REAL TALK: Why authenticity matters when you’re trying to get your business concept off the ground
/We talk to Alexandra and Harry from The Daily Bar, about having an authentic voice in business, and how it can help your brand soar.
So you’ve got a great idea, but how do you first find the footing to jump into getting a business off the ground? How much do we really need to know about marketing, and how much of it comes naturally? And what about community? How much do the people around you play in the success of your brand, and why?
We sat down with Alexander Thursfield, and Harry Reid, owners and founders of The Daily Bar, who talked us through what works, and the importance of your businesses having an authentic voice.
Tell us a little bit about Daily Bar. How did the idea come to life?
Basically we’re snacking connoisseurs, who believe in healthy balance. We also firmly believe that treating yourself shouldn’t be wasted on a treats masquerading themselves as health food (hello to the “snack bar market”– can we say that?!).
It sounds cliché but initially I just felt like there was a huge gap in the market for a truly healthy snack. And from that point I began to really evaluate how we could create a brand with impact.
I felt like there was so much opportunity, and to some extent, a necessity to bring purist health into the mainstream – alongside the absolute necessity for businesses to reduce their impact on the planet!
I think the combination of purpose and passion is a force to be reckoned with, so the inspiration for the brand just flooded in.
With a concept locked and loaded, what was the first thing you did as a business to be seen and heard?
Instagram! I think social media is an imperative place to start for small businesses in this day and age. It’s free, and has huge potential to convey a lot of really important messaging about your brand and your product to a wide audience. For us, this was a no brainer.
“Community for us is an integral part of not only building our brand, but is also at the very core of what our brand is about.”
Do you think marketing your business comes naturally, or did you have to employ some strategy here?
I think the essence of how we market ourselves comes pretty naturally to us, our brand personality is very much that of our own – and you can get a pretty good idea of who we are as people through our socials. It’s very important for us to convey personality and be authentic through our brand voice. In terms of marketing and building a brand, this makes so much more sense to us than trying to be somebody else – I think people really resonate with this authenticity too.
In terms of executing our marketing, we definitely try and be proactive and have a bit of a plan for each month ahead (by no means does this always happen though!).
What’s your best advice for someone that has a great concept, and is thinking about getting it off the ground?
Take the leap, back yourself, and work your bloody ass off to make it happen!
I think it’s very easy to let excuses come in the way of not giving it a crack, and rightly so, starting a business is a huge energetic, financial, and emotional undertaking – and one hell of a commitment.
I think this is where we are lucky to have youth on our side, we’re a team of 25 year olds, without kids, or mortgages – and plenty of time to reinvent ourselves in this life if things (god forbid) turn pear shaped. So in that regard, I think we’ve been able to whole heartedly throw ourselves at this, without overthinking the consequences of it not working out, probably a case of blind naivety working in our favour. So far so good though!
How much does community play in building a brand?
A huge foundation of what The Daily Bar is about is creating a shareable product (‘snacks you’ll want to tell your friends about’).We genuinely want our snacks to spark excitement and conversation. Community for us is an integral part of not only building our brand, but is also at the very core of what our brand is about. Not only that, we’re the first to admit that we don’t know everything – and that inevitably, over time, we’re going to get things wrong. We want to connect with our customers, and have ongoing conversations about what they want from us, and build trust in one another. Because at the end of the day, we’re nothing without our customers.
What does business success look like to you?
Success for us will be when other businesses reference The Daily Bar when establishing their brand ethos and values. To be change makers, and set a benchmark for people to realise it is possible to have a conscious, impactful business whilst also being successful (however success looks like to them). We will feel personal success when we can take the luxury of having a few days off from time to time… we can dream can’t we?
Want more from The Daily Bar, follow their journey on Instagram, and check out their range of delicious superfood snack bars at http://thedailybar.co
