Can you change the world with chocolate? And can you launch a product using only the Web’s power to build communities and spread word of mouth? Sweetriot is a small multichannel start-up that aims to do both those things, one sweet tooth at a time.
Don’t look for big changes yet: The New York-based company is not yet a year old and has only four full-time employees, along with a dozen part-timers. Nevertheless, Sweetriot has begun to make a name for itself selling cacao “nibs”, small pieces of cacao bean dipped in high-quality chocolate, both in stores and over the Web at www.sweetriot.com.
Founder Sara Endline went looking for an entrepreneurial idea after getting her Harvard MBA and spending some time at Yahoo working on brand positioning, customer communication, and loyalty strategies.
She knew some of the trends she wanted to tap into. “People are living in this global, connected environment,” she says. “They want small indulgences, but they’re also worried about health and want small, controllable portions. They’re living with iPods and portability. They want to buy specially-made products, and they want to support companies that show they have values.”
The answer was chocolate-covered “nibs”
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