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According to past winners, winning the SOFI Award provides specialty food manufacturers with a highly effective marketing tool that they can use to attract the attention of retail and wholesale buyers.
“We’re big fans of this program and really feel like this was created for small artisan brands like us,” said Carrie’s Charleston Biscuits, which has won a total of 23 SOFI Awards. says President and Founder Carrie Morley. “We feel it is very important and we are very honored to win so many awards and take our hats off to be recognized.”
The North Charleston, S.C.-based company’s latest sofi award saw its Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits cheese and chive biscuits win gold in the bread category. Morley said winning the SOFI award will help the company’s brand stand out among its many large CPG competitors.
“We highlight winning these awards in every buyer presentation we do,” she said. “We promote it at every opportunity, just to make sure it’s not too offensive.”
Morley said the SOFI Awards are well known in the industry and winning products attract buyers’ attention, especially at fancy food shows where winners are on display.
“Many buyers go first at shows to see who’s topping their category, who has the best new products, and who wins time and time again. I say it’s the location,” Morley said. “It kind of speaks for itself.”
Elyce Zahn, owner of CocoTutti Chocolates in San Francisco, agreed that winning the sofi Award helps her get noticed by wholesale buyers. These buyers understand that the winners were selected from a competitive field that included national and international product entries.
“Having third-party recognition is great, especially for our marketing,” Zahn said. The company recently won its second SOFI award. This time, the CocoTutti Lakama Moroccan Spice with Lime product won the gold award, this time in the chocolate candy category.
“I think it will really spark interest from wholesalers, especially if we win two awards,” she said. “This shows that there may be value in other products that we are not in.”
Zahn agreed that winning a SOFI award helps differentiate a brand from competitors who don’t win such awards.
Kara Young, community manager for Vermont Creamery, a Websterville, Vermont-based company that has won several SOFI awards, said the company’s sales team values awards as “evidence” of a brand’s quality. He said he was doing it.
“In our experience, that’s what resonates with potential customers,” she said.
The company’s most recent SOFI Award was awarded last year for Vermont Creamery Strawberry Spritz Goat Cheese in the Cheese/Non-Dairy category.
“The SOFI Award showcases the best and most innovative products. Winning the SOFI Award demonstrates our continued commitment to innovation, creativity and quality dairy products,” said Young. Ta. “This award helps reaffirm our team’s commitment to excellence, always putting taste above all else.”
Tim Hallatin, president of Atlanta-based Built by Beads, agreed that winning the SOFI Award will help them market their products and build brand recognition.
“Kudos to the product manufacturers,” he said.
Built By Bees has also won multiple sofi Awards, including a Gold Award in 2022 for its Bee Razzled Honey Shrub product in the Alcoholic Beverages and Cocktail Mixes category.
“Sophie is definitely a big award,” Haratine said. “People know about it, but for those who don’t, we tell them about it. We are proud of our Sofis.”
Entries are now being accepted for the 2024 sofi Awards.More information available here.
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