4 minutes of eComm Wisdom: Hannah from Thingtesting

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I would say 'Algae Cooking Club 'cause they're selling this like new high smoke point cooking oil made from fermented algae.

They claim it's like tastier, it's healthier, it's more environmentally friendly. But I think what's really cool about what they've done with their launch is the creation of a new market with this product with the use of a new ingredient. Which I think is always buzzy and got picked up by media and PR, but it's still grounded in the sustainability intentions and they've really focused their brand around the benefits of the taste of olive oil versus all the other sustainability, healthy, really scientific kind of benefits. And they've done that by aligning themselves with a tastemaker who's a Michelin star chef. They've talked a ton about how their oil is being used in 11 Madison Park, like all these really high end places of dining. And I think something else that they've done is really cool is they launched online only, with a big like media and PR push. And I think the thinking there is really getting that direct line to their early adopters for like feedback learning. But after that, they were going to launch at boutique high end grocery stores, because they're really just thinking about 'how do people discover new ingredients and get excited about them?' whether that's not a restaurant experience or where people are more in the right context to be trying new things.

I think that one of the most interesting trends we saw last year was about brands really leaning into, I want to say like nostalgia. I don't know if it had to do with the Barbie movie or the "Eras" tour or other things are maybe factoring into this, but there was like a real trying to think around brands launching things that were revamped, like childhood classics.

Or like calling to that kind of nostalgia with at least their packaging and the way that they are displaying things on their online storefront. And like "Flings" for example is like better for you toaster pastries. It's just bringing back, like pop tarts. There was "Oddball" with fruit jellies. There's this whole thing of these relics of our youth. But bringing them back in a fun kind of twist.

Ideally, in my mind, thingtesting is the best recommendation and commerce platform that exists on the internet. We, can show what kind of things align with your values, what kind of things that we think you'd really like.

But I think also at the end of the day, we empower people with information and our curation to not just buymore and more of the same stuff. But to actually like shop in a enjoyable, fun and better way, where you're buying things that that are good. And people come to us first and discover cool brands, figure out what to buy, what not to buy, which is equally or is more important. Share their opinions with others, and just make good purchase decisions. I think the sickest thing would be if like the thingtesting logo became like the Michelin star kind of thing but for shopping. But yeah, it's all about community powered info to help brands and shoppers make better decisions.

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