I’m always looking for the latest and greatest in desserts, and as a certified millennial, I also look for that instagram-able packaging. While many companies are attempting to capitalize on packaging and product trends, only some of them actually succeed and gain viral status. At Winter Fancy Food Show 2019 I saw a lot of products and a lot of marketing strategies, but one company that really caught my eye was Belgian Boys, a Belgian-based desserts company that is all set to take the U.S. by storm. I spoke with VP of Sales, Robin Kula, who told me all about the brand’s trendy credentials.
“Belgian Boys is a young, innovative brand—we’re only three and a half years old, and we’ve made major footprints in a very short time. Why? Because all of our products are authentic—everything is all-natural actually made in Belgium,” Robin said.
The company has been diving head-first into the waters of social media, encouraging attendees of the show to hashtag-it-up. Its marketing strategy starts with the product and evolves into a way of capturing the attention of the millennial market, while keeping with company values. Belgian Boys’ Mini Cookie Stash cookies have the trendy taste of cookie butter and offer a chance to engage social media and give back at the same time.
“What is a cookie stash? It’s shaped like a little mini moustache,” Robin explained. “The idea is rock that stash, post it on social media, and nominate your favorite charity. Once a month we choose a winner and donate part of the proceeds of this product to the winner’s charity of choice. This gives us an opportunity to talk directly to the customers and to elicit social media engagement. We have a huge following and are growing every day on social media, so we’re a young, cool, hip company that gives back.”
In addition to the company’s Mini Cookie Shash is a full range of frozen and dry items, including Belgian waffles, crepes, mini pancakes, and its newest product—mini cheesecakes. The cheesecakes are a real scene-stealer, available in different flavors, nestled into glass ramekins, and in stores starting in July. Two mini cheesecakes have a $5.99 suggested retail price, and the treats last for one year if frozen or 21 days if refrigerated.
While social media and charity are a major focus of the company, Belgian Boys touts a simple message of quality and international flavor.
“Our real premise is bringing these European goodies to the U.S. market and sharing them with everybody. Now how do we do that? And how do we set ourselves apart? Very simply, we have products that we did not invent, we did not invent a Belgian waffle, we did not invent speculoos cookies or cookie butter cookies, but what we did is we packaged it to appeal to a younger, hipper, cooler, millennial audience,” concludes Robin. “So what you’re seeing is great packaging, with a great product, at an affordable price and bringing a little bit of Europe to all of our customers around the U.S.”
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