It’s an exciting time for makers, artists, and entrepreneurs of every kind as opportunities to launch online stores are limitless. Shoppers can now buy everything from glow-in-the-dark toilet paper, craft beer and cars to bespoke perfume, engagement rings and leashes for chickens — all in a few taps or clicks. But while it’s never been easier to start an ecommerce brand, it’s also never been tougher to grow one.
The increasingly crowded field has made it harder to stand out. Apple’s privacy changes have also reduced the effectiveness of ad targeting and opportunities to create personalized experiences. Entrepreneurs like you need more help than ever to grow brands, earn new customers, and nurture those customer relationships.
That’s why we’re thrilled to introduce Zest to the world.
We’re building a platform that helps brands grow by harnessing a surprising secret weapon hiding in plain sight, one whose potential has long been undervalued and untapped — until now. We believe that the gifting experience will play a massive part in the future of ecommerce.
Zest is on a mission to transform not only how people send gifts, but how brands acquire and engage customers through gifting.
— Alex Ingram, Co-founder of Zest
We’re the founders of Zest—Alex and Jeremy. The two of us have been friends and collaborators for nearly a decade, starting when we both worked at Flatiron Health, a company dedicated to improving cancer treatment and advancing research. While cancer research and ecommerce are worlds apart, we were excited to build in a new category, specifically one that helped small business owners succeed.
We saw the nearly limitless opportunities for today’s entrepreneurs to start direct-to-consumer brands, but also the immense challenges that were getting in their way. As we talked to passionate brand owners who had launched stores selling everything from chocolate to bath products to coffee, we discovered a clear common thread. They all were searching for new ways to connect with existing customers and find new ones.
It didn’t take long to see how big of an impact a better online gifting experience could have on DTC brands, their shoppers, and the future of ecommerce experiences as a whole. We now live and breathe gifting along with the other members of the Zest team. Click the button to read up on the rest of our story and how we’re turning gifting into your greatest experience yet.
