A Conversation with the Co-founder, immi
There is no shortage of brand marketing trends in the packaged food & beverage industry, but nostalgia stands firmly at the top of the list. Nostalgia has proven itself as a powerful tool for brand building, offering a unique way to connect with consumers on a deeper emotional level.
immi, known for its better-for-you instant ramen, strikes the perfect balance of the playful memories of childhood with modern nutritional innovations, allowing ramen lovers to reunite with familiar flavors without sacrificing healthy habits.
In the few short years since immi’s inception, co-founders Kevin Chanthasiriphan and Kevin Lee have built a major competitor in the instant ramen aisle, earning them recognition in Forbes, Food Network, Fast Company, The Today Show and more. In this edition of Founder to Founder, we sit down with Kevin Chanthasiriphan, exploring how his personal and professional experiences have influenced how immi leverages nostalgia to create a lasting impact and stand out in a crowded marketplace.
Key Takeaways…
- Draw from personal experiences to create a brand that resonates deeply with consumers. Kevin and his co-founder tapped into childhood memories of instant ramen to establish an authentic emotional connection.
- Balance nostalgic elements with modern trends. immi offers low-carb, high-protein ramen, appealing to health-conscious consumers while maintaining familiar flavors.
- Design packaging that stands out and evokes nostalgia. immi uses bright colors and exciting designs to capture attention and convey their brand’s unique value.
- Focus on nostalgia in digital ad campaigns to boost engagement. immi’s nostalgia-focused ads tend to yield higher click-through rates and purchase conversions.
- Embrace light-hearted branding. Evoking joyful memories in your customers can give you a leg up in a crowded marketplace.
1. What first inspired you to incorporate such strong nostalgic elements into the immi brand? How do you balance these traditional elements with modern innovation in your branding strategy?
When launching immi’s instant ramen we wanted to bring something authentic to market that we’d be proud to share with the world. For us, instant ramen was a cornerstone food while growing up. Our earliest experience with ramen stemmed from when we were kids. My co-founder (Kevin Lee) and I grew up as latch key kids with both of our parents working during the day, so the easiest way to feed ourselves was insant ramen. It was our go-to meal whie doing homework or watching cartoons (or both at the same time).
So, when creating a better-for-you version of ramen, we immediately went back to our childhood memories of ramen. We pulled deep from the well of nostalgia to capture the fun, delicious, and comforting aspects of instant ramen because that was authentic to us. In trying to make our brand retro yet still relevant, we lean on modern nutritional preferences (low-carb, high-protein, high fiber) for a modern twist and flare. The ramen we had as kids had nowhere near the same nutritional profile as what immi offers today.
2. How do you ensure that the nostalgic elements of the immi brand are conveyed as strongly in retail touchpoints as they are in your eCommerce channel?
There are so few opportunities to convey your brand in retail, which is why we lean very heavily into our packaging design. We strategically chose a bright yellow package to capture attention, while that same shade of yellow also harkens back to old foreign language films which used yellow font for subtitles. The imagery we chose [for our packaging] is common-place with instant ramen: a prepared bowl of ramen. However, we designed ours so that the suggested toppings explode out of the bowl to conjure feelings of curiosity and excitement. Additionally, we use our inner case to convey modern health symbols such as high-protien, low-carb, and plant-based.
3. How do you measure the success of nostalgia in your branding? Are there specific campaigns or specific SKUs where you saw nostalgia significantly boost engagement or sales?
We run a large number of digital ad campaigns promoting immi across multiple channels. The success of these campaigns are typically measured through ad click-through rates and purchase conversions on our storefront.
We have observed that some of our most successful campaigns lean heavily on the nostalgia factor of instant ramen. In particular, campaigns where we focus on immi tasting just as good as you remember, tend to result in higher ad click-through rates which, in turn, result in higher purchase conversion.
4. How do you ensure your nostalgic branding continues to resonate as consumer preferences evolve?
Based on our consumer research, our primary consumers are people who have a life-long affair with instant ramen but have since given it up or reduced consumption due to the deleterious health impact of traditional instant ramen. For this audience and often in general, instant ramen as a food product is grounded in nostalgia. Our version evokes those same feelings, while honing in on the the large number of nutritional differences from traditional instant ramen. Immi is low-carb, high-protein, high-fiber, plant-based, lower in sodium, and has no preservatives. All of those different product attributes allow us to pivot around consumer health preferences and messaging, which is all built around a core nostalgic product: instant ramen.
5. Why do you think nostalgia works particularly well for the food & beverage space? Are there any future trends for nostalgic branding that you’re excited about?
Nostalgia is an incredibly powerful tool in the food space because food cravings are built on sensory and emotional familiarity. Especially when it comes to innovating within packaged foods where you’re expected to push boundaries, but simultaneously can’t venture too far into the esoteric. You need to hold novelty and adventure, alongside familiarity and comfort, in order to really breakout as a new food and beverage brand.
In terms of the nostalgic branding trends in the market today, we’re most excited about brands that are exuding fun and playfulness. Many better-for-you products now promote functionality, improved performance, and productivity, which is great, but it all feels so serious. We love light-hearted nostalgic branding that reminds us of the fun we had when we were kids.
About immi
A new take on noodles
immi reinvents the delicious Asian American foods we love with added nutrition. We’ve started by enriching the comforting, umami rich, and nostalgic bowl of instant ramen. Our single goal: capture that same oh so satisfying ramen feeling with a makeover of better ingredients and crafted flavors for a more nutritious and equally delicious bowl.
- Closed $10MM Series A round in 2023, with superstar participation from Usher, Naomi Osaka, Apolo Ohno and more
- Included in Whole Foods Market’s Top 10 Food Trends for 2024
- Earned over $200k in sales from affiliate marketing program by partnering with brand and healthcare professionals
- Sold at major retailers nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Wegmans, Sprouts Farmers Market, The Fresh Market, and more
About Kevin…
Kevin Chanthasiriphan is a co-founder of immi focused on product development, manufacturing, and logistics. Prior to immi, he was a Lead Product Manager at Facebook on the Social Video team where he launched Interactive Video Products and Video Creator Tools to millions of users. Before Facebook, he held consumer product leadership roles at Amino and Kabam. Kevin grew up eating noodles at his grandmother’s noodle hawker stand in Thailand and helped his father manage an Asian supermarket in the U.S.
