How Freestyle Snacks Wants to Offer Olives a Makeover
According to Freestyle Snacks, 82% of consumers cannot name a single brand of olives. The Atlanta-based company, which launched last month, is hoping to change that, starting with a line of products they say can transform the martini staple into a healthy snack option via innovative packaging and bold branding.
“For far too long, olives have been doomed to cans and jars, boasting an unappealing ‘eyeball aesthetic,’ a bland taste, and an inconvenient experience,” said Nikki Seaman, co-founder and CEO of Freestyle Snacks in a release. “At Freestyle, we’re giving consumers all of the taste with none of the hassle. We’re sourcing and producing the highest quality, best tasting snack, and serving them in on-the-go friendly, resealable, and dare I say, sexy packaging.”
The brand’s olives are available in three flavors: Kalamata Olives Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Green Olives Lemon Garlic, and Green Olives Hot & Spicy. Each 4oz pouch contains eight servings and retails for $5.00 on the brand’s website.
For Seaman, the largest issue with the olive set is the lack of distinctive branding, with consumers often purchasing whatever product met their need for a specific dish. Packaging can also be a hurdle, with non-resealable jars and cans leading to food waste and limiting use occasions.
In contrast, Freestyle utilizes bright, bold colors and puts its brand name front and center. Rather than packed in brine or oil, Freestyle’s olives are also “liquid-free” and packaged in resealable bags that encourage eating on-the-go.
Whether consumers are eager to snack on single-serving bags of olives, however, is another question. While that approach has worked to a degree in adjacent categories like pickles, it’s possible that more education is needed to develop the segment, and slotting may also be an issue in a set built for jars and cans. Yet without the need for Freestyle to create custom packaging or enlist new co-packers, the launch is a lower-risk move. Other brands have also tried to launch more snackable olive options, but generally these products are the same products found in jars or cans and lack a distinctive brand identity.
Citing the success of The Wonderful Company and Joolies, Seaman said she sees potential for brands to generate excitement in commoditized categories through packaging and branding. She shared with NOSH that Freestyle sold over $10,000 of olives in the first 12 hours after its launch.
“We give olive lovers what they deserve – a flavorful, high quality olive snack in a convenient, liquid-free pouch,” Seamon said. “We are capitalizing on the trend to “snackify” products which we’ve witnessed across the cheese, salami, and even tuna fish categories.”
