Latest news with #Fishwife
Miami Herald
4 hours ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Collaboration over competition: Why brands are joining forces to grow their audiences
Collaboration over competition: Why brands are joining forces to grow their audiences In February 2023, Thomas Neuberger, cofounder of P.F. Candle, and Dani Noguera, founder of outdoor apparel brand Grin27, happened to meet on a bike ride, as they were both in the Los Angeles cycling community. Neither was fully aware of what the other did. Mid-conversation, it came out that the former was, in fact, the owner of P.F., while the latter religiously burned P.F. candles before each bike ride. The result? Morning Star wood incense, a collaboration between the two brands inspired by damp, fresh California forest mornings. "We are definitely very true to life with our scents, so people who are outdoorsy and like to hike and camp are attracted to our products," says P.F. Candle cofounder Kristen Pumphrey. To further appeal to Grin27's audience of dedicated cyclists, the two brands described the incense as rejuvenative, ideally used to signal time dedicated to physical therapy, maintenance, and injury prevention. The limited-edition drop of 250 units sold out in just 18 days. "So many of our partnerships happen organically," says Pumphrey, whose other collaborations include Peanuts, skateboard brand Toy Machine, and the upcoming Sempervirens Fund's 125th anniversary. Brand collaborations foster inclusion, innovation, and a response to cultural shifts. They enhance the relevance of all parties involved and connect them to new audiences. More practically, brand collaborations can be far less expensive than acquiring new audiences via paid marketing channels. A successful partnership allows brands to break out of their respective category and tap into new spaces while staying true to their value propositions. Shopify talked with Kristen Pumphrey, Becca Millstein of Fishwife, and Jing Gao of Fly By Jing to break down the anatomy of a brand collab. Identify your goals Knowing what you want to get out of a collaboration lays the foundation for a successful partnership. For many brands, exposure to new markets is key. "The ultimate goal for a partnership is getting your brand in front of a whole audience that most likely hasn't heard of you or at least hasn't tried your products, but is going to now," says Amrit Richmond, founder of the Indie CPG newsletter community and the consultancy Supermercato. This was certainly the case with the Fishwife x Fly By Jing collab. "We are completely focused on tinned fish products, on moving the tinned fish movement forward, on making it a staple in every cupboard, and on educating our customer base about the limitless use cases of tinned fish," says Becca Millstein, CEO and cofounder of Fishwife. "We can use brand collabs, like ours with Fly By Jing, to drive home certain use cases-tinned fish in Chinese cuisine, in rice bowls, and noodles-and recruit new customers from their community." For independent brands in the consumer packaged goods and lifestyle space, in particular, collaborations remain a fertile ground for experimentation without fully committing to entirely new product categories in the original lineup. They also present a cost-effective option for customer acquisition. "Having two brands of somewhat similar size share a collaboration on their Instagram-that maximum exposure is really, really valuable, especially right now, where everyone is trying to cut their expenses," says Richmond. Find opportunities that align with your brand Next is the exploratory phase: identifying potential partners based on your goals and brand mission. "At the end of the prior year, we map out the following year's marketing calendar, including key themes we want to emphasize quarterly and monthly," explains Millstein, who has collaborated with Fly By Jing, Lisa Says Gah, Graza, Bon Iver, and more. "Concurrently, the marketing team makes a huge list of potential collabs that we believe have the potential to reinforce those themes, orders them by preference, and starts reaching out to see what we can turn up. Then we decide who will be taking on what responsibility in the collaboration, what it will look like, and then we get to planning and executing." The Fly By Jing team starts by setting criteria for its collaborators. "We seek out partners that are brand-aligned, have really loyal followings, and a similar dedication to storytelling," says Jing Gao, the company's CEO and