Some categories don’t need another product. They need a new reputation. If customers assume the worst, no campaign will fix it. You have to change the story first. This week’s playbook: How to brand what everyone else treats like a commodity.
Cassie and Chelsey Maschhoff know pork better than most. They grew up on a hog farm in rural Illinois, where pork was on the menu nearly every day.
But outside farm country, pork has a PR problem. It’s seen as unhealthy, over-processed, and out of step with how people want to eat.
The sisters are fixing that with Lottie’s Meats, a pork brand with chef-crafted recipes, clean cuts, and full traceability back to family farms.
Spot the category gap. Cassie and Chelsey grew up eating pork daily. “We always joke we were force fed pork our entire life,” says Cassie. But as adults, they noticed most people weren’t eating pork at all. That insight became the idea for Lottie’s, a fun, chef-crafted sausage brand.
Use foodservice as your launchpad. Before they were retail-ready, Lottie’s sold through pizzerias and bakeries that knew Chelsey’s work as a chef. Those early placements gave them credibility and cash flow, without expensive packaging or marketing spend.
Demo with context, not just samples. Lottie’s runs 30+ demos a month. But they just don’t hand out samples. They bring recipe cards and meal ideas, turning first-time tasters into repeat buyers.
USDA compliance is a system. It’s up to you to manage it. The hardest part of USDA compliance isn’t the rules. It’s keeping your own paperwork straight. “Have your recipes. Write your SOPs. Build in buffers,” Cassie says.
Market insight → Consumers are rethinking commodity categories, where legacy players have owned the shelf for decades. What cuts through now isn’t scale, but transparency and a brand people can believe in.
Getting to the meat of things
How to stand out in a sea of sameness
Breaking out in a crowded aisle requires more than quality — it requires memorability.
Audit your packaging: does it look distinct from commodity competitors?
Define your non-negotiables: sourcing, processing, or standards that set you apart.
Test your story with buyers: do they repeat it back clearly?
Identify the first channels where story beats scale (butcher shops, specialty retailers).
Demo sampling script
A taste alone isn’t enough. What you say and show in those 30 seconds decides whether first-time tasters become long-time buyers.
Have a one-liner that explains why it tastes different (sourcing, process, quality).
End with an easy call-to-action: “Here’s how you can make this tonight.”
Pair every sample with a quick recipe idea or serving suggestion.