ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

TikTok Became Game Changer for a New York Business Accepting Beans as Currency; Here's How it Works

What set this pop-up apart from the usual retail rendezvous was the exclusive use of beans as the sole currency for transactions.
PUBLISHED DEC 10, 2023
https://heydaycanning.com/
https://heydaycanning.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynkavner/
Heyday products | LinkedIn/Kathryn Kavner 

In a bold move to elevate its brand recognition, Heyday Canning Co., recognized for its array of flavored beans, recently orchestrated a pop-up event in the bustling city of New York. What set this pop-up apart from the usual retail rendezvous was the exclusive use of beans as the sole currency for transactions. From November 30 to December 3, 2023, the startup's retail location in lower Manhattan witnessed a surge of visitors eager to participate in this unconventional bean bonanza. In the age of social media, everyone wanted to be a part of the eye-catching experiment, making it a piece of marketing brilliance.

Heyday's ingenious marketing ploy aimed at cutting through social media noise found unexpected success, largely attributed to the pop-up's resonance on TikTok. Kathryn Kavner, the Co-founder and CEO, expressed her excitement about the overwhelming response, citing TikTok as the driving force behind the event's popularity. The brand witnessed remarkable growth, with TikTok contributing to an increase of more than 300% in followers as well as more than 13,000 profile views in just one week.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynkavner/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynkavner/

The pop-up's modus operandi took customers back in time with a barter system where attendees could exchange cans of any bean brand for Heyday's premium flavored beans and exclusive merchandise. Notably, all beans swapped during the event were matched 1:1 by Heyday, and those received were subsequently donated to City Harvest, a New York City-based food bank.

The brainchild behind this unconventional concept was Reed Kavner, Kavner's older brother and a Brooklyn-based comedy show producer. Despite costing 30% of Heyday's quarterly marketing budget, the event conceptualized in just four weeks succeeded in surpassing the startup's expectations. While Heyday had already established a retail presence in major stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts, the pop-up aimed to bridge the gap between its distribution and brand awareness, with TikTok becoming the game changer.

Heyday had initially focused on cultivating an organic following on Instagram, boasting approximately 7,000 followers. However, TikTok emerged as the unexpected catalyst, propelling the pop-up to unforeseen heights. The brand hosted a pre-event gathering for "friends of the brand" to generate buzz, in addition to paid promotions, including an ad in Cool Stuff NYC's newsletter.



 

The overwhelming success of the pop-up presented challenges as the demand quickly outpaced the supply of Heyday's merchandise and flavored beans. Heyday had to implement a one-to-one per-person swap limit and even overnighted additional bean inventory to meet the soaring demand.

Despite the logistical hurdles, the pop-up exemplified the power of innovative and engaging events in the age of changing advertising landscapes. Heyday's unique approach fueled by beans as currency not only created a memorable experience for attendees but also fueled genuine virality, showcasing the potential of unconventional strategies in brand promotion. As the brand reflects on the unexpected success, plans for future ventures and unconventional events are already on the horizon, promising exciting prospects for Heyday Canning Co.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The two cunning Sharks worked out a creative deal for the innovative product.
11 hours ago
The guest was surprised that the person gifted her such a precious item.
12 hours ago
The founders of "Slick Barrier" chose to put the Sharks in harms way to demonstrate their product.
1 day ago
The item that was rejected by the guest's family turned out to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
1 day ago
Even host Drew Carey noted such a win hadn't happened since he took over the show in 2007.
1 day ago
The guest who paid $7,000 for the collection was delighted to get a hefty return.
2 days ago
The 30-year retired veteran literally "aced" the card game to win a brand new Kia car.
2 days ago
The guest was beyond delighted to find out that her grandmother's gift was worth thousands.
2 days ago
The item was a sculpture made by Noah Purifoy Watts using nothing but debris.
3 days ago
The guest was flabbergasted to learn the value of her family's most prized possession.
3 days ago
The guest who inherited Harry Bertoia sculpture was beyond delighted to find out its true value.
4 days ago
It wasn't just a coat but a 'grand piece of history' that ended up on Harrison's table.
4 days ago
The painting rescued by the guest's father later turned out to be worth five figures.
4 days ago
The guest who collected the items over 40 years was delighted by the nearly six-figure appraisal.
5 days ago
The guest broke down in tears after finding out that her favorite memorabilia was a rare artifact.
5 days ago
The guests were astonished to find out how valuable their father's memorabilia was.
6 days ago
Gibbons was shocked to see the suit that he had lost on an airplane decades ago.
6 days ago
Many who didn't like Seacrest at first seemed to have come around through the season.
Jun 13, 2025
The guest couldn't believe her ears when she heard that her old gift from a friend was worth $10,000.
Jun 13, 2025
The presentation from the founders of "Bear Minimum" managed to move multiple Sharks.
Jun 13, 2025