founder. "Our collabs with Fishwife, Irvins, and Daily Crunch were not just about co-branding, it was about creating custom products that merge our respective culinary expertise in new and unexpected ways." Despite the sheer quantity of product launches, Gao also observes that the CPG world is pretty tight-knit. "Many of Fly By Jing's collaboration partners are my personal friends who also share my love of making great products and challenging what's possible in the CPG space." For P.F. Candle, when collaborations don't happen spontaneously, as they did with Grin27, potential partners often slide in the account's DMs, and so Pumphrey and Neuberger keep a waiting list of brands who want custom scents. "We only have capacity for so much. We really only take on two collaborative projects a year," says Pumphrey. "So we have to be quite strategic and thoughtful about the partners we're choosing. Collaboratively, we try to do one smaller project that's very brand-building and feels like a friend-of-the-brand type of thing, and one bigger one that's really good for reach." Put it in writing "A collaboration is like a mullet," says Pumphrey. "It's business in the front, party in the back." You get the business done first. "You've got to get the contract in, and you've got to work out the terms. Get it in writing," she elaborates. "There is no way around the tedium of going through a contract line by line, and if it's a big contract, you have to send it out to an attorney to make sure everything's good." Contracts should outline both production commitments, i.e., the number of units to be produced; and marketing commitments, i.e., creative assets, social posts, emails, and ad spend. If you're licensing a large brand's intellectual property for a collaboration, make sure you understand the licensing costs upfront. P.F. Candle had a successful collaboration with Peanuts in the summer of 2024. With an initial run of 15,000 pieces, this venture did extend its reach, but it also taught them a lesson. The brand's initial plan for pricing and product quantities was based on historical sales data and didn't account for the full cost of licensing. "From an operational perspective, that was a learning curve because we went into it thinking, 'How many units can we sell?" not thinking, 'How much is that gonna cost us on a licensing deal?' So we got the bill for the licensing. We said, 'Oh my God, that doesn't fit in the budget, that's gonna blow the budget,'" Pumphrey explains on Shopify Masters. The team adapted, and the collaboration was a success-but they've since adjusted their approach, reverse-engineering pricing and supply with the costs of licensing baked in. "You have to account for that added cost-either by increasing the product's price or by pre-budgeting for the licensing fee," says Pumphrey. "A big learning curve from the licensing perspective is getting the contract locked down before moving into prototyping and production. You don't want to finish the contract at the last minute and then discover you need changes once you've already ordered materials. As an independently owned business, that can be a significant loss." To find available intellectual property from big brands, consider attending the Licensing Expo in Vegas. "It's a whole thing," Pumphrey says. "If that's the route you want to go down, the Licensing Expo is a good place, because you can see everybody who's licensing their IP and decide what you would want to do." Launch with a tailored campaign With the business settled, it's time for the party: Creatively, each collaboration should expand the brand's lore and universe. "We like to create a little world around every launch, especially around every tinned fish launch," says Millstein, specifying that key elements of every launch include photo and video, press outreach, social content, and influencer seeding campaign, and packaging and marketing design. "The entire marketing team comes together to build all of these elements to ensure the world feels robust, tangible, easy to understand, and exciting." Specifically, in the case of the partnership between Fly By Jing and Fishwife, their Smoked Salmon with Sweet and Spicy Zhong has a branding that combines the styles of the two brands: the former's color palette and the latter's signature illustrations by Danny "Danbo" Miller. This gives both participants' audiences something familiar and something unexpected to get excited about. This story was produced by Shopify and reviewed and distributed by Stacker. © Stacker Media, LLC.
