{"id":13563,"date":"2025-03-06T08:46:52","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T16:46:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/?p=13563"},"modified":"2025-03-24T15:00:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T23:00:14","slug":"whats-in-a-name-a-lot-if-you-ask-rangeme-top-brand-yes-honey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rangeme.com\/blog\/whats-in-a-name-a-lot-if-you-ask-rangeme-top-brand-yes-honey\/","title":{"rendered":"What\u2019s in a name? A Lot, if You Ask RangeMe Top Brand Yes Honey"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nobody wants to enter “naked chicks” into their browser search while they are on their work computer. But that’s what people had to do to find the honey-sweetened sodas and drizzlers created by Yes Honey<\/a> Founder Heather Mincer, when her company was originally called Naked Chicks Pasture.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you know the brand’s origin, the name makes sense. It sold pasture-raised chickens with no chemicals or antibiotics on a small farm in Norwood, Mo. It had no online presence, and most of its sales came from word-of-mouth. Even when it started making honey-sweetened soda and drizzlers, the products were initially sold only at local farmers\u2019 markets, so the brand name worked. It was catchy. (In fact, Heather still retains the title of “Head Chick” in her LinkedIn profile<\/a>!)<\/p>\n\n\n

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Mincer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

But as Mincer\u2019s sales grew and she looked to reach a broader audience of consumers and even retail buyers, it launched a website and became a RangeMe Pro subscriber. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when things got a little … weird. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s just say website searches for Naked Chicks Pastures pulled up A LOT of unwanted results. And on RangeMe, buyers searching for honey-based food and beverage products may have been a tad bit confused when Naked Chicks Pastures popped up in the search results. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure that a lot of buyers on RangeMe might have been a bit confused when this brand popped up in their search results,\u201d says Mincer. \u201cThey were probably surprised to learn that we sold soda. We were getting some engagement, but just a little. We realized that it was necessary to do a rebrand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A rebrand that perfectly matches the products<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mincer refreshed the brand with a name that was much more in line with  the six honey-sweetened beverages<\/a> and honey drizzlers<\/a> it sells: Yes Honey. The logo includes a graphic of a smiling bee buzzing above the new name. Totally on-brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the beverages, Yes Honey offers two caffeinated teas in Berry and Peach flavors, each of which contain ashwaganda, L-theanine and B vitamins for a little stress relief and mental focus. It also has caffeine-free soda alternatives including Watermelon, Sweet Apple, Strawberry and newly-introduced Ginger Ale. The drizzlers include raw honey, as well as eight flavors of fruited honey and hot honey: Apple Cinnamon, Strawberry, Lemon, Chocolate, Garlic, Peach Habanero, and Raspberry Jalapeno.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHoney has so many benefits if you are into health and beauty,\u201d says Mincer. \u201cIt\u2019s anti-microbial and anti-bacterial, and the body processes honey differently than it does refined sugar or corn syrup. Plus it has a lot of nutrients, and it\u2019s a natural ingredient; it doesn\u2019t require any processing other than filtering it and you are ready to go.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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New brand, new opportunities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The new name and branding changed everything for Mincer. \u201cWe doubled our sales within a month of the rebrand,\u201d she says. \u201cOn top of that, our buyer engagement on RangeMe increased significantly, because it was much easier for them to identify our products. We changed our profile banner to reflect it, so that if you are looking for honey, you know you came to the right place. It\u2019s enabled us to get a lot more meetings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it wasn\u2019t all just the branding that led to the increase in buyer engagement. Mincer is extremely active on RangeMe; as a Premium subscriber, she submits products to all the relevant Immediate Opportunity campaigns that RangeMe hosts, as well as submits products directly to retailers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m usually on RangeMe about three times a week, looking for new opportunities, and who is doing category reviews that are relevant to my brand,\u201d says Mincer. \u201cWe\u2019ve gotten a lot of approvals from these submissions, and in some cases have actually met with retailers like H-E-B and Vitacost in-person at ECRM Sessions<\/a> from these submissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indeed, it was the volume of approvals from RangeMe Immediate Opportunity submissions as well as the buyer activity on her brand profile page that resulted in Yes Honey taking the No. 2 spot on the RangeMe Top Brands in Food and Beverage, published on the MMR magazine website<\/a> and in its January issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mincer\u2019s advice for brands on RangeMe<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For new brands on RangeMe, Mincer advises a slow and steady approach that focuses on long-term success, and not trying to grow beyond your means. \u201cRangeMe is about getting eyes on your brand over time \u2013 it\u2019s about longevity,\u201d she says. \u201cYou have to make sure that you are not overstepping what you can handle as a brand. We\u2019ve had a lot of approvals, but then sometimes you meet with the buyer and then realize it\u2019s not the right fit at this time. Going into some of these stores can be expensive, distribution-wise, and while it may not be a fit now, it can be in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, Mincer focuses on maintaining consistent and sustainable growth. \u201cWe only have so much money we can spend on this right now,\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019ve actually been able to remain debt-free, which is kind of unique in this category. It\u2019s important to start small, start locally, regionally, maybe 10 stores, and scale up from there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also recommends that emerging brands pay close attention to buyer feedback from meetings, as this feedback can help shape your brand and products into a success. \u201cWhen you meet with a buyer, they may suggest a change in packaging, or perhaps the wording needs to be different if they are going to put it on their shelves,\u201d says Mincer. \u201cDon\u2019t take it as a criticism, take it as a positive. They are trying to help your brand get better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Talk to as many people as you can<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Mincer recommends speaking with as many people as you can. Relationships are just as important in the CPG Retail industry as having great products, and industry peers are great sources of information. \u201cEveryone has some insight to offer,\u201d she says. \u201cAnd you never know that someone you meet might have a connection that you can benefit from or vice versa. So talk to as many people as you can, glean as much information as you can from them. Ultimately, we all benefit from that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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