, under the D*mn Good brand, the start-up will also be expanding its product line with new cookies flavours, share bags and multipacks, and a new range of brownie bites.
2023 will also see D*mn Good enter the savoury snacking space. “We’ve seen huge movements within the savoury and functional snacking market, which is why we are developing a high protein, plant-based, low-calorie replica of a UK favourite, Cheese Wotsits [to be sold as Cheesies].”
Growing the business
Raw Bake Station is currently sold across the UK in retailers including Coop and Ocado. In Coop, sales are up 30% week-on-week, revealed Waxman, which means the brand will roll out into a further 300 stores this month.
From this year, the start-up will be ‘tackling’ all major UK retailers and has already secured a listing in 400 Sainsbury’s stores come April. New markets are also on the cards, with a listing confirmed at Spinneys in the UAE. This year, D*mn Good will reach Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Dubai, and the Czech Republic.
“We’ll be launching new products to market, tackling the foodservice industry, and gaining further international distribution.”
Growing the business will not be centred around international distribution only, however. This year, the company will be focusing on marketing across the board. “Our strategy [in 2023] is to focus on in-store marketing now that we’re working with larger retailers, and then also to focus on a digital approach with the likes of Tik Tok and Instagram.
“We know that around 43% of consumers find new products on shelf by browsing, but also a solid 40% find them online through digital ads, Tik Tok, and influencers. So that will be our strategy for [this] year.”
Feeding the snacking demand
Waxman is convinced of the demand for snacks, and expects snacking occasions to continue to grow.
According to a recent report from confectionery major Mondelēz International, more than 85% of global consumers eat at least one snack for sustenance per day, and one snack for indulgence. The two main drivers of snacking are believed to be physical health and emotional health.
“This is a hugely growing market,” she told delegates, citing Bord Bia research suggesting that 170m snacks are consumed per day in the UK alone.
At the same time, demand for plant-based products is on the rise. According to research from The Grocer, 61% of adults bought more plant-based products in 2022 compared to 2021. Free-from chocolate is also up 50% from a market value of £37.6m in 2020 to £55.2m in 2022.
“With the plant-based market growing, and more consumers looking for snacks to improve both their physical and emotional health, we know that Raw Bake Station is fitting that market.”
