Why Deep River Will Never Stop “Giving a Chip,” with Founder and CEO Jim Goldberg

Brand Builder

If you want to understand Deep River Snacks, look no further than their infamous tagline -

“Because we give a chip.”

The company makes small-batch, non GMO kettle chips, popcorn, and tortilla chips, but their mission is so much bigger than that. It's about using their amazingly successful, irresistible product as a platform for good.

It’s why they feature a different charity on every single variety of Deep River snacks. And not just any cause will do. They feature causes that they have a personal connection to. Whether it's breast cancer, Crohn's disease, or liver disease, these are issues that the people behind Deep River and those closest to them face every single day.

It's also why they've turned down some major distribution opportunities. If it doesn't feel right and isn't consistent with their mission, Jim and the Deep River crew just can't put their name on it (and vice versa).

That being said, the brand is about to embark on something entirely new (and a little scary for Jim) - opening up the conversation to their consumers by letting them decide which charity will appear on Deep River's new Black Truffle flavored kettle chips.

We got the scoop on what “Giving a Chip” is all about from founder and CEO Jim Goldberg in this moving episode of Brand Builder. In its essence, it means caring about the people in your life, and doing something to make an impact.

Jim says it best:

“That’s what give a chip means - we do what we do because it’s the right thing to do. Period.”

In this conversation, you'll learn the following takeaways:

• Be a fierce brand protector. Jim explains why authenticity is everything in CPG, and how to keep your brand identity true to you.
• Never Lose the Bootstrap. Highly leveraged brands that shouldn’t fail often do - and it’s because they forget what it feels like to be bootstrapped. Jim tells us how he’s kept the bootstrap mindset at Deep River, even as they’ve taken on investors.
• Culture = Brand. Culture is never really internal. Who you hire and how treat your employees has a direct effect on the brand you put out in the world.

Jump to

• The Deep River origin story. 3:08
• Jim shares a moving story about the power of the "Give a Chip" tagline. 5:27
• Jim explains what the tagline means and why it's central to the brand. 8:06
• Jim tells us what he learned from working in Big Food, and how that impacted the culture at Deep River. 9:05
• Jim breaks down the difference between the Deep River brand and their product. 13:30
• Jim tells us why he and the team are allowing the fans to choose the next charity that will appear on the Deep River bag, and he why loves the idea even though it makes him a little nervous. 16:06
• Jim explains why Deep River will never lose the bootstrap mindset. 18:23

Links

• Deep River
• Deep River’s Put a Cause on it Campaign
• Deep River’s Honchos
• Jim Goldberg on LinkedIn
• @deepriversnacks on Twitter
• @deepriversnacks on Instagram
• Deep River Snacks on Facebook

Have an idea for the show? Drop us a line! [e-mail].

Brand Builder is presented by SnackNation.