# Advice Line with Gary Erickson of Clif Bar

- Show: [How I Built This](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this)
- Published: 2024-05-09
- Length: 54m
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar

## Summary

Gary Erickson, founder of Clif Bar, joins Guy Raz to advise three early-stage founders. He discusses Clif Bar’s strategy of targeting niche communities like cyclists and climbers to build a mass-market brand, and how aggressive marketing and athlete endorsements helped them compete with Power Bar. The episode features James of Stoke Plastics/Opolis Optics, who seeks advice on marketing a vertically integrated sustainable plastic business; Valerie Franklin of Artisans Cooperative, who asks how to compete with Etsy and Amazon as a member-owned marketplace; and Elsie of Lily Brush, who wants to scale her pet hair removal tool brand against cheap knockoffs.

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar#t=0) Introduction: Gary Erickson and Clif Bar's History
- [3:07](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar#t=187) Clif Bar's Grassroots Marketing and Community Strategy
- [5:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar#t=335) Advice for James: Marketing Stoke Plastics and Opolis Optics
- [20:51](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar#t=1251) Advice for Valerie: Competing with Etsy and Amazon
- [35:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-05-09-advice-line-with-gary-erickson-of-clif-bar#t=2147) Advice for Elsie: Scaling Lily Brush and Handling Copycats

## Topics

- [Marketing & brand](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/marketing-and-brand)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Pricing, margins & unit economics](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pricing-and-unit-economics)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies, companies scaling up, founders before launch

## Mentioned

- Clif Bar (product)
- Stoke Plastics (company)
- Opolis Optics (product)
- Power Bar (product)
- Etsy (company)
- Artisans Cooperative (company)
- Lily Brush (product)
- Amazon (company)
- PetSmart (company)
- The Container Store (company)
- Bissell (company)
- TRX (product)
- Shark Tank (other)

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## Citing this page

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