Guest Posting: Generative AI, by Andrew Mills

We first profiled Nunc Living Jun Kombucha and co-founder Andrew Mills in December 2020, and posted a follow-up in-person interview when we met at the Amersham Farmers’ Market in May of this year. In July Andrew was a panelist at the London Bread & Jam event where he spoke on how generative AI allows brands to achieve more with less. The following guest post is based on the material he presented in London.

Using AI: Your Secret Weapon for Business Growth, by Andrew Mills

Picture this: It’s 3 AM, and you’re wide awake. Your mind is racing with ideas for your kombucha brand. You reach for your phone, not to scroll mindlessly researching whether your latest idea is possible or not, but to chat with your personal AI consultant. “How can we improve our newest flavour?” you type. And within seconds, you’re diving into a world of flavour profiles, market trends, and ingredient combinations. This isn’t science fiction – it’s possible through the power of AI, and it’s transforming businesses right now.

“Hang on a second,” you say, “isn’t AI just for tech giants and big corporations? It can’t help me.” Before I co-founded our kombucha brand I had founded several tech startups. Suffice it to say I know the power of AI, and I have been using generative AI since 2020. So, let me tell you a story of one example of how we’ve used AI, and it might change your mind:

Last year, our kombucha brand, Nunc, faced a make-or-break moment. We needed food safety accreditation — known as  SALSA (Safe and Local Supplier Approval) in the UK — to  distribute to supermarkets, but the cheapest consultant quoted us £3,000 – money we simply didn’t have. Panic set in. Then, a lightbulb moment struck: “Why don’t we use AI instead of a consultant?” Fast forward a few weeks, and AI had generated nearly 100 documents and process flows, covering everything from glass breakage policy to staff training records. The result? We aced the accreditation. No expensive consultants, no sleepless nights – just the power of AI and a little creativity

But this is the transformational part: according to McKinsey, AI can free up 70% of your time on a wide range of tasks (I personally believe this is closer to 90%). 

Now, take a moment. Just imagine what your business could achieve with that extra bandwidth. Here’s a taste of what AI can do for you:

• Supercharge your production: Say goodbye to guesswork. AI predicts demand with scary accuracy, ensuring you’re never caught short or drowning in excess inventory.
• Uncover hidden gems in your data: That mountain of customer information? AI turns it into a goldmine of insights, helping you make smarter decisions faster.
• Personalise like a pro: Forget generic marketing. AI crafts messages that speak directly to each customer, boosting engagement and sales.
• Become a flavour genius: Stuck on your latest recipe? Get AI to analyse flavour trends and suggest combinations you’ve never dreamed of.

And it’s not just for kombucha brands. A friend of mine recently faced a daunting property tribunal case. With legal fees way out of his reach, I created an AI legal assistant for him. Not only did he win the case, but he was also awarded compensation – a rarity in these tribunals!

Of course, in both the case of my SALSA certification and the legal submissions, we had to carefully double-check AI’s output as it is well known for “hallucinations” or supplying partially incorrect details. This necessary step didn’t prevent us from succeeding.

Now, I know what some of you are probably thinking. “Sounds great, but I’m not a tech whiz.” We’ve had several brands approach us asking for help with their AI implementation, and unfortunately, we don’t have the time to help everyone. Still, at the same time we do want to help other brands – nothing annoys us more than the expense of hiring consultants and specialists (it’s expensive enough running a business). So we sat down and thought about what we could do to help. The end result is our Consultant in Your Pocket service – AI Assistants developed using an advanced large language model (LLM) specifically tailored for the food and drink industry. Put simply, it’s like having a 24/7 business guru in your phone, on your computer, trained specifically for the food and drink industry. No complicated tech speak –just ask your questions as if you were talking to a real consultant.

The best part? It starts at just $10 a month. That’s way less than your daily coffee run to access game-changing AI power. Go ahead and take it for a test run. You can experiment with up to five prompts for sales, marketing, website content, and food safety. We let you upload your own documents for analysis and much more.  

So, what could your brand achieve with 70% more time and the brainpower of AI? Here are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Create your marketing strategy to build your brand
• Finally, launch that customer loyalty program you’ve been putting off
• Crack new markets you thought were out of reach
• Map out a five-year growth strategy that actually excites you

The possibilities are endless. But here’s the million-dollar question: If you’re not using AI, why not? Your competitors certainly are, or soon will be.

