J&D's Down Home Enterprises

J&D's Down Home Enterprises, also known as J&D's Foods, is an American company based in Seattle, Washington known for its bacon related products such as Bacon Salt, Baconnaise, Bacon Lip Balm, BaconLube, BaconPOP, Bacon Ranch and Mmmvelopes. The company was founded on January 9, 2007 by Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow who used a $5,000 prize winning from America's Funniest Home Videos as start capital to launch the business. J&D's used an unconventional, yet successful advertising campaign consisting of on-line Social network services and personal telephone calls to the media to get stories written about them resulting in selling 20,000 jars of their initial product, Bacon Salt, in their first five months of operation.

History

The company launched sales on July 16, 2007, when entrepreneurs Justin Esch and David Lefkow started selling Bacon Salt, a product that was conceived by Esch while considering the virtues of the drink Mitch Morgan, which is composed of a shot of bourbon and a piece of fried bacon as a garnish. The Mitch Morgan got Esch thinking about why bacon's flavor has such a "universal appeal", and what he could do to allow foods to taste like bacon without having the dietary issues. At the time, Esch and Lefkow were working in Seattle, Washington for Jobster and while on a work trip in Miami, FL he intrigued David Lefkow with the concept of Bacon Salt. After registering a trademark and purchasing an internet domain, Esch and Lefkow started producing Bacon Salt.^[1] They funded their company with a $5,000 loan from Lefkow's 3-year-old son Dean, who had won the money on America's Funniest Home Videos for a video in which he smacks his dad with a hit while playing T-Ball. Bacon Salt became a hit, and as of 2007 was sold in all 50 states and 26 other countries. Esch and Lefkow have since repaid the $5,000 loan.^[1]

Marketing

Initially Esch and Lefkow had no advertising budget and were met by resistance from food brokers and distributors who were unwilling to take a chance on an unknown product. Instead of traditional advertising, they sent jars of Bacon Salt to editors of food blogs and set up online profiles for Bacon Salt for online communities including MySpace and Facebook. The technique worked, Esch and Lefkow received 800 orders in the first week for their three varieties (original, hickory, and peppered) which included an order from a customer in Texas for 36 jars. They sold 20,000 jars between their opening in July 2007 and November 2007.^[2] In addition to online marketing, Esch and Lefkow spent an average of 30 minutes per day phoning the media, and explaining why they should do a story about them.^[3]

The Bacon Salt Across America Football Tour

Mayonnaise Wrestling

On October 28, 2008 J&D's Foods hosted The World’s First Charity No Holds Barred Battle To The Death Mayonnaise Wrestling Match at Heavens night club in Seattle, Washington. The event featured three bouts of wrestling in 6,000 lbs of mayonnaise inside a ring made of old mattresses and hay bales. The main event included a fight between combatants dressed in a 7' foam Bacon suit and a giant jar of Mayonnaise. The event promoted the launch of their new bacon flavored mayonnaise, Baconnaise and the money raised benefited the family of a deceased co-worker. J&D's hosted a complimentary BLT sandwich bar served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark bourbon.

The Bacathlon

On November 19, 2009 J&D's Foods hosted The Bacathlon at Heavens night club in Seattle, Washington. Promoted as The World's First Bacon-Themed Multi-Sport Athletic and Endurance Event that featured an attempt to set the World Record for Bacon Eating. The Bacathlon featured local Seattle personalities competing against each other dressed in giant foam Bacon suits. The competitors included Ben Dragavon from the Seattle Sounders, Mark Rahner from ROTTEN Comics, Thee Ted Smith from KISW 99.9 FM, Josh Black a.k.a. Ronald McFondle from Seattle Semi-Pro Wrestling, Justin Barnes from KFNK 104.9 FM, Sheeza Brickhouse from the Rat City Rollergirls, Erik "The Red" Denmark from Major League Eating and Jessica Williams the J&D's Foods Fall 2009 intern. J&D's once again served $3 Mitch Morgan shots made with Maker's Mark bourbon.

Novelty Products

J&D's Foods has used novelty bacon flavored products Bacon Lip Balm, BaconLube and Mmmvelopes to generate media buzz and spread the awareness of their mainstream consumer products.

