Craize Crackers: Building an Omnichannel DTC Growth Engine for a Better-For-You Snack Brand

Visit the brand at gocraize.com.

Craize Crackers is a modern snack brand built around real ingredients, bold flavor, and a mission-driven approach to better-for-you eating. As awareness grew and retail distribution expanded, the opportunity became clear: build a DTC and omnichannel system that could educate customers, convert efficiently, and support both online and in-store growth.

The challenge was not product quality. It was creating the systems that turn interest into predictable performance, while aligning the digital funnel with retail availability.

Project Summary
Built a scalable DTC and omnichannel growth framework for Craize Crackers by aligning acquisition, funnel strategy, retail store-driving, retention, and analytics into one cohesive system.

Laying the DTC Foundation

We started by defining the role DTC would play alongside retail. The goal was to build a channel that could educate customers, capture first-party data, and strengthen brand equity, while supporting broader distribution.

  • Clarified DTC objectives and success metrics
  • Aligned messaging with customer intent and buying context
  • Established tracking and performance baselines for better decision-making

This foundation ensured decisions were guided by economics and learning velocity, not guesswork.

Acquisition and Funnel Strategy

For food and snack brands, the customer journey is driven by trust, education, and convenience. We structured acquisition funnels to meet customers where they were in the decision process.

  • Built clear entry points for first-time buyers
  • Optimized landing flows to reduce friction and improve conversion
  • Tested messaging angles tied to ingredients, use cases, and lifestyle

The focus was building repeatable learnings that could compound over time, rather than relying on short-term spikes.

Omnichannel Growth: Connecting DTC and Retail

Because Craize Crackers had retail distribution, a key part of the strategy was deciding when to sell direct and when to drive customers to nearby stores.

We designed an omnichannel approach that adjusted the call to action based on customer stage of the funnel.

  • Early-stage discovery campaigns focused on education and awareness, while highlighting availability at nearby supermarkets and stores.
  • Mid-funnel audiences were guided toward the most convenient purchase path, whether that was DTC or local retail.
  • High-intent and returning customers were directed to DTC for deeper engagement and first-party data capture.

This strategy supported retail partners while still building a direct relationship with customers, without forcing a single purchase path.

The result was more efficient media usage, stronger retailer alignment, and clearer visibility into how digital marketing influenced in-store demand.

Retention and Repeat Purchase Strategy

Once acquisition was functioning reliably, we shifted focus to retention. For consumable products, repeat behavior is a core driver of profitability.

  • Implemented structured post-purchase communication
  • Reinforced product value and usage through education
  • Created re-engagement pathways for returning customers

This helped Craize begin building predictable customer lifetime value rather than relying solely on new customer acquisition.

Data, Visibility, and Decision-Making

A key part of the work was ensuring the team could clearly see what was working and why.

  • Unified performance data across acquisition and on-site behavior
  • Established KPIs tied to growth and efficiency
  • Created a feedback loop between insights and execution

This visibility enabled faster decisions and higher confidence in scaling.

The Outcome

Craize Crackers emerged with a DTC and omnichannel system designed for scale. Not a one-off campaign, but a framework that supports learning velocity, retail alignment, and long-term brand value.

  • Converted brand awareness into direct customer relationships
  • Created an omnichannel structure that supported both DTC and retail sell-through
  • Improved learning speed through cleaner data and clearer funnel visibility

Gratitude

I’m sincerely grateful to Leonardo Cotter for the opportunity to work together. He is a fantastic entrepreneur, a clear visionary, and a strong leader. His openness to thoughtful execution and long-term thinking made this collaboration both productive and genuinely rewarding.

Want to build an omnichannel growth system that connects DTC and retail?

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FAQs

What did ITTD do for Craize Crackers?

ITTD helped structure Craize Crackers’ DTC and omnichannel growth system by aligning acquisition strategy, funnel optimization, retail store-driving, retention, and analytics visibility.

How did omnichannel strategy factor into Craize Crackers’ growth?

Depending on customer stage, we guided audiences either to local supermarkets and stores or to the DTC channel, ensuring digital efforts supported retail sell-through while still building direct customer relationships.

How did you decide when to send customers to retail versus DTC?

Early-stage discovery campaigns emphasized nearby availability, while higher-intent and returning audiences were directed to DTC for deeper engagement and first-party data capture.

Why is omnichannel especially important for food brands?

Food brands benefit from retail convenience and impulse purchases. Omnichannel strategies let digital marketing influence in-store demand while still building long-term brand equity and data through DTC.

Did this approach support retail partners?

Yes. The strategy was designed to complement retail by driving qualified traffic to nearby stores and supporting retailer relationships rather than competing with them.