It’s all about fresh these days—from crisp air rejuvenating our days to the delicious food we consume with friends and family, folks are looking for renewed ways to drum up the spice of life. Tapping into this desire is Papalote Salsa, which seeks to cultivate a transparent relationship with its consumers with Non-GMO Project Verified certifications making their way onto three of the company’s salsas.
Here to chat with me about the developments with the line is CEO Victor Escobedo, who looks to the company’s roots as it continues to branch into the sauce domain with its newly certified salsas.
“We come from a restaurant family, and our restaurants truly are the inspiration for what we create for retail. Almost a decade after we launched our first dipping salsa, we feel that cooking and simmering sauces have carved out their own section in supermarkets and that the consumer sees the value these sauces offer,” Victor explains to me.
As Victor shares this insight with me, I get to wondering how the company creates loyal relationships between their products and the consumers who love them. It seems to be their specialty; by courting consumers’ wants and needs, the company’s marketing strategy is better equipped for success, as is exemplified in these new certifications.
“Presumably, more and more retailers are looking for certified products, whether it be non-GMO, gluten free, organic, etc. Our main reason for going through this process was to present a more transparent label and to showcase some attributes our products already had,” Victor shares. “Our intent was not primarily to create more sales—we wanted to add value to our product by providing more information to our existing customers and make sure they realized that our product, which they already know and love, offers more favorable attributes which they may not have been aware of originally. The Non-GMO Verified Project certification fits nicely with our current strategy, which consists of continued branding efforts, adding value to our product, and making it more interesting for our retailers to carry our products and encourage them to continue displaying them proudly and prominently.”
When looking at Papalote Salsa labels, Victor has put every thought into making sure consumers know exactly what they are getting—no tricks up his sleeves. He finds less is more for his labels.
“Consumers—and, therefore, retailers—are looking for verification badges and seals, but, in my opinion, I think it’s important to choose a few attributes that you really want to showcase and not saturate your label with insignias corroborating your claims,” Victor expands. “If you have too many graphics on your label, it’ll weaken the artistry that went into designing it, which is an important part of the consumer’s experience when selecting products.”
The company’s climb to success has been steadfast and exciting, and Victor shows an enthusiastic optimism when looking to the future of both his and the industry’s businesses.
“It’s an exciting time to offer good food! It’s encouraging to know that people out there really do understand how great food can be; it inspires me to work harder to create the very best,” Victor emphatically expresses.
With so much on the horizon, the company is primed and prepped for even more advancements thanks to its transparent labels providing proof of the certifications consumers are looking for, verifying the reasons they love every bite. That’s the spice of life!