Buzz Feed
5 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Buzz Feed
32 Things That Are Both Practical *And* Fun Because You Deserve The Best Of Both Worlds
A cool checkered cutting board you'll want to buy for aesthetics alone — but this piece isn't just a looker. It has deep grooves to catch juices, hidden handles on the bottom, and rubber anti-skid pads. A pack of food-themed bandages to make injuries feel a little more bearable. After all, who could stay upset while wearing a pickle or pizza slice on their arm? Not me. A pair of silicone frond leaf bookmarks you have to admit are a lot cuter than a crumpled pharmacy receipt. You can even shove one in the middle of the page if you wanna be super specific about where you left off. A sardine tin cosmetic bag because why should fish corner the market on cute packaging? Now your makeup, credit cards, or random baubles can enjoy the Fishwife treatment with an adorable-looking home. A set of 10 peel-off jelly masks so you can feel like a frosted dessert during your next self-care session. The electrolyte-infused hydro masks come in styles like lavender, hyaluronic acid, tea tree, and chamomile and work to hydrate, soothe, and balance your pH level. A set of vinyl coasters offering a retro (and super cute) way to protect your furniture from condensation. Guests that actually want to use a coaster? How the turntables. A fuzzy pet blanket in a sweet heart design so your snuggle-obsessed pal can get warm and cuddly without coating your favorite throw in fur. The fleece blanket is easy to wash and cute enough to cover your furniture (in case you're looking to protect some investments). A soap dispenser that can save you money and cut down on waste (when you invest in a Costco-sized bottle of hand soap to refill it), sure. But more importantly: It's shaped like a leopard. A solid lotion bar shaped like Totoro or Rilakkuma that's so cute, you may never actually use it. But you should because the almond butter-based lotion will make your skin feel softer than the Catbus. (I just assume a furry bus would be super soft?) An ornate curtain set for people who still sagely follow the old Portlandia adage: put a bird on it! There are sheer and peek-a-boo styles you can layer together for a bird decor extravaganza. Curtains don't have to be boring and birdless. A pair of aromatherapy gemstone soaps sure to make your guests' bathroom experience seriously rock. Dad jokes aside, these soaps come in amazing fragrances (think: lavender, lemongrass, sandalwood, etc.) and have real crystals inside, like amethyst and tiger eye. A pretty tea cup set that looks like your mug is floating on a cloud. How delicate! How dreamy! Untethered and unbothered! Am I envious of a teacup right now? Time to whip up a cuppa and watch the leaves falling outside. A bear-y nice under-eye stick formulated with skincare darling niacinamide, along with soothing Icelandic mineral water and seaweed extract, to soothe puffiness and dark circles. If a beauty item isn't shaped like an animal, is it even worth getting? A cutie pie planner to help you be a busy bee, or more likely a take-it-slow sloth. There's room for appointments, errands, and people to in due time. A birria bomb — a delicious spin on the bath bomb. Dunk one of these spice balls into a pressure cooker with meat and water for a comforting consomme ready for dipping. In a way, these really are bath bombs, but for tacos and quesadillas. A Godzilla microwave cleaner that shoots out cleansing steam instead of lasers. Not as cool, but definitely more helpful. Just fill the silicone tool up with water and vinegar, microwave it, and then marvel at how you found a cleaning supply that's actually fun. A disco ball watering globe to make your plant feel like they're at their own personal dance party. It'll keep your plant hydrated between watering sessions and, when the sun hits just right, create a fun light show in your home. That's a lot of benefits from what seemed like an impractical purchase at first. 🤔 Soot sprite dryer balls that'll look sooo cute bouncing around in your dryer. Besides being adorable, they could reduce drying time, prevent wrinkles, and soften clothes, all without coating your stuff in a waxy residue like dryer sheets do. A set of travel "books" inspired by the Assouline travel series that open up to reveal secret compartments for all your most precious belongings. Whether you're hiding a diary or just trying to declutter your coffee table, you'll love having some extra storage space. A Grim Steeper silicone tea infuser that doubles as a useful reminder to people not to bother you until you're done with your morning cuppa. Mrs. Meyer's multi-surface spray in a seasonal scent (fresh cut grass! dandelion! tomato