Award a huge ‘confidence boost’
Pivot has become a buzzword for businesses coping with the effects of Covid, but Rhona Mackenzie isn’t a huge fan of it.
Instead, she likes to think Red Shoots, the business she cofounded with James Sweetbaum, has ‘‘pirouetted’’ through 2020 and beyond.
It’s apt considering the business has barely stopped spinning since being named a winner in Shop Local campaign earlier this year.
The 2degrees’ Shop Local campaign, of which Stuff is a partner, supports local businesses by giving them the chance to win a helping hand with marketing and advertising packages worth $20,000.
Mackenzie says the win came during a period of significant growth for the company. Red Shoots includes the brands Daily Good – immunity shots, Good Cocktail Co - alcohol-free mixers, Just Fresh Co – squeezed juices, and the Happy Hour Collective range of cocktails and mocktails.
All the products are made in New Zealand with a strong focus on using natural and sustainable ingredients.
‘‘Winning Shop Local was amazing,’’ she says. ‘‘For us, it was about was more than just winning access to funds. Working with 2degrees was phenomenal.
‘‘They said they were here to help us and to use them, so we really picked their brains. Being a corporate, they have a level of expertise that we could never access, so it was brilliant to get their insights.’’
This year has seen Red Shoots expand the number of stockists they have in New Zealand and increase their retail presence in Australia, which is due to grow even further thanks to a supplier programme with Woolworths.
Mackenzie believes shoppers are attracted not only by the taste and quality of the products, but also the company’s strong commitment to sustainability.
Red Shoots works with an organic farm in Fiji to source ginger and turmeric.
‘‘There is a real awareness of sustainability from the consumer, and that’s not just about products being packaged in a glass bottle, it’s about economic and social responsibility. Authenticity is another one of those words that gets overused, but that’s what we are about, and I think it’s part of the reason we have been successful.’’
Mackenzie says it is going to be exciting to find out who the winners are in the current round of Shop Local.
‘‘I would 100 per cent recommend it, no matter what size your business is,’’ she says.
‘‘Even if you are just a oneman band. The benefits have been fantastic.’’
Mackenzie says alongside other awards Red Shoots has received this year, Shop Local was a huge confidence boost for the team.
‘‘It was a real morale booster,’’ she says. ‘‘In turn, that gives you confidence.
‘‘Whatever level you’re at, as a small business it’s fantastic to be recognised.’’