“The idea of healthy candy is off-putting.” That was Michael Fisher’s problem when he tried cutting back on sugar, but still craved candy.
“Candy’s supposed to be pure, delicious, indulgent fun,” he says. “Even if it has health attributes. I didn’t want it to feel diet.”
That insight became Rotten, candy first, health second. By leaning into brand and taste, Michael carved out space in one of the toughest categories in CPG.
What we cover:
- Winning in a legacy category without legacy budgets
- Why Rotten’s brand world comes before its health benefits
- How online sales refined the product before going retail
Candy first, health second. Most better-for-you brands focus on what they remove. Rotten focuses on what it adds: more color, more character, more fun. “I still wanted the brand to feel like a fun, awesome candy brand,” Michael says. “I didn’t want it to look healthy. I didn’t want it to feel diet.”
Build a world, not an SKU. Legacy candy wins on shelf space and budgets. Rotten couldn’t play that game, so it built its own: characters, names, and backstories inspired by 80s/90s gross-out humor (Garbage Pail Kids, Nickelodeon slime, Dr. Dreadful). That gave the brand equity without the ad spend.
Treat DTC as your test kitchen. Rotten hit 4x its Kickstarter goal in hours, then launched DTC online to refine the product in real time. Every order, review, and comment became a data point. “We can spot issues like almost immediately from customers receiving product and letting us know about it,” Michael says.
Don’t hide in the health aisle. No matter if it’s better-for-you, candy doesn’t sell if it looks like medicine. Rotten sells best merchandised with the regular candy people are already buying. Health is the bonus, not the billboard.
Putting the fun in functional
Candy by the numbers
4x Kickstarter goal: Hit within hours
2.5+ years: R&D before launch
0 synthetic dyes: still full indulgence
Try this if you’re challenging a legacy category
Be impossible to ignore. Legacy brands win by default. To compete, your need packaging and positioning that’s easier to grab, more fun to share, and harder to forget.
Test in public. Kickstarter proved demand. DTC gave instant feedback. Every order, review, and refund helped Rotten refine the product before retail.
Be where the shopper already is. Rotten doesn’t sit in the “healthy” aisle. It’s in the candy aisle, right next to the brands it’s stealing share from.
Build a brand world, not just an SKU. Rotten invetned characters and stories. That IP made the brand sticky and cut the need for paid ads.
The full Rotten playbook: Building a brand as good as its ingredients
