Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#1

Post by seasoup » Sun, May 02, 2010, 7:06 PM UTC

Hey guys, I got a different sort of site then those normally submitted on here. I'm selling a physical product... my Fat Ninja Dragon Balls Hot Sauce. It's a home made hot sauce that everyone I've had try it says that I should sell it. It's very spicy, and has a smoky flavor to it. My wife and I put in on almost everything. We love it.

I've gone through the process of finding bottles, designing a web site:

http://www.fatninjahotsauce.com

hooking it up to paypal, designing a label, etc, etc. I'm now ready to market it. Anyone on here have any ideas for some cheap or free online marketing methods? Love to hear them.

Thanks!

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#2

Post by nudge » Sun, May 02, 2010, 7:41 PM UTC

Find some college students and offer $100 to anyone who can drink an entire bottle. Film it. Put it on youtube with a link to your homepage at the end of the video. If it works, run a whole series of hot-sauce-abuse videos. Just make sure you get people to sign waivers first.

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#3

Post by seasoup » Sun, May 02, 2010, 7:50 PM UTC

nudge wrote: post #2

Find some college students and offer $100 to anyone who can drink an entire bottle. Film it. Put it on youtube with a link to your homepage at the end of the video. If it works, run a whole series of hot-sauce-abuse videos. Just make sure you get people to sign waivers first.

That sounds really funny, but my stomach is hurting just thinking about it!

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#4

Post by Scott_MacGregor » Sun, May 02, 2010, 7:52 PM UTC

In addition to your internet marketing, go in person to all of your local grocery stores, give the mangers a special free small trial bottle and ask them to order a case.

Get it in the local stores, and then go national.

To build a local customer base (cash flow), ask the store to feature it on an endcap even if you have to give it away at cost.

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#5

Post by seasoup » Sun, May 02, 2010, 7:58 PM UTC

Scott_MacGregor wrote: post #4

In addition to your internet marketing, go in person to all of your local grocery stores, give the mangers a special free small trial bottle and ask them to order a case. Get it in the local stores, and then go national. To build a local customer base (cash flow), ask the store to feature it on an endcap even if you have to give it away at cost.

Sounds like a great idea, thanks!

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#6

Post by oomkiller » Sun, May 02, 2010, 8:14 PM UTC

The key to retails products is distributors. Get enough local support (this also tests the market to see if it's a viable product), then contact distributors to talk about regional, then nationwide distribution. You should also get a website running where you can have it shipped to you. Finally, it's hot sauce, don't be stingy with free samples!

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#7

Post by qq66 » Sun, May 02, 2010, 9:24 PM UTC

seasoup wrote: post #3

nudge wrote: post #2

Find some college students and offer $100 to anyone who can drink an entire bottle. Film it. Put it on youtube with a link to your homepage at the end of the video. If it works, run a whole series of hot-sauce-abuse videos. Just make sure you get people to sign waivers first.

That sounds really funny, but my stomach is hurting just thinking about it!

I remember hearing about a kid who chugged a cup of hot sauce on a dare maybe 10 years ago and died. Not sure if it's urban legend or not, but obviously if you had paid the kid $100 to do it you would be in a heap of trouble.

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#8

Post by qq66 » Sun, May 02, 2010, 9:25 PM UTC

seasoup wrote: post #5

Scott_MacGregor wrote: post #4

In addition to your internet marketing, go in person to all of your local grocery stores, give the mangers a special free small trial bottle and ask them to order a case. Get it in the local stores, and then go national. To build a local customer base (cash flow), ask the store to feature it on an endcap even if you have to give it away at cost.

Sounds like a great idea, thanks!

Also, you can "droplift" -- print up a label with a bar code of another hot sauce at the price point you want -- and leave them surreptiously on store shelves. Have directions on the label to a website where you can order more.

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#9

Post by pedalpete » Sun, May 02, 2010, 10:20 PM UTC

Try to get your product used in bbq or cooking competitions. I saw something like that on the Food Network where the whole show was about different Hot Sauces and how they were judged.

Re: Ask HN: How to market Fat Ninja Hot Sauce

#10

Post by icey » Mon, May 03, 2010, 12:30 AM UTC

qq66 wrote: post #7

seasoup wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds really funny, but my stomach is hurting just thinking about it!

I remember hearing about a kid who chugged a cup of hot sauce on a dare maybe 10 years ago and died. Not sure if it's urban legend or not, but obviously if you had paid the kid $100 to do it you would be in a heap of trouble.

Eh, people eat Bhut Jolokia peppers all the time on dares, I haven't heard of anyone dying from it. I spent 30 seconds googling and couldn't find any instances of anyone dying from hot sauce, save one fellow who died after a hot-sauce eating dare; but the article doesn't say what the cause of death was.

Anyways, it might not be a bad idea for some viral videos assuming the OP spends more than 30 seconds researching, involves a lawyer, draws up liability waivers, etc...