Mooski’s New Ski-Centric Marketing Play: ‘It Has Literally Snowballed’

Robert Broome created chilled oat bar brand Mooski three years ago as a fresh take on granola bars using a formulation inspired by his family’s muesli recipe.

He didn’t realize then that he had developed the perfect product for skiers and snowboarders, an avid community of consumers seeking slope-worthy snacks that don’t harden in frigid temperatures.

“I struggled a lot early on figuring out who our early adopter is… And then it almost seemed very obvious – our origin story is tied to Swiss ski culture,” Broome said.

His mother grew up in Switzerland, skiing competitively and filling up on muesli before a full day of ripping it on the Alps. Mooski bars – crafted with gluten-free oats, chocolate, peanuts or almonds, olive oil and agave – offer a portable spin on that pre-ski routine.

Identifying and marketing to that “early adopter” was a page directly from the playbook of protein bar mogul Peter Rahal, who initially targeted Cross Fit enthusiasts when he launched RXBAR in 2013. Broome, who earlier in his career held marketing and innovation roles at RXBAR, learned firsthand how critical it is to cultivate brand evangelists in a startup’s early days.

“Peter always kind of coached me on ‘find your early adopter.’ Who’s that person who’s just going to go crazy for it? Because while one person might buy one Mooski bar, the early adopters will buy five,” Broome said.

He continued, “You eventually need to get to a place where there’s mainstream appeal, but early on, where we’re at with Mooski, we do need that obsessive group to be kind of like our foundation, and then grow from there.”

Making Tracks

Last year, Broome tested his theory that the brand would resonate with skiers, sending bars to powder hounds who ultimately confirmed his hunch: “They [said], ‘I think this would be so great because I usually take a granola bar out and put it in my coat pocket or backpack, and it gets rock hard.’ And [Mooski] is literally designed to be cold.”

Next, he began partnering with ski and snowboarding clubs at universities in Wisconsin and Minnesota. A key to authentically connecting with this community, he noted, is understanding the sport and its lingo.

“They went crazy over it… and now it has literally snowballed into 15 to 20 partnerships with ski and snowboard clubs across the country,” Broome said.

Unlocking distribution at chalets and ski resorts will be an important next step, but for now, Broome is focused on building his pack of early adopters and supporting existing retail partnerships. The brand has forged a solid footprint in the online grocery channel via Hungryroot, Misfits Market and Thrive Market, as well as in independent and regional chains including Bristol Farms, Lazy Acres, Central Market and Fresh Thyme.

“The cool thing about it is, I think this can graduate to more broadly just winter sports. If you look at Clif Bar, it was synonymous with mountain biking and rock climbing, and obviously grew past that,” Broome said.

At Natural Products Expo West, Mooski is set to unveil redesigned packaging that is intended to be “more mature and elevated,” Broome said, noting earlier iterations appeared to cater to children.

“Mooski is a very fun, playful brand, but it can kind of be perceived [as] a little kiddie,” Broome said. “We’re inherently just not a kid’s line… that’s not our space to really own, even though we are family friendly.”

The brand’s new look has a “more monochromatic color palette… still resonating with families, but also maybe, like your urban L.A. Erewhon shopper as well,” he said.

Other components of the brand refresh connect the product to its Swiss roots as well as the ski theme.

“We’re putting the story on the pack, tying together the brand and product and name in a more cohesive way,” Broome said.