Jennifer Boggiss and Ruby Grant from Heilala Vanilla came and shared their amazing 20-year journey.
From humble beginnings to a global success story, Jennifer and Ruby gave Marketing Professionals Bay of Plenty (MoPed) a real behind-the-scenes look at Heilala Vanilla’s brand, marketing, and business journey.
In 2002, after Cyclone Waka devastated Tonga, Jennifer’s father, John Ross and his family partnered with a local family in the village of Utungake. Together, they planted a small vanilla plantation that blossomed into Heilala Vanilla - a globally loved brand with its heart in the Pacific.
Learning and respecting the cultural differences in the Pacific Islands.
Heilala is proud to be the world’s first vanilla company to achieve B Corp Certification, proving that business can be a force for good.
They have also adapted to working in ‘island time,’ where Sundays are sacred, ships are infrequent, and life moves at a slower pace.
With a long growing cycle, patience pays.
Vanilla orchids take up to 6 years to flower and are hand-pollinated within 6 hours of flowering. Around nine months after pollination, mature green beans are ready to be picked when the beans have ripened on the vine. Beans are then hand-selected, aged and filtered for three months in extraction tanks to create Heilala vanilla extract.
Resilience, learning and moving forward even when things are outside your control.
For Heilala, this has included cyclones, COVID, dealing with competition, understanding and embracing new cultures, and staying true to their ‘why’.
Building genuine relationships.
Jennifer and Ruby have worked hard to forge ongoing relationships with magazines, chefs, and outlets worldwide. Understanding what you can bring to a partnership for the greater good, rather than just being driven by what you can get out of it.
The joy of marketing a product that has an authentic origin story.
The Heilala story is one that genuinely helps people and drives a united belief in a vanilla that is authentic (and so much better than imitation produced by competitors).
Curiosity and exploring opportunities outside of baking and food service.
Heilala have elevated their brand in many new ways by successfully collaborating with celebrities and brands, such as: Nigella Lawson, Whittaker's Chocolate, Bon Appétit magazine, and Australian pâtissier and television presenter Adriano Zumbo, among others.
Giving back.
Every purchase of Heilala vanilla directly supports local schools, hospitals, and families in Tonga, while strong partnerships with local farmers ensure that every bean is ethically grown and harvested.
Thanks again, Jennifer and Ruby, for sharing Heilala Vanilla’s incredible story.