vine!!!!!!!) to make your home not only spotless, but incredible smelling as well. I've never met a Mrs. Meyers fragrance I didn't like, and I have to say they really knocked it out of the park with these. A set of LED lightsaber chopsticks to make fights over the last dumpling extra dramatic. They can change colors (red, blue, yellow, purple, and multicolor) so you can either make them match or change to red and blue to recreate The Duel on Cloud City. A set of card-shaped sponges for anyone who's not playing when it comes to clean dishes. Each design features a face card also engaging in a light cleaning session — too cute! Iridescent pimple patches in fun shapes because zapping zits might as well feel like an art project. I wish all problems could be solved with a sticker. A clever two-sided travel cup for people who need several drinks throughout the day (one to hydrate, one to take the edge off, one to add the edge back, etc). Fill with two of your desired drinks and marvel that you can bring both coffee *and* water to your next meeting and still have a hand free for your laptop. Tissues in cylinder boxes so they can easily fit in your car's cup holder. And even if you don't have a cup holder in need of tissues, the packaging is just really stinkin' cute. A 16-piece Brink House mix-and-match cutlery set that is certainly a lot more fun than your usual Ikea fare. I suggest getting a clear utensil holder to show them off. A compact, typewriter-themed Bluetooth label maker so charming, you'll find yourself labeling everything, down to individual Diet Coke cans. The corresponding app lets you customize your designs with frames, stickers, and different fonts, so your labels will look super cute even if they're possibly a bit passive aggressive. A color-changing moisture indicator because plants can't speak and scream "WAAAATER!" These monstera-shaped stakes start off as a vivid green when the soil is wet (wait 30 minutes after watering to see the effect) and then pale to a ghostly white when the soil dries out. Guesswork is no longer the worst part of houseplant ownership! Now it's the bugs. >:( The TikTok-loved Maldon flaked salt packaged in a box so beautiful, you'll be hesitant to ever open it. Of course, you should, because everything from fish to brownies tastes better with a dash of really nice sea salt. A fanciful mushroom kitchen timer, which is so much more endearing than using your phone or screaming at Alexa. It also has a glowing 4.4-star rating on Amazon, which is kinda unheard of for novelty timers. A Lifeline aromatherapy pen filled with an essential oil that slowly diffuses as you write. Now, the smell of lavender or crisp mountain air can calm you down before you write a passive-aggressive note to stick to the office microwave.
WIRED
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- WIRED
The Best Food Gifts You Can Buy Online
There's a good chance every tinned fish enthusiast has heard of Fishwife, but I'd be remiss not to include it in this delicious list. These are not your grandpa's sardines. Or mackerel filets. Or juicy, smoky hunks of salmon. Fishwife gets it right, down to the smallest details, like the gorgeous packaging. (Ordering via the Fishwife website gets you the option to snag gift tins, which look absolutely adorable). The tinned fish flavors are to die for. My favorite is the Smoked Salmon with Fly by Jing Sichuan Chili Oil—the spicy, slightly crunchy chili crisp complements the fish perfectly. The Sardines with Preserved Lemon are also scrumptious, with a sour bite that elevates the experience to something special—even if you're still just pairing the fish with a saltine cracker. Every tin has thought and care behind it, from the hand-packed albacore tuna, which is packaged at a traditional Spanish cannery, to the Cantabrian anchovies, which are sourced from an MSC-certified sustainable fishery. Fishwife even offers recipes to help you use its tinned fish in imaginative new ways. If you're shopping for someone who prefers savory over sweet, Fishwife is worth checking out. Shipping Speeds and Costs Standard ground shipping costs $10. UPS 2nd Day Air shipping costs $19. Shipping is free on orders over $75. Additional Shipping Details Most products do not require refrigeration and don't arrive in a cooler box. If refrigeration is required, ice packs will be included. Gift Options Gift tins are available. Gift notes are available for an additional dollar. Photograph: Imperia Caviar I admit that I was influenced to try this by TikTok. And I regret nothing. Caviar has this aura of mystery and intrigue, and Imperia leans into this while also making caviar feel more accessible than it would if you ordered it at a restaurant with a snooty waiter peering