Brand Marketing Breakdown:SMACKIN’ How SMACKIN’ Built a Snack Brand People Actually Want to Talk About
I’ve always enjoyed snacking on sunflower seeds. Growing up playing baseball, they were a staple - whether it was trying different flavors, comparing brands, or finding a new favorite. Even today, sunflower seeds remain one of my go-to snacks.
About a year ago, while scrolling through TikTok, I discovered a brand I had never heard of before: SMACKIN’ Sunflower Seeds. Founded in 2019 by college students Brian Waddick and Cole Schaefer out of their dorm rooms, SMACKIN’ has built a recognizable brand in a traditionally overlooked category. Through a combination of social media, community building, and creative marketing, the company has expanded into major retailers including Target, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kroger, and 7-Eleven.
This breakdown explores how SMACKIN’ turned a simple snack product into a brand people actively engage with - and what marketers can learn from their approach.
Creating a Brand, Not Just a Product
Great packaging isn’t just for the shelf anymore. It needs to be designed to perform well on social media and user-generated content. SMACKIN’ packaging does this well - they use bright, bold colors that stand out well on store shelves and social media content. Packaging isn’t just a container - it’s a marketing asset that needs to be designed for both physical retail and digital sharing.
Packaging
Brand voice
Humor/personality
Differentiation
Compared to the typical sunflower seed brands we know, SMACKIN’ is different.
Building Community Through Social Media
TikTok
affiliate marketing
User-generated content
Customer engagement
Influencers
Turning Customers Into Brand Advocates
Loyalty
Word of mouth
Collectability/flavors
Retail expansion
Marketing Takeaways
3 lessons:
Know your audience
Build a personality
Create reasons for customers to share
