Mo' Monkey
When this cookie company gave out samples, people went ape and sales soared.
By April Y. Pennington •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
When 600 Lb. Gorillas founders Chris and Paula White wanted toknow whether their cookies were good, all they did was ask. Afterhanding out surveys and free samples of their gourmet goodies attrade shows, they soon amassed thousands of responses that declared"I went ape over them!" Encouraged by the positivefeedback, this husband-and-wife team, both 33, donned safari gearand brought the comment cards (and cookies) to meetings withbuyers. The idea worked.
Once the Wrentham, Massachusetts, company got their cookies(which are sold as frozen balls of dough) in grocers' freezers,the Whites mailed a list of stores to each person who had filledout a survey. To entice those who have yet to taste the treats, theWhites visit food festivals and supermarkets in the New Englandarea weekly to set up shop and pass out samples. "People seeour hut and instantly come over to see what we're allabout," says Paula. "Our booth is fun, and crowds loveit."
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