chocolate bar bags are biodegradable
and trail mix bags are 100 percent
home compostable. Labels are made
of NatureFlex (wood fibers) and are
FSC certified, certified compostable
and the majority are printed with veg-gie-based ink.
chocolate is about. For Barg, Gnosis chocolate is a delicious catalyst for change.
“Gnosis has proven to be an incredible platform for me to share information
about health, well-being and how a consumer can vote for change in the
marketplace with each dollar they spend. If Gnosis were just about manufacturing and selling healthy chocolate, I don’t think I would be as satisfied as a
human being,” says Barg. o
Growth via Education
With no investors, partners or start-up funding, Gnosis has been profitable since inception.
The key to this success is not only
great chocolate, but the work that
Barg has done to educate consumers
about company values and products.
Gnosis’ main marketing strategy is
very grassroots, connecting with consumers via its website (which generates
20 percent of sales) and blog, a
monthly newsletter (11k readers) and
social media (10k fans/followers).
“Writing a blog and visiting suppliers cost a small fraction of what most
companies allot for advertising and
marketing,” says Barg. She points to
her Raw Integrity Report and Agave
Report, which led to exposure on numerous websites and newsletters, helping educate many more consumers.
Through her personal Facebook
page (which is maxed out), Barg provides information about the company,
shares inspirational stories and quotes.
She also uses it to promote other like-minded companies and ask questions
that may inspire customers to step into
their highest potential.
Events are also a big opportunity to
educate. Gnosis has hosted dozens of
community events, chocolate parties,
health seminars and fundraisers. “I be-
lieve these events and community al-
liances are key elements in our
growth,” says Barg. “If we had assigned
the budget to a sales force, distribu-
tion of free samples to prospective
stores, advertising, etc., I don’t think
we would have connected with people
on the same level.”
And that connection is what her
Kat Schuett is the editorial director of Organic Processing Magazine. You can reach her at
kat@organicprocessing.com.
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