Bubbling to the Top
One entrepreneur is making his IPO really pop by advertising directly to his customers.
Chris Reed brews and bottles natural soft drinks, but he might
soon be uncorking some champagne. The 47-year-old president of
Reed's
Inc. brewed up an $8 million IPO that has generated a broad
consumer response and a good deal of buzz on Wall Street.
Although the public stock market is generally not welcoming to
small companies these days, Reed's has put some sparkle in its
offering. The trick? Advertising the stock offering directly to its
consumer base via a bottleneck tag.
Because of its all-natural ingredients and hand-crafted
products, Reed's has thousands of passionate customers in
natural food stores across the country. Reed hopes to make those
consumers as loyal to his company as they are to his product.
Content Continues Below
"If we can get the funding from the consumers, it's
better for us," says Reed. "They're a passionate
shareholder rather than a trader or flipper."