down their nose at you. Case in point: I ate mine with crème fraîche, chives, and kettle potato chips. While wearing pajamas. In bed. And every single mouthful was fantastic, and nobody was judging me based on my ability to pronounce things or whether or not I knew how to open the tin (which I didn't until I googled it). This little container of fish eggs is sourced from river beluga, or kaluga, at sustainable fishing farms. It can be kept in the fridge for up to three weeks, unopened, though the company recommends consuming it within a week of purchase; It should be consumed within 48 hours once opened. You can shop add-ons, too, such as a mother-of-pearl spoon, which doesn't impart any flavors that could alter the experience. And the experience is downright fantastic. The caviar is pleasing to look at, with a dark-brown and amber hue, and the flavor is like the ocean concentrated into a tiny drop—in the very best way. The eggs are large and mild, with a buttery, nutty flavor, a salty kick, and a velvety texture that pairs well with blini. Or potato chips. You do you. Shipping Speeds and Costs Custom delivery dates can be chosen at checkout. Flat-rate overnight shipping costs $30. Shipping is free on orders over $300. Additional Shipping Details Caviar is shipped with cooling packs and a FreshTag which indicates whether or not the items stayed cool during transit. Gift Options Gift sets are available. Gift messaging is available at checkout.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chaco Launches Mermaid-Inspired Z/1 Collaboration with Fishwife
Leading sandal footwear brand partners with female-led tinned seafood brand GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chaco, leading sandal footwear brand, is partnering with Fishwife, the female founded and led, tinned seafood company for a sandal collaboration. Updating the footwear brand's signature Z/1 Design, the new product draws inspiration from Fishwife's signature bold and vibrant color palette that is seen through their distinctive packaging. The straps of the shoe feature kelly green, beige, and cobalt blue straps fastened with a tan buckle and featuring one of Fishwife's iconic illustrations on the back of the inside heel leash. Given Chaco's commitment to sustainability, through their manufacturing webbing with recycled plastic bottles and their ReChaco repair program, working with Fishwife was a logical move. The tinned seafood brand sources from healthy fisheries and certified sustainable aquaculture farms. "We loved the creative spirit that Fishwife champions, which is something that we also prioritize at Chaco," says Kelsey Dunneback, Chaco Brand Manager. "We're excited for people to make a statement in these whimsically designed sandals, whether they are adventuring locally or afar." Drawing inspiration from Fishwife's signature bold and vibrant color palette, seen throughout its distinctive packaging, Chaco created a fresh and relevant color-blocked design. The sandal is infused with a playful touch of personality, with a mermaid badge and the heel strap showcasing iconic Fishwife elements that add a funky, yet refined twist to the overall aesthetic. "Since launching in 2020, we've been committed to bringing sustainability to the aquaculture space while championing individuality," says Becca Millstein, CEO and co-founder of Fishwife. "When we were approached by Chaco, we felt that it was a seamless partnership that allows Fishwife to further enter the lives of modern day water and fish lovers on their daily journeys." This exclusive style will be available for purchase on Chaco's website, and the Fishwife site, on Thursday, May 8, 2025. About ChacoBorn on the river in 1989, Chaco, a division of Wolverine Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: WWW), builds premium footwear for the outdoor-minded. The brand's iconic Z/sandals are repairable at ReChaco and more than 20,000 sandals a year are kept out of landfills every year. Plus, as a result of the brand's proprietary LUVSEAT™ foot bed, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has awarded the Seal of Acceptance to all Chaco footwear styles. The APMA Seal is intended to raise awareness by identifying products of exceptional quality that are manufactured with comfort, health, and safety in mind. Simply put, Chaco is fit for adventure. Please visit us at Facebook: Chaco, Instagram: ChacoFootwear, TikTok: ChacoFootwear. About FishwifeFishwife Tinned Seafood Co. is a Los-Angeles based tinned fish company that strives to make ethically sourced, premium, and delicious tinned seafood a staple in every American cupboard. We source from healthy fisheries and responsible aquaculture farms to bring the vibrance of conservas culture to the North American table and have led the growing tinned fish movement in the U.S. since launching in December 2020. Fishwife Tinned Fish products are currently sold in three-packs online ($23.99 - $32.99) and individually ($7.99 - $13.99) in retailers throughout the U.S. For more info, visit and follow along on social at @fishwife. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Chaco
