Ultimate Marketing Mix to Win Both Shelves & Screens

This week on DTC Pod, we’re joined by Colin Flood, VP of Marketing at Unreal Snacks.

Unreal Snacks is a better-for-you chocolate brand with widespread distribution across numerous retailers in the U.S. and an established DTC platform.

Colin plays a pivotal role in scaling Unreal’s e-commerce and DTC operations, as well as in expanding their presence into major retailers like Costco, Target, and Walmart.

Prior to joining Unreal, he led the e-commerce efforts at Fanatics Retail Group and Rockfish.

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Fav Quotes from Episode #330

“You can have a moment of discovery and then a moment of purchase, like one and the same. You don't need always to provide all of this breakdown of why to buy a piece of chocolate if you're like, that looks freaking good. Let me go buy it."

— Colin Flood, 00:16:47 to 00:17:00

"When you look at social or community, it's really thinking with our consumer-first mindset and how are we engaging with them so that they feel energized."

— Colin Flood, 00:26:13 to 00:26:26

“We saw stronger performance out of category with some contextual targeting within retailer ecosystems than we saw in category. And that, I think that's tied a little bit to our category in general with the sort of the insight around people avoiding the aisle or unplanned purchases and that there isn't a focus around searching out chocolate, but when you see it, you're likely to buy it."

— Colin Flood, 00:31:04 to 00:32:56

3 Best DTC Practices from Colin Flood

1. Integrate retail and digital customer experiences

Modern buyers are increasingly channel-agnostic and expect a seamless, cohesive experience whether they are shopping online or in-store.

That said, choosing to go omnichannel can do multiple things for your brand — it ensures that customers have multiple touchpoints to interact with your products, enhances brand loyalty through consistent engagement, and increases the likelihood of conversions.

2. Create impulse purchase opportunities with contextual targeting

If you are a brand with products in categories that are not always bought in a specific cadence, you need to place your products strategically in related contexts to capture the attention of buyers who may not be actively looking for them but could still be interested.

For Unreal, this means getting their products in front of potential buyers who are already in the mindset of exploring healthier food options.

3. Engage customers beyond conversion

While immediate conversions are important, nurturing long-term relationships with customers can significantly enhance brand loyalty and lifetime value.

Beyond the initial sale, it's crucial for brands to invest in the customer experience, establishing a dialogue that invites consistent interaction and deepens consumer commitment to the brand.