We were lucky to catch up with Cameron McIntyre recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cameron, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start big picture – what are some of biggest trends you are seeing in your industry?

Punch Gunk Pain Relief and Recovery is an emerging brand in the big and broad consumer healthcare space that focuses on developing products that embrace the benefits of science and nature.

One of the biggest trends I believe will continue to grow, is clean and natural products that maximize the benefits of non-pharmaceutical options for common minor ailments. We are all familiar with extracts such as Arnica and Aloe and for many of us they have been a remedy of choice for years. There are so many more extracts and compounds that, when properly formulated, can provide relief for numerous symptoms.

In our Punch Gunk formulas, we use powerful natural extracts such as Gotu Kola, Kava and Nettle. Many of these extracts have played a significant role in the development of modern medicines. The use of Willow Bark, another key component in Punch Gunk products, dates to ancient Egypt and was the precursor for Aspirin.

I see great promise in the development of naturally focused consumer healthcare products and as consumers start to experience the benefits the demand will continue to grow.

Cameron, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My wife Nadene and I founded Punch Gunk. As older athletes we were still able to perform at high levels; however, we also found something else: the aches and pains we used to grin and bear when we were younger were starting to catch up with us. We went out in search of special products or any secret remedies that might be more effective than the products that stock the shelves of the drug stores.

We didn’t find one, and through product research discovered even high level athletes facing the toughest pain had no choice but to turn to those old-fashioned products with an overpowering smell, a greasy residue, and unpleasant extremes in sensations – ones that don’t actually penetrate your skin effectively to treat the pain. So, rather than turn to that icky goop, we decided to create something new, something better.

We are very proud of the success we have had so far and that so many people have found relief with our products. True story, no joke. We have a Punch Gunk branded pickup truck and just the other on my way to the grocery store, in Los Angeles, and a man pulls up beside me and says “I love your products, you guys do a great job.” That is why we developed Punch Gunk, to help people when it hurts.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

We do not manufacture our products. We work with a contract manufacturer, which is very common in the OTC (Over The Counter) medications and cosmetic industries. Finding the right contract manufacturer was a long process and early on we knew nothing about the it. Our primary criteria was working with a FDA certified laboratory. Secondly, we had to find a laboratory that would work with small MOQ’s (Minimum Order Quantity). MOQ is a key concern when working with a contract manufacturer. This establishes your manufacturing costs, inventory and sets a benchmark for sales numbers, especially if your products have an expiration date. We also wanted to work locally. An out of state or foreign contract manufacturer can create logistic and shipping challenges.

Our choices were limited as there were only so many FDA compliant labs within the distance we were comfortable with and to put it simply, we found our contract manufacturer by pounding the pavement. We called everyone on the internet and asked other similar companies for references until we found a vendor who could meet our demands and we were comfortable working with.

A contract manufacturer may not be the only vendor you require to get your product to market. Packaging is another vendor supplied product in the manufacturing chain. We are lucky, our laboratory is able to provide tubes for our product and that is a huge logistical savings. We do however have to source boxes for the tubes and that is another vendor added to the mix.

Having a sole supplier in and of itself is a risk, they go down, you go down, so make sure they have a track record and are competently providing their service to their other customers.
My advice when working with a contract manufacturer is to be sure you have a solid contract, that you understand 100%. Be comfortable working with them. The process can be intimidating and your product is your No.1 priority. Prepare for setbacks such as supply chain issues or logistical obstacles. Yes I have heard horror stories, most of them are the result of people not doing their homework and making seriously bad business decisions.

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

We sell Punch Gunk products D2C on our Shopify site, but have really good success building our brand on Amazon. Amazon is almost a necessity for emerging brands. Essentially everyone shops on Amazon and so not having a presence is makes little sense.

Amazon is enormous, complex, and intimidating, but the learning curve is not as steep as one would believe. Additionally there are ample resources available to help along the way. You do have to be diligent, not everything is spelled out, patience is required when working with Amazon.

Amazon provides a lot of tools to help establish and build your brand. They provide warehousing, inventory management, shipping, advertising, community platforms and these resources are invaluable. All this does come at a cost. It’s important you manage your Amazon expenses, unchecked they can build up. Thankfully there is a lot of room for trial and error on the platform and working until you get it right is encouraged and continual tweaking your pages and campaigns maximizes the opportunities and better serves your customers, which is good for your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: punchgunk.com
• Instagram: @punchgunk
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/punchgunk
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-mcintyre-0a500b107/
• Twitter: @punchgunk
• Youtube: @punchgunk4482

Image Credits
Hugh McIntyre