A SMALL ORLANDO, FL marketer of nondairy foods has made the leap from the grocer’s shelf to direct marketing.
Galaxy Foods, which markets soybean-based vegetarian cheeses and other edibles to health food stores, supermarkets, restaurants and institutions nationwide, last month debuted a Web site (www.galaxyfoods.com), a toll-free phone number and fax number to reach consumers who can’t find the company’s products in their part of the universe.
At the same time, says spokeswoman Tracy Rushwin, Galaxy is pursuing international expansion in France, Italy, Japan and China From all these initiatives, Galaxy is looking to grow from about $44 million in sales last year to $52 million in 1999, she notes.
The company went live with a “soft launch” of the Web site earlier this year to ease itself into the world of consumer and Internet marketing. Rushwin predicts DM tactics will save Galaxy money but was hesitant to say exactly how much.
“We’re definitely hoping it will have an impact,” she says.
Customers can buy foods online with a credit card, or have the option of paying by check if they’re not comfortable with e-commerce. At present, Galaxy isn’t planning to collect any customer information other than names and addresses, though it’s sending out surveys to determine customer preferences.
Conservative Site Promotion Galaxy also isn’t looking to try direct mail, nor any other direct marketing methods to promote the site, which it will publicize in Insight, its investor newsletter. But the company did take a stab at general image advertising last year with radio, television and print spots.
As for the products themselves?
Galaxy claims it has developed a new, healthier way to make cheese and dairy-related products which contain little or no saturated fat, cholesterol or lactose, and more vitamins and minerals than conventional cheese.
Network
