Should Mantry Change Its Name?
Man Baskets.
That was the original name for Mantry. A food subscription business tailored to guys. We came up with it in a fake British pub in Toronto, one of those “Foggy Suds” or “London Lion” type ones that smell like the floors are mopped with stout. It took about 18 seconds and then we changed it to the second name that came along, Mantry. We were stocking the pantry of men, of man, Mantry!
Within a week we had a website and were shipping boxes, by the end of the year we were on The Today Show. It all happened so fast, the brand locked in so quick, it felt like riding a raging Hippopotamus that had been drinking out of a trough of Monster Energy.
Flash forward 10 years.
Mantry (The Modern Man’s Pantry).
Now, I can’t honestly tell if that’s the only reason we’ve ever sold a single crate in the first place or if it’s holding us back. Being hyper-focused on dudes with a cheesy punny name seems to help with the gift game for Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day and Christmas but could it be deterring a whole slew of potential happy subscribers?
The world has changed immensely in 10 years. At 35, I have much less of a grasp on what people want in a brand. In 2012, I lived and died by the quote “If you are selling to everybody you are selling to nobody”. Would we have sold millions of dollars in boxes if it was called “Table 34” or “Spring Crate” or “Pantry & Provisions” or some other gourmet sounding, beige but safer name?
Who knows, I would love to hear what you think. Maybe we change it for the next 10?
-Reggie Milligan, Co-Founder, Mantry.com
