Nugget launched on Kickstarter on December 2 with a new and exciting take on furniture. The “easiest couch ever” uses pool noodle foam and is a great replacement to cheap futons, uncomfortable bean bag chairs, etc. As their video demonstrates, this product is fun, durable, and can be used by all ages.
Nugget Comfort Co. passed their Kickstarter goal of $20,000 in less than 24 hours. With 9 days left to their campaign they have nearly tripled their original goal and been featured as a Kickstarter Staff Pick. I spoke with David Baron from Nugget Comfort Co. to get some tips from their successful crowdfunding experience:
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your project?
I studied biology and environmental science in college, and loved them. But nothing lit the fire under me as much as something I didn’t love: futons. They were complicated, fragile, uncomfortable, and clunky. So I knew I could make something that was better, especially with a fresh perspective, and a focus on “easy.” And I was compelled to do it after watching the futons end up in the dumpster in dorm lots, year after year.
So, the Nugget came out of a concern for the landfill, and excitement for furniture that didn’t exist and was delightful in itself. I found pool noodle foam and a no-attachment assembly to be the answers to that “easy” and durability and versatility that didn’t exist in furniture before. They became the pillars of Nugget.
2. Why did you choose Kickstarter instead of another platform?
Kickstarter had the brand name and community fit for our space. We wanted a platform that would show us to people with demonstrated interest in product design.
Also, we decided to crowdfund as our launch instead of going straight to production and pre-orders because we wanted to put it out there and see who embraced it. We have ideas as to who will want it and why, but Kickstarter allowed us to save that narrowing for later. For now, the theme is One Size Sits All, and it’s all about the product itself, not a brand stamped on it. It’s an opportunity to learn.
3. What steps did you take to prepare for your campaign before you knew you were ready to launch?
Demo sessions with prototypes and potential backers: with some verbal commitments in our back pocket, and lots of demonstrated interest, we could be confident we wouldn’t be left stranded under our 20k goal.
4. What is the biggest thing you have learned from your crowdfunding experience?
PR takes time and effort to stir up. We focused (are currently focusing) on organic and face-to-face promotion. It’s not the usual strategy on Kickstarter, where a lot of projects shoot for high views, high shares, and the highest amount they can raise. We’re more concerned about getting this in front of a solid foundation of future ambassadors. We want to seed the future of a business around Nugget, not just blast Nugget now. So with that focus, we’ve foregone a “PR” approach.
5. You have over 400 backers so far. Any idea where your traffic is coming from?
They’re not our family and friends: but when we trace them back, they are largely connected to us by family and friends. This is the best we could’ve hoped for, this one or two degree network of Nugget fans. They are people who don’t owe us anything, people we never would’ve known of if not for their Nugget backing, and so we know for sure that they are true fans of what we’re putting out there. And they’re the type we can now embrace and trust to be those ambassadors I mentioned before. It’s becoming a nice, big family of Nuggeteers. We’re pleased, to say the least. We care about this stuff, the couches and the foam and the people.
Conclusion
Nugget Comfort Co. has used a pretty unique strategy for their crowdfunding campaign. Their focus has been on building a lasting business and so they have gone directly to the source to make it happen – their future customers have been involved in each step of their journey.
One thing they did was ship out the first set of rewards in time for Christmas for very early backers. This got a terrific response, and they posted an update with pictures of happy recipients using their Nugget couches in a variety of ways. The remaining rewards will ship out in January after the campaign ends.
The company wants to build lasting relationships with their backers and fans, and they have used creative methods to do this. The fact that they have avoided the “go big or go home” approach and tried something more simple and strategic is something others might consider for their projects (still with great presentation).