Don’t let your business get left behind in the AI revolution. It’s time to work smarter, dream bigger, and achieve more – all with a little help from your new AI best friend.

Ready to unleash your business’s true potential? Head over to Ironicthought.com and discover how AI can transform your brand today. AI is no longer something that will happen in the future, it’s happening now, and it will allow your business to achieve more with less. And leave you more time to do what you do best: fermentation!

Example Chat with our Marketing Strategist Consultant in your Pocket:

Our Question:

How can a startup, US-based kombucha brand with little budget leverage AI to create a marketing strategy that not only differentiates it from competitors but also fosters a loyal community and drives rapid growth?

Consultant in your Pocket Answer:

Great, thank you for providing detailed information about your business. Here’s a strategic plan tailored to your startup, focusing on leveraging AI to differentiate your brand, foster a loyal community, and drive growth.

Strategic Plan for Your Kombucha Startup

1. Market Analysis and Competitor Research

• AI-Powered Market Research: Use AI tools to gather insights on market trends, consumer preferences, and competitor strategies. Tools like Crayon or Similarweb can track competitor activities and market dynamics.
• Identify Competitors: Conduct a thorough competitor analysis to understand who your main competitors are, their USPs, pricing strategies, and marketing tactics. This will help you position your brand more effectively.

2. Brand Positioning and Messaging

• Unique Selling Proposition (USP): Highlight your use of all-natural ingredients. Position your kombucha as a premium, healthier alternative to other kombucha brands.
• Storytelling: Use AI-driven content creation tools like Copy.ai to craft compelling brand stories that resonate with your target audience. Share your journey, the benefits of raw honey, and the natural brewing process.

3. Customer Acquisition and Engagement

• Predictive Analytics: Use predictive analytics to identify potential customers and tailor marketing efforts. Tools like HubSpot or Salesforce Einstein can help predict customer behavior and optimize marketing campaigns.
• Targeted Advertising: Leverage AI-powered advertising platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to create highly targeted campaigns. Focus on demographics, interests, and behaviors that align with your target audience (24-40-year-old affluent females).

4. Content Marketing and Social Media Strategy

• Content Creation: Use AI tools like Jasper or Writesonic to generate engaging content for blogs, social media, and email newsletters. Share educational content about the benefits of kombucha, recipes, and customer testimonials.
• Social Media Engagement: Utilize AI tools like Hootsuite Insights to monitor social media trends and engage with your audience. Encourage user-generated content and create contests or challenges to increase engagement.

5. Community Building

• Online and Offline Spaces: Create spaces for your audience to share their experiences. This could be through a dedicated community forum on your website or social media groups.
• Events and Workshops: Host virtual and in-person events such as kombucha brewing workshops or wellness sessions. Use tools like Eventbrite to manage and promote these events.

6. Partnerships and Collaborations

• Cross-Promotions: Collaborate with complementary brands (e.g., health food stores, yoga studios) for cross-promotional opportunities. AI tools like Partnerize can help identify and manage these partnerships.
• Influencer Marketing: Leverage AI platforms like AspireIQ to identify and collaborate with micro-influencers who align with your brand values and target audience.

7. Sales and Distribution

• Retail Listings: Focus on getting more listings at local businesses. Use AI tools like RangeMe to connect with retailers and streamline the product discovery process.
• E-commerce Optimization: Ensure your website is optimized for mobile and provides a seamless shopping experience. Use AI-driven personalization tools like Dynamic Yield to enhance user experience and increase conversions.

8. Customer Feedback and Improvement

• Sentiment Analysis: Use AI tools like MonkeyLearn to analyze customer feedback and reviews. This will help you understand customer sentiments and make data-driven improvements to your product and services.
• Continuous Improvement: Regularly analyze your marketing efforts using analytics tools like Google Analytics. Refine your strategies based on what works and what doesn’t.

Follow-Up Question:

How can you utilize AI to personalize customer experiences and enhance your brand’s relationship with its audience?

By implementing these strategies, you can effectively differentiate your kombucha brand, foster a loyal community, and drive rapid growth. If you have any further questions or need more detailed insights on any specific aspect, feel free to ask!

* Please note: For the sake of brevity, we have excluded the question/answer step where the AI asks questions about your business and issues so it can provide a more bespoke response. Once it was satisfied it had all the information it needed it responded as above.