Iman Anis, known online as Pokemon, has 9.3 million followers on Twitch, where he plays characters from Valorant, Palworld, Two, and more. So far, Pokémon has avoided overselling items and products.
“Nowadays we are flooded with product pages and people are constantly trying to sell us products,” says Iman, who spends a lot of time online. “I wanted my first product to be a combination of healthy and delicious foods that I am so passionate about.”
It was her own health journey that inspired Iman to focus on healthy eating. Her busy schedule and frequent sitting lead her to opt for convenient but unhealthy snacks and meals. “Especially in the Twitch community, the way companies promote junk food and make it addictive seems predatory.”
To solve this problem, Iman teamed up with Darcy McCain, a food industry veteran who works for major brands like Kellogg's.
“What you don’t want to do is feel guilty after eating a whole bag of them,” says Darcy. “It’s about having a healthy relationship with snacks. The more natural ingredients we can add, the better.
Maina Snacks was launched with delicious flavors yet authentically spicy biscuits that cater to the snacking needs of all SKUs. Midnight Mini Cookies are available in packs of 4, 8 and 12, each containing 28 cookies. They are gluten-free, non-GMO or artificially flavored and contain additional vitamin D for your daily diet. The company name Myna goes back to the flock of birds of the same name, which inspired the company logo with red feathers.
Eamon and Darcy were surprised at how many customers chose the subscription option, especially since they hadn't tried the innovation yet. Darcy believes the initial interest shows the value of “network advertisers” in brand promotion. Luckily, as a brand ambassador, Iman has a total of 30 million followers. The direct-to-consumer releases reflect changes in consumer behavior due to the Covid-19 pandemic. As reaching new customers becomes increasingly difficult, a high-quality, authentic product paired with a loyal, hungry audience can be the perfect recipe.
Myna Snacks plans to launch its next product this spring, and its website has an interactive "Snack Lab" to help Pokémon fans develop future products. They've released a limited edition "snack picker" to collect cookies without getting crumbs everywhere.
The company will continue to promote the product on social media and consider new themes, giveaways and private events throughout the year. As her online popularity grows, Iman is finding new ways to reach her audience in real life, including hosting the third annual Stream Awards in Los Angeles this month.
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