One of the fastest growing niches in a plethora of markets is items that are “all-natural” and “organic.” Everything from organic popcorn to sunscreen to toothpaste is finding a way into mainstream consumption. For the past five years, one young entrepreneur on the east coast has been finding his opportunity for profit in this area with his wholesome, organic nut butters. Caleb Mangum, the brain behind the company Nutty Novelties, is finding his point of differentiation in his organic, delicious nut butters.  He’s always thinking of new recipes and flavor combinations, such as his recent introductions of cashew and pistachio butters. The biggest hit during this time of year, of course, is his pumpkin spice peanut butter.

His key to success, other than a great product,  has been the placement of his product. Mangum did an excellent job with segmenting and targeting his market. Of course, the people who buy all-natural, organic nut butters are typically concerned with other organic, all-natural products. thinking thought about ways to target this group, he decided farmers’ markets would be a great collection of his target demographic. While he has his product in many grocery stores and local markets in eastern Pennnsylvania, a great percentage of his sales come from taking his product directly to the market, in a very literal sense.

This case study of Nutty Novelties shows the importance of understanding the market place. There are plenty of people that enjoy peanut butter, but Mangum found a very loyal, strong, growing demographic to target, and he’s been very successful in doing so. It may seem simple- an organic nut butter business- but there is clearly much more to it than that.