Chia Sisters
Good communications help a Nelson juicery increase sales, attract staff, and lead by example.
Story sharing builds loyal following
Chia Sisters make health drinks and breakfasts using high-nutrition fruits and seeds.
The Nelson-based business uses regular email and social media campaigns to keep customers in the loop. As well as celebrating successes, they’re open about mistakes and honest about what they’re learning along the way. By sharing authentic stories, they’re creating both interest and community.
Compelling stories have helped Chia Sisters increase domestic sales by an impressive 30%. They’ve made it much easier to attract and keep great staff too.
Stories are also a way to lead by example. In 2018, Chia Sisters opened the first solar-powered juicery in Aotearoa. To celebrate, they launched Bottled by the Sun, a fresh-pressed juice. Promoting this product gave them a chance to inspire other businesses to become more sustainable. The campaign reached hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders. And Chia Sisters placed as finalists in the Communicating for Change category of the 2019 NZI Sustainable Business Network Awards.
Florence Van Dyke, Co-founder
“Our team lives and breathes our sustainability values,” says Florence Van Dyke, Co-founder of Chia Sisters. “It’s really important that we share our stories, the good and the not so good, and take our customers along with us on our journey.”