Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Philpott. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?
During the brainstorming process, I stumbled upon the name “Completely Cookied” accidentally, but I found it appealing due to my preference for alliteration. Additionally, I wanted customers to feel a sense of delight and satisfaction, like they’ve been “Cookied,” after experiencing one of my delicious creations. The name perfectly reflects the essence of my business.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hello, I’m Emily Philpott, a wife, mom, cookier, and the founder of Completely Cookied. My journey into the cookie business began in April 2022 when the realization that my home would soon be an empty nest sparked my desire to find myself again. After being a stay-at-home mom for 18 years, I shared my dream of making and selling cookies with my supportive husband, who wholeheartedly encouraged me to pursue it.
Starting small by selling to friends and family, I received overwhelming positive feedback that gave me the confidence to participate in a local outdoor market. The experience was nerve-wracking, but we sold out with two hours left, which was a great success. To remain relevant in the cookie business, I decided to switch from drop cookies to 6 oz gourmet cookies with unique and bold flavors, setting them apart from traditional grocery store options.
Offering over 50 flavors on my menu, including the classic milk chocolate chip, my number one seller, I continuously explore different options every week. In April 2023, we introduced our Cookie Caboose, a vintage mini horse trailer renovated by my husband, which has been a huge hit and distinguishes us from others.
I take immense pride in the fact that, as a young company, Completely Cookied is among the top three contenders in Stark County for the Community Choice Awards. We eagerly await the results in September, facing stiff competition from bakeries with long-established histories.
Another achievement I am proud of is the recent confirmation that our cookies will be available in a well-known grocery store in our area, with plans to expand to the other nine stores in Ohio. This accomplishment marks a significant milestone for our business, and I am excited about the potential growth.
To my potential fans, I want them to know that Completely Cookied is all about offering delightful and unique gourmet cookies that you won’t find elsewhere. Our commitment to innovation, the Cookie Caboose experience, and the recognition we’ve received as a young company sets us apart and fuels our passion for creating delicious treats.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
As the owner of Completely Cookied, I prioritize maintaining strong connections with our clients to foster brand loyalty. To achieve this, we employ several strategies:
1. **Personalized Communication:** We engage in personalized communication with our clients through various channels, such as emails, social media platforms, and direct messages. This allows us to address their specific needs and preferences, making them feel valued and understood.
2. **Social Media Engagement:** We actively interact with our clients on social media by responding to comments, messages, and reviews promptly. By engaging in conversations and showing appreciation for their support, we build a sense of community around our brand.
3. **Customer Surveys and Feedback:** We regularly conduct customer surveys and seek feedback to understand their experiences better. This information helps us identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to enhance their satisfaction.
4. “*Personal Touches:** We add personal touches to our services, such as including handwritten thank-you notes with each order or sending personalized birthday greetings to our customers. These gestures create emotional connections and leave a lasting positive impression.
5. **Limited Editions and Special Releases:** We regularly introduce limited edition flavors or special releases to create a sense of excitement and exclusivity. This encourages clients to stay engaged with our brand and look forward to new offerings.
6. **Community Events and Collaborations:** We actively participate in community events and collaborate with other local businesses. This not only strengthens our presence in the community but also provides opportunities to reach new audiences and build lasting relationships.
7. “Consistency and Quality:** Above all, we maintain consistency in the quality of our products and services. Delivering a consistently delightful experience reinforces trust in our brand and encourages clients to keep coming back.
By combining personalized communication, social media engagement, personal touches, unique offerings, community engagement, and maintaining high-quality standards, we strive to keep in touch with our clients and foster brand loyalty at Completely Cookied.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Building an audience on social media was an engaging and fulfilling journey for Completely Cookied. The key to success was understanding what our audience wanted to hear and actively engaging with them. Here’s the story of how we achieved it and some advice for those starting their social media presence:
**Understanding the Audience:** We began by observing our followers’ interests and preferences. By analyzing their interactions and responses, we discovered what resonated with them the most, such as sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of our baking process or teasing upcoming flavors.
**Active Engagement:** We believe that engaging with our audience is crucial. Responding to their comments, messages, and questions promptly made them feel valued and connected. We also asked them questions about their favorite flavors or sought their opinions on potential additions to our menu. This created a sense of collaboration and made them feel like a part of our cookie-making journey.
**Sharing Personal Moments:** We embraced authenticity by introducing our family and friends on our social media page. By sharing personal moments like graduations, birthdays, and special occasions, we humanized our brand and built a deeper connection with our audience.
**Consistency is Key:** We maintained a consistent presence on social media by posting regularly. Whether it was daily updates, weekly flavor announcements, or live baking sessions, our followers knew they could rely on us for fresh and exciting content.
**Be True to Yourself:** Authenticity is vital in building a loyal audience. We stayed true to ourselves, reflecting our brand’s values and personality in every post. People appreciate genuine interactions, and being authentic helped us connect with our followers on a deeper level.
**Adapting and Evolving:** The social media landscape is dynamic, and we adapted to new trends and platforms as needed. By being open to change, we stayed relevant and kept our audience engaged.
**Use Visuals Creatively:** Quality visuals are essential on social media. We used high-quality images and creative designs to showcase our mouthwatering cookies, making our posts visually appealing.
**Utilize Hashtags and Collaborations:** We leveraged relevant hashtags to reach a wider audience and collaborated with influencers, local businesses, and communities to extend our reach and engage with potential customers.
**Measure and Analyze:** Tracking analytics and insights helped us understand which posts resonated the most with our audience. This data-driven approach allowed us to fine-tune our social media strategy and improve our engagement over time.
Starting a social media presence can be exciting and daunting, but my biggest advice is to be consistent, authentic, and genuinely engage with your audience. Listen to their feedback, share your journey, and let your passion shine through your posts. Social media is a powerful tool to build a community around your brand and connect with your customers on a personal level. Embrace it with enthusiasm, and you’ll see your audience grow steadily.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @completelycookiedinohio
- Facebook: @completelycookiedinohio
Image Credits
One photo of stack of cookies open to Michelle Larson