Toddler milk is a big opportunity, how to do a product collab, and Google keeps cookies
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If you do search advertising you’ll be happy to know Google has reversed its decision to ban cookies (users can still opt out to being tracked) WSJ
I didn’t know feeding your toddler was so complicated
When my kids were 12 months they went straight to whole milk, which is still the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation. But today a lot of parents are either skeptical of cows milk, or want more nutrition in milk because let’s face it, a lot of 1-3 year olds aren’t eating much.
In response, a crop of toddler formulas have entered the market. But looking closely, many include sugars and oils in their formulations.
To understand what conscious parents are doing I asked mama extraordinaire Brooke Harris, founder of the cleanest alt milk Goodmylk (you’re having Goodmylk when you order an almond milk latte at Blue Bottle cafes in SoCal).
Brooke makes her own formula (of course) using powdered goat milk, goat colostrum, goat protein powder, ghee, goat lactose (from goat milk brand Mt. Capra) and a powdered multivitamin. She also makes her daughter homemade alt- milk from a variety of nuts and seeds.
“Probably more work than a lot of people would go through, however, I did a lot of research and couldn't find anything on the market I felt comfortable giving her. Even the better-for-you ones.”
The lack of options is also what spurred Serenity Carr to start Serenity Kids. The Carr’s initially wanted to make an infant formula, but as I’ve written before, some clean ingredients are not approved for use in formula for infants, so their formula is for 12+ months. Serenity Kids grew 71% last year and just closed $52M in funding.
What about whole milk, but make it convenient
For those who just want whole cows milk, in a powder form like infant formula, we now have startup Voyager Milk, an organic whole milk powder in single serve sleeves designed for on-the-go.
It’s been a long time since my kids were little, so I have to ask, do we need this? Let me know in the comments.
Speaking of infant formula, rising D2C brand Bobbie left California and built their own plant in Ohio.
Bobbie’s facility is the first infant formula manufacturing plant built from the ground up in the U.S. in 23 years, marking the most meaningful diversification move in this highly concentrated industry and adding needed redundancy following the formula shortage of 2022.
How to do a product collab
Feeling special because I got some Infused Koyo Berry Salt — and I tried it with whipped cream and homemade blueberry ice cream — it was divine —
It’s currently Out of Stock on their website but not to fear, Jacobsen Salt is bringing it back later this summer!
Last week I called on Jacobsen Salt to find out how this collab with Oishii went down and what we can learn from it. Here, from Director of Marketing, Kelsey Harris:
“At Jacobsen Salt Co., leaving room in our innovation pipeline for organic, serendipitous collaborations is important not just to the brand but to company culture. Historically, LTO product ideas have bubbled up in a myriad of ways…
In the case of our new Infused Koyo Berry Salt, the Oishii team initially reached out to us directly in December 2023 to connect about ways we might be able to collaborate, one idea being the possibility of a strawberry salt.
Being a smaller team, we're able to pursue ideas like this without the pressure of forcing something to happen…
Our team owned the R&D process (…our R&D team consists of folks from marketing, sales, procurement, purchasing, and exec)… we collaborated on the label design and go-to-market strategy, making an initial quantity that felt substantial for an LTO launch and that set us up for success from a production standpoint. Excitingly, it sold out much faster than anyone anticipated. Given that, we're planning to bring it back one more time before summer's over and are excited to hear more about how people are using it!
Our advice on collaborations: reach out to brands you admire and who seem to practice similar values. Go into initial conversations without an agenda beyond a desire to learn and connect–and taste each other's products! Practice patience, trust the process, and don't force anything. Be genuine and make something both teams can be proud of.”
Their newest collab — a limited edition slide tin with Fishwife is absolutely adorable — and just dropped! Featuring a Netarts Bay-inspired illustration in their style, ready for summer/picnic adventures.
That’s all folks!
All my best,
Jennifer