Paloverde x Sugarfina

Hi Jeffrey! We're so excited to talk to you today and learn more about Sugarfina.

1. First of, tell us about yourself and your role at Sugarfina!

I think this question is especially relevant given my role in heading up the small business division of Sugarfina. With hundreds of small businesses under our belt in this division (getting ever closer to the 1,000 mark each day), the role is simple and yet complex. From managing product on the web to the visual aesthetic of that web, the marketing emails everyone receives, incoming applications, account management, growth, customer experience and ultimately the creation, content generation and management of the Sugarfina Small Business Series, this role is quite layered, complex and yet deeply rewarding. My background came from creating customer experience programs for some of the largest, most well-known corporations in America. Thus, the transition into effectively running a small business within a larger one, and especially with a focus on putting the customer first, was a relatively easy one. I’ve always been a customer advocate and the immediate actions I took upon joining Sugarfina were designed to continue that trajectory. This remains the same focus today and one reason our department has been as successful as it has.

2. First, we have to know... are you team chocolate or team sour/gummy?

This question made me laugh out loud! Honestly, I’m team gummy all the way. Which isn’t to say I don’t devour Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough or our Chocolate Chip Cookie Bar (I do), but Strawberry Daiquiri / Hearts, Champagne Bears and Sugar Lips don’t stand a chance within five feet of me anywhere I go. I will say though that throughout our office, there is such a diversity in Sugarfina favorites. I imagine each answering this question would be different.

    

3. And if you could only eat one candy from your collection for the rest of your life, what would you choose?

This is an amazing question (a hard one) and one I think every Sugarfina employee should have to answer. Given the number of amazing sweet treats we have this is an agonizing decision, but I’d have to go with Strawberry Hearts at the moment. I love the strawberry flavor, the texture of the gummy and the added burst of flavor in the center. If I had to pick an honorable mention, it would definitely be our #1 selling treat, Champagne Bears.

4. Sugarfina candy is so incredibly gift-able. What is a happy gifting memory you'd like to share with us? A cherished gift you remember receiving or giving?

My wife works in healthcare and as we all know, the pandemic created an environment that was unbelievably challenging for the entire industry as a whole. Being able to gift nurses and doctors with that added sweet treat was always something that we were very proud of and something that made me proud to be an ambassador of the brand. With the world around us facing such challenging times, the opportunity to put a smile on someone’s face and make their day is the whole reason Sugarfina is the brand it is and why we all do what we do.

5. We love Sugarfina's playful, modern packaging. Have you seen any creative uses of your iconic candy cubes once all the candy's gone (which for us is... pretty darn fast)?

There are plenty of iconic uses of the Sugarfina cubes once they are gone (in record time in my household), but we also love to reuse the bento boxes as well. I’ve seen cubes used as tiny planters for small houseplants, painted for art installations, re-purposed for other sweet treats, and the list goes on. In my household, we love to repurpose the bento boxes for a variety of gifting or presenting opportunities. Either leaving the cube holder in place at the bottom or removing, there are so many creative ways to utilize the Sugarfina brand even after the sweet treats are gone. During the pandemic, when everyone on earth was finding their inner creative chef, my wife made mini cupcakes and we used the blue Sugarfina bento box to hold them as we delivered to friends.

6. If you had to pick one of our boxes to gift to someone - which box would it be and what is the occasion?

I think the pandemic taught us something about ourselves and the world around us and that is that the words THANK YOU are not said enough. We are all going about our lives, both publicly and privately, and taking time out of your day to stop and recognize someone, regardless of what they’re doing, is an important aspect to me. Adding that sweet treat to the message on the outside of the box is icing on the cake. I think the Plant Thanks Gift Box wins hands down.

7. Sugarfina has launched so many creative (and delicious) partnerships - what's one of your favorite? And what do you think made it so successful?

This is such a tough question to answer because Sugarfina has had some EPIC collaborations. From Disney to Nintendo to even the most recent Simpsons and Truly, all of which are phenomenal. Pressed Juice was a collab that started as an April Fool’s joke and ballooned into an unbelievably successful line. The Alfred Coffee design is one of the best I’ve ever seen. It gave Sugarfina a slightly different form factor to work with and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love coffee? I think from a design perspective (and I’m slightly biased), but I loved the Casamigos and Aviation Gin collaborations. The design, attention to detail and product photography that came from those designs was absolutely stunning. And, I’d also say from a branding perspective, those are the collaborations that became the standard for Sugarfina moving forward. As a brand whose number one selling product is alcohol-infused, I think it’s such an authentic connection.

8. Can you give us any kind of preview/tease of what's on the horizon for Sugarfina?!

Great things are coming from the Sugarfina brand in 2022. This year’s holiday collection will be the biggest ever and I’m especially excited about the release of the Pop the Champagne 3.0 along with brand new New Year’s themed treats that will sure to be the toast of the town. And, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the launch of a new flavor of Champagne Bears this summer. This is going to be an exciting year for Sugarfina with great new sweet treats for everyone to enjoy.


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