Back when I used to work for a software company and was more geek than marketer, 3:00PM was known as "Salty Snack Time" and every day there was a "Salty Snack Run". We were lucky because our office was located in a well-serviced area of Toronto and we had our choice of a few small cafés as well as a well-stocked large grocery store.
When I first heard of Food.ee's new service GetSnackBox.com, it brought back memories of those Salty Snack Runs (also, an immediate craving for salty snacks). I was super-excited when they asked me if I wanted to test drive a SnackBox. a) I LOVE getting things in the mail (remind me to tell you about my Quarterly.co subscription sometime) and b) I love snacks. Win/Win!
So Charlie over at Food.ee sent over a "Personal Size" box. One of the things that interested me about GetSnackBox.com is their commitment to healthy snacking (as much as not just having an apple can be healthy). They choose snacks that are gluten-free and natural (no artificial colours, preservatives or sweetners). I also like that they are trying to create a premium, curated product - choosing unique products from both small and large companies.
Snack boxes come in 3 size/serving/price configurations:
Now, I wanted to test all the snacks (SNACKS!), but I also wanted to get a little diversity of opinion in here (as well as show some snacking restraint). LintBucket Media is certainly a target audience, but I know several people who own/work for companies that are good target audience for the SnackBox. So, I convened an Expert Snacking Panel™ to try the snacks, comment on them and weigh in on the idea of the GetSnackBox service, etc.
My Expert Snacking Panel™ consisted of:
- me
- Rosemary Rowe - Vice-President, Content at LintBucket Media
- Christine Rondeau - Founder, BlueLimeMedia
- Elisa Aisenstat - Yoga Studio Owner
- Annemarie Tempelman-Kluit - Founder, yoyomama
- Portman Doe - Queer Housewife and snacker extraordinaire
Comments about the snacks in the snack box:
- Overall people felt it was a good variety
- Good quality snacks, very "nutrient dense"
- Good for when you forget lunch
- Would like to be able to choose a "no sweets" box
- Would like to have other choices (vegetarian, halal, etc)
Now, the snacks change (at least partially) month to month. I got a heads-up from Charlie that future boxes will contain items like Mellifera Honey and Beta 5 Chocolates (yum!!).
Comments about the concept:
- Can picture having a basket of snacks like this on a board room table (impresses the clients)
- Good concept - depending on your snacking habits, especially for smaller offices
- Particularly good for people/offices who are not in an urban centre and don't have access to, say a Whole Foods
- Good for "younger" companies (ones who may expect to have their snacking needs accommodated as part of their employment benefits)
- Would be a great gift for a company launch or other milestone - a good office warming present
- Also a good gift for new moms or similar
- There is a great opportunity to incorporate coupons (i.e. like the Pirate's Booty? Get a 20% discount coupon to use in the next 7 days).
So .. are you intrigued? Craving snacks? Well, GetSnackBox has given me a code that you can use to get 50% off your first box. Ready?
mynameiskate
It expires on April 30, 2013. If you use it for the Personal size box, it applies only to the cost of the box NOT the cost of the shipping (that will still be $6.95); shipping is included in the Family and Bounty size boxes.
SnackBox is designed as a subscription service. When you sign up, your first box is sent immediately. And then they send out the monthly shipments across Canada between the 12th and 15th of each month thereafter. You don't have to commit for an extended period of time, though - just let them know before the end of any month if you want to cancel or change your subscription.
Oh, speaking of cost - I did a quick "reality check" re pricing. Most of the snacks this month were also available from SPUD (a local grocery delivery service). There were two exceptions so I tried to find the equivalent. If I purchased the items separately from SPUD, the cost would have been about $39. So, GetSnackBox is certainly not more expensive than buying them from a service like SPUD. Plus - something new each month!
An interesting note for Vancouver locals .. GetSnackBox.com is a product of Food.ee. Food.ee was created by Invoke Media - the smart folks who created HootSuite.
Many thanks to Charlie and the folks at GetSnackBox.com for sending me a box for review. And many thanks to my Expert Snacking Panel™ for their time and ideas!