Had I heard of Boxed? Sure. I'm a suburban mom who is also a heavy online shopper; if I hadn't heard of them, it would mean that something was seriously wrong with their audience targeting.
But had I purchased from Boxed? No. But I'm going to now.
From the talk description, I thought Boxed CMO Jackson Jeyanayagam might be giving tips on how to create interesting, "sexy" marketing content for a potentially bland category:
“Disrupting an utterly boring category: A look into how Boxed is changing the way toilet paper is bought
Jackson Jeyanayagam, CMO Boxed
CPG and grocery shopping online has had a slow adoption rate despite the surge of higher-consideration categories like cars, diamonds and real estate. For whatever reason, consumers have been reluctant to buy paper towels and cereal online...but that’s changing...and at a rapid pace. Boxed, an e-commerce wholesale club has become a popular alternative to Costco and Sam’s and their CMO, Jackson Jeyanayagam, will discuss how they have disrupted a stale category and why their approach has made such a significant impact. From customer experience to CSR to technology innovation, Jackson will highlight why they believe Boxed is the new bulk.”
Jeyanayagam's presentation was less about content (though he did show some ads I found greatly amusing!) and more about creating a point of difference - an important lesson for anyone doing anything, no matter what you're trying to sell. It was a great insight into how a new startup company can create sufficient disruption in an existing category to become an industry leader. It was also a lesson on how your most important point of difference can be your company's heart, soul, and values. I learned from this presentation as a business owner, a marketer, and a shopper (brb, ordering 10,000 rolls toilet paper right now!).