I haven’t written one of these in a while. But something grabbed my attention over the bank holiday weekend.
So Victorious Festival the in their own words “The Biggest festival in the South”. They did something mental. I have tried to reach them for comment on it so far no success.
So full disclosure I wanted to supply Victorious Festival with straws, they politely declined and that was the end of it, they don’t use straws in their bars, an excellent and cheap way to reduce straw usage, so we can't knock them for that.
No straw, is what a few people on various dark corners of the internet, like to belligerently type in capital letters, once they have put on their suit of armour unsheathed their great-sword and sat down comfortably at their computer.
“LIFT CUP AND SIP”. I can hear it being thunderously pounded into the keyboard.
I did a video about this in March. Click here to see it.
So, Victorious rejected Turtle Straws and what I want to talk about is an insane Paid Partnership they did over the weekend, but first I need to explain why am not bitter, as coming across as bitter and twisted is one of my deepest and darkest fears.
I have been rejected 1000s of times in the process of setting up Turtle Straws, I started with minimal sales experience, no idea what marketing was, I didn’t understand shipping terms or negotiation.
Every time a person, business or even friend rejects the concept the product, I write it down, in the back of my notebook. Then I pick up the phone, write another email, make another video. When I started I was a bumbling mess on the phone, now I’m excited when I pick it up. I used to write, read and reread my emails, now I just hit send I know they work.
In the last year we have shifted 1.6 million straws and that’s not because it was easy, it’s because every time I got rejected I would learn something about myself, something about the product, the type of businesses and people I wanted to work with.
Then I saw it Fuzetea, Paid Partnership with Victorious Festival, Fuzetea comes in plastic bottles. I thought perhaps these guys aren't the right people to be putting energy into.
Victorious like many festivals have been making a song and a dance, pardon the pun, about reduction of waste and plastic, water refill stations and bring your own bottles, no straws #LIFT CUP AND SIP.
So why the ridiculous paid partnership, no idea, but it was probably for a big bag of gold. I can’t help but think, if Victorious Fest need a big bag of gold, why not get it for promoting the right thing;
“Victorious branded, insulated bottles for your water refills” Straight away that would make more money than a Paid Partnership.
“Buy a reusable cup that can be traded for a clean one each time, to be returned at the end of the festival or kept as keepsake ”
If that was all too much work there are 1000s of Eco friendly brands that actually would have fit the Festival’s mould and have been pumped to be involved.
Talking of mould and being pumped, if you think that Turtle straws fits your mould and you are about looking for sustainable solutions as opposed to making a fast buck we would be absolutely pumped to send you a sample. If you think that it would be a Victory to have the best and most sustainable straw available at the moment you can preorder them here.
Ps.Turtle Straws orders will be fulfilled in late September we have seen extremely high demand of late. We are offering and extra 15% to any orders made before then.
Pps. I also don't hate Victorious my sister went and my mum said she thoroughly enjoyed listening to Lewis Capaldi sitting in her Garden, it just stresses me out that they went for the Fuzetea when there are so many other options.