The Making of a New Product: Dave's Killer Bread

An interview with Dan Letchinger’s, Director of Marketing for Dave’s Killer Bread.

In case you missed it, Dave's Killer Bread, Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains & Seeds, was chosen as a Pick of the Week for Phil's Food Reviews. We followed up with Dan Letchinger, Director of Marketing, to find out more about the development of this outstanding product. 

What inspired you to create your new product? Is there a particular niche or segment of the market you were focusing on? 

Our Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains & Seeds is inspired by our best-seller, Deli-Style 21 Whole Grains and Seeds. We used the same blend of 21 different seeds and ancient grains to coat the crust and use in the dough, giving the bread that subtle sweetness and hearty texture our fans had come to expect, while reducing the size and calories. 

When we were creating this variety, we wanted to appeal to consumers who want a slimmer, lighter bread option, but aren't willing to sacrifice on taste and nutrition.

What makes your product different and able to stand out against similar ones? How important has differentiation been in developing this product?

Dave’s Killer Bread pioneered the organic seeded bread category. Our commitment to quality ingredients and baking the best bread in the universe is really bar none. One thing that really makes our Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds stand out is the nutrition profile. Most reduced calorie breads are low in calories but also free from just about anything else nutritious. Our Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds has just 60 calories per slice, but also packs in 13g of whole grains, three grams of protein, and 140mg of Omega-3’s.

What was the process like of designing your package, and how do you feel the final result has impacted perceptions of your product? 

As with all of our packaging, it is really important our logo shouts from the bag. The Dave’s Killer Bread logo has a very unique design that stops people in their tracks when they are shopping the bread aisle. When we designed the packaging for Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds, it was important for us to keep this bold shelf shout, but also highlight the nutrition profile of this product, with the headline calorie count (60 calories) being front and center. Since we launched this product over three years ago, Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds has gone on to be one of our top-selling breads, so we are very happy with the consumer response!

Does your product have relevant health attributes? What are they? 

The Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds is packed with nutrition. Each slice offers three grams of protein, three grams of fiber and 13 grams of whole grains. Plus, the bread is Project Non-GMO Verified and USDA Certified Organic. It offers a health profile that really helps the bread stand-out amongst the competition.

What sustainability efforts have you made with your product/packaging?

Our packaging is made from low-density polyethylene (LDPE), making it completely recyclable. As for our product, we are committed to creating lasting change for our community. For us, this means sustainable communities, and to this end, we donate over 300,000 loaves of bread each year to local food shelters and non-profit organizations – that’s enough bread to make three million sandwiches.

Through creating a new product, what would you say were the most difficult parts of the process and what came the easiest? 

Since our breads are made with only USDA Certified Organic and Non-GMO Project Verified ingredients, we don’t use any artificial dough conditioners, artificial preservatives, or chemical additives that extend shelf life or make the breads easy to mass produce. Fortunately, we have a talented group of bakers with a long history of organic baking, so we are able to overcome any obstacles we might encounter during the baking process.

Anything you would change if you were starting from scratch again?

Thin-Sliced 21 Whole Grains and Seeds is one of our best-selling breads and the response from consumers continues to be nothing short of phenomenal. We couldn’t be happier with this product!

Besides your product, what's one out on the market that you admire?

Other products we really admire are Tillamook Cheese and Glory Bee Honey. We believe that both of these Oregon-based brands use the highest-quality, clean ingredients in their products to bring out the best flavor in their foods, something we always try to do ourselves.