TheaWellbeing
We recently wrapped up our very first Kickstarter campaign for Melo, a breathing exercise device for wellness and mindfulness. Kickstarter campaigns are a whirlwind, and so we'd just like to firstly give credit where it's due: our backers and everyone that helped bring this campaign to life. Thank you all! Had you all not been willing to believe in our first product launch — Melo, share and help us out with your feedback, this campaign would not have happened. Thank you!
Even with the amazing support of our backers, we know all too well that launching a new product can be overwhelming. Is crowdfunding a route you're looking to take? Before you take the plunge, it’s helpful to optimise and get an understanding of what are some of the best ways to launch – even better when it’s coming from a team that has already launched a Kickstarter campaign successfully.
We asked Matt Berger, our CEO at TheaWellbeing to share a little bit about what inspired the making of the Melo Kickstarter campaign – and about the future of TheaWellbeing. Enjoy his practical thoughts on crowdfunding, launching a product during a pandemic, plus some insights into what he learned on this journey to help you plan your crowdfunding campaign…
Although raising finance is almost always the main aim of a crowdfunding campaign, it can also be a great way to gain visibility, manage production minimums, build a community of advocates as well as validate the demand for your product – in a way that traditional routes to market could never achieve.
Understandably, launching a crowdfunding campaign in the current climate could seem somewhat daunting, as people may be more cautious about how they spend their money. However, Kickstarter’s numbers have shown that backers are still showing up to support projects, so don’t lose hope, there are still opportunities for a successful campaign. Adjusting your funding strategy and curating a plan that focuses on building community and giving backers strong reasons for funding will be vital in these times.
After nearly two years of developing Melo, Matt explained that although the world was entering some turbulent times and people would be going through a lot of stress and anxiety, this was still the right time to launch. Especially, because “the main purpose of Melo is to reduce and control your breathing which in turn helps your body deal with what life throws at you…a perfect time”.
Rather than going with one product model at launch, we decided to add some diversification and offer 2 models to expand the original target market. Matt shares that initially, “we wanted to create a device that most people would be able to purchase so we created our Essence version which has everything you need, included in the box.’ But after doing some user research, with friends and family, it was decided to introduce a premium model that has wireless charging and extra accessories as well as a copper finish. For Melo, “this has translated into some strong backing and we are very pleased to be able to offer a choice.” says Matt.
According to Matt Berger
Focus on community “we had the most amazing comments from our new worldwide community which we hope are now friends.”
Build relationships with people and companies who are experts and listen to their advice...after all, they have done it before so they do know best!
Our Melo Kickstarter campaign is now finished and we are very busy behind the scenes bringing Melo to life. Following on from some final changes and signing off on tooling, Melo will be ready for shipping this November. Matt also confirmed, “we are also in deep discussions on the next product to welcome into the TheaWellbeing family.”
Watch this space for more exciting Kickstarter projects, but in the meantime feel free to check out our Melo project.
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