Montreal-based popcorn maker Bad Monkey is on track for exponential sales growth after signing partnerships with Disney in the US and Kraft Heinz in Canada.
Bad Monkey has been a partner of Disney in Canada for a few months and has signed an American deal with the entertainment giant, which will make little Quebec monkeys its advertising medium in grocery stores. Bad Monkey’s product packaging will feature the colors of Marvel Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy and other films such as Strange World.
The partnership was established by sending messages to a Disney executive via the LinkedIn social network. With no response after a first try, Bad Monkey co-founder Fabio Zeppilli was adamant.
“The person was probably tired of my insistence and told me to ship my products to Florida! She tasted and loved; the people in his office ate everything! », says the 40-year-old entrepreneur, who was then able to start the negotiation.
The same tactic was used to reach Kraft Heinz, which Bad Monkey will use to sell Kraft Diner, peanut butter and ketchup-flavored popcorn in Canada.
In Quebec, the brand has teamed up with La Cage for the SuperBowl.
From Avocado to Popcorn King
Bad Monkey comes from an affectionate nickname inherited from the mother of brothers Fabio and Joseph Zeppilli, who were called ugly little monkeys when they were wild. Fabio was a lawyer and his brother was in finance when they started selling their popcorn for children’s parties in 2016.
Bored with their respective careers, they wished to go into business with a product that would have “the attitude and energy of Red Bull and the quality of Starbucks at a price close to Wal-Mart.” »
A first Metro grocer invited them to market their product and gradually Bad Monkey was invited to other branches and then joined the IGA. The two brothers had rented an apartment in North Montreal to manufacture their wares and slept on small mattresses on the floor.
“Our mother was nervous. I sold my car and my brother his condo to invest in our project. We put everything into Bad Monkey and didn’t earn a salary for two years,” recalls Fabio.
Dragons and Achievements
A stint on the show Dans l’œil du dragon in 2018 opened many doors and another on the Canadian version provided new impetus. The Dragons wanted to be partners, but ultimately a deal didn’t materialize as investors got greedy.
The company is now owned by the Zeppilli brothers and Champlain Financial Corporation, a growth partner.
Bad Monkey is distributed in more than 18,000 retail outlets in America and beyond. The brand begins to diversify its products by launching popcorn chocolate, an alternative to nut-based snacks.
“Our goal is to become a Quebec Kellogg’s in the snack market,” says Fabio Zeppilli enthusiastically.
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