Los Angeles Times
20-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Spring forward with 5 recipes from the season's best cookbooks
Fall gets all of the hype, but spring has always been my favorite season. Especially here in Los Angeles. As ripe lemons fall to the ground, clusters of kumquats take their place in neighborhood trees. Star jasmine blossoms into little white pinwheels, their sweet, floral scent hanging in the air. Papery bougainvillea weave their way through fences like fuschia-colored ivy and thorny bushes bloom with roses for a few brief weeks. Spring is also when a wave of cookbooks reaches our bookstore shelves, encouraging us to take advantage of the season. This year, there are plenty of L.A. chefs and food figures offering recipes that celebrate our unique local bounty, like Kogi BBQ chef Roy Choi's ode to vegetables in 'Choi of Cooking,' or Fishwife founder Becca Millstein's approachable, picnic-perfect ideas in 'The Fishwife Cookbook.' Of course, the temperate and malleable nature of our region also makes it easy to experiment with cuisines and cooking styles that might not be as familiar. Chef Eric Adjepong's 'Ghana to the World' cookbook encouraged me to visit my neighborhood's African markets for the first time, to source ingredients like egusi seeds for a Ghanaian take on granola. In Caroline Pardilla's 'Margarita Time' cookbook with over 60 takes on the classic tequila cocktail, bartender Shannon Mustipher shares a version with hibiscus in homage to her hometown of Charleston, S.C. Though the port city is on the opposite coast, it blooms with hibiscus flowers this time of year, just as it does here in L.A. Just like sunlight and strawberries, culinary inspiration is abundant in the spring. Especially when armed with the Food team's annual roundup of our favorite new cookbook releases, with many this year focused on streamlining recipes and doing more with less. Our food writers (and some of our favorite local chefs) also mined our shelves for the cookbooks we can't live without, including vintage titles, out-of-print pamphlets and memoirs from the industry's most looming figures. To get you started, here are five recipes pulled from this year's crop, including a pineapple-ginger drink and egusi granola that makes its way into a peppery arugula salad. Eating out this week? Sign up for Tasting Notes to get our restaurant experts' insights and off-the-cuff takes on where they're dining right now. Don't be intimidated by the cook time for this simple cocktail. Most of it is spent preparing the hibiscus syrup, which yields a large batch that can be also be used in seltzer water or water with a splash of lemon. Once the syrup has cooled, it's just a matter of rimming a chilled glass with salt and shaking up the ingredients with the recipe. Cook time: 90 minutes. Chef and 'Ghana to the World' author Eric Adjepong grew up drinking tea his mother would brew with leftover ginger and pineapple peels and dried fruit and herbs. In his cookbook, he offers a refreshing version that's served chilled and topped off with Club the recipe. Cook time: 5 minutes I've long been a fan of egusi soup, a West African dish that calls for grinding the protein-rich melon seeds. In 'Ghana to the World,' Adjepong adds them to an everyday granola recipe that also features virgin coconut oil and coconut nectar. Buy the seeds whole or pre-ground from an African market or online — Adjepong recommends Jeb the recipe. Cook time: 2 hour 30 minutes. Makes about 3.5 cups. Adjepong's egusi granola can be eaten on its own or used as a topping on your favorite salad or dessert. It adds a rich nuttiness to this arugula salad, also from his 'Ghana to the World' cookbook. The greens are further enhanced with tangy sorghum syrup in the sherry vinaigrette, crumbled goat cheese and pickled red the recipe. Cook time: 40 minutes. Serves 2 to 4. Ari Kolender, the chef and co-owner of Found Oyster and Queen St. Raw Bar & Grill, is behind some of my favorite seafood dishes in the city. It's not exaggerating to say that I dream about the scallop tostada at Found, and the way it perfectly tightropes between crunchy and meaty textures, with fatty, citrus, tart, herby flavors. Now, when I'm too lazy to drive from my Mid-City home to the East Hollywood seafood shack, I can make it at home in under 30 the recipe. Cook time: 20 minutes.
