NEAL MCTIGHE, founder, Nello’s Sauce: ‘Buyers are the hardest people to get in touch with on the planet’
Small companies can carve a niche - even in a mature category like pasta sauce - if they have a genuine point of difference, a novel pack size that stands out on shelf (and enables them to meet a price point), and a striking label, says Nello’s Sauce founder Neal McTighe.
But you also need to be absolutely relentless, convinced that failure is not an option, and prepared to take risks, says Raleigh, NC-based McTighe, who adds some lavender to his pomodoro sauce, and has a very distinctive label.
He also produces a 14oz jar as well as the standard 25oz jar (in part to stand out, in part to ensure his premium product is affordable, and in part because more people are living in households with one or two people in, he says).
And as for taking risks, he is also working with Whole Foods to produce the first US-grown, US-made biodynamic tomato sauce on the market - an exclusive product likely to get a lot of attention that could be followed by pesto and other products.
Click HERE to read our recent interview with Neal McTighe, who adds: “Buyers are the hardest people to get in touch with on the planet… But you get to learn when you're wasting your time and when you're not, and then if you detect a genuine interest, you have to be relentless in following up with emails, calls and samples. But most of all you just have to do your homework.”