Products

J&D's sells a variety of bacon related products.

Bacon Salt

Bacon Salt was the first product developed by J&D's Foods.^[1] The first attempt at making bacon salt was done by simply taking a bunch of bacon grease and pouring it over Kosher salt. That attempt result was unsuccessful and according to Esch, tasted disgusting. Upon perfecting the recipe the pair introduced the first three flavors of Bacon Salt; Original, Hickory and Peppered varieties.^[4] J&D's went on to launch Natural Bacon Salt and the Limited Edition Holiday Flavors Cheddar, Jalapeño, Maple, Applewood and Mesquite Bacon Salt in 2008. Bacon Salt is a low sodium, zero calorie, zero fat, vegetarian, Kosher seasoning. Bacon Salt contains no sugar, carbohydrates, cholesterol or nitrates. Hickory Bacon Salt is vegan.^[2][4]

Baconnaise

Main article: Baconnaise

Introduced in October 2008, Baconnaise is a bacon flavored mayonnaise spread available in both Regular and Lite versions.^[5] Jon Stewart of The Daily Show described Baconnaise as being "for people who want heart disease but are too lazy to actually make the bacon."^[6][7]

Bacon Lip Balm

Introduced in October 2008, Bacon Lip Balm is a bacon flavored Chap Stick. J&D's bacon-inspired lip balm, which is a "hot seller" on their web site, having sold over 50,000 units, often by the dozen. Customer reviews range from being described as the worst thing they have ever heard of to the greatest thing ever.^[4] When Esch and Lefkow appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show in March 2009, Winfrey's co-hosts Mark Consuelos and Ali Wentworth applied Bacon Lip Balm during the interview.

BaconPOP

Introduced in November 2009, BaconPOP is a bacon flavored microwave popcorn.

Bacon Ranch

Introduced in November 2009, Bacon Ranch is a bacon flavored ranch dip/mix. Bacon Ranch dip mix needs to be combined with buttermilk, sour cream and/or mayonnaise.

Mmmvelopes

Introduced in November 2009, Mmmvelopes are bacon flavored envelopes that both look like pieces of bacon and taste like bacon when licked.

Charity work?

Operation Bacon Salt

In 2008 J&D's Foods launched Operation Bacon Salt, a charitable initiative that to provide troops serving abroad in areas like Iraq and Afghanistan where pork is not readily available Bacon Salt, a Kosher, vegetarian, non-perishable bacon flavored seasoning salt. After receiving several compelling emails from troops stationed abroad J&D's began mailing free Bacon Salt to troops in need.

See also

Bacon portal

• Bacon mania

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} Edwards, Sue (November 27, 2007). "Entrepreneurs 'Decided it Was Time to Make the World Taste Like Bacon'". Kitsap Sun. http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2007/nov/27/entrepreneurs-145decided-it-was-time-to-make-the/. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Gaudette, Karen (November 14, 2007). "Bacon in a bottle: It's "holy" to fans". Seattle Times. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2004012074_baconsalt14.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
3. ^ Isen, Cheryl (June 20, 2008). "Start a company with $5,000? How the Bacon Salt guys did it". Puget Sound Business Journal. http://www.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2008/06/23/smallb2.html. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
4. ^ ^{a b c} Karlinsky, Neal (April 21, 2009). "'Bacontrepreneurs' Building Bacon Empire". ABC News. http://abcnews.go.com/WN/story?id=7391205&pa. Retrieved 2009-05-07. 
5. ^ Robinson, Tasha (2008-12-09). "Taste Test: Baconnaise". A.V. Club. http://www.avclub.com/articles/taste-test-baconnaise,2557/. Retrieved 2009-03-15. 
6. ^ "Wednesday February 25, 2009 - Tom Selleck". The Daily Show. 2009-02-25.
7. ^ "Baconnaise on The Daily Show". Seattlest. 2009-02-26. http://seattlest.com/2009/02/26/baconnaise_on_the_daily_show.php. Retrieved 2009-03-04. 

External links

• J&D's Down Home Enterprises