The Swifty Podcast #20 - BJJ, Brand Building and Mastering Your Craft with Matt Benyon of Scramble
Swifty HQ
The Swifty Podcast #20 - BJJ, Brand Building and Mastering Your Craft with Matt Benyon of Scramble
Off the back of our recent collaboration Jason heads to Scramble HQ for our 20th podcast to chat with company co-founder Matt Benyon about all things brand building, BJJ and product launching!
Scramble started off as a small idea that Matt had and has now grown to be a symbol of quality and reliability amongst the BJJ community, something they’ve has worked hard to achieve over the years. From working other jobs at the same time as establishing Scramble, to being a major player in the UK market for BJJ.
Now releasing a constant stream of products, Scramble have got launching products down to an art form, something they’ve perfected over the years. Matt talks us through the formula they work to in order to build hype for a launch as well as some of his top tips for those looking to start a business from the ground up.
BJJ is a shared passion between both company’s founders, and is discussed in detail in the episode. They cover everything from the representation of the sport through ambassadors as well as the admiration they both have for the top competitors, all the way down to the impact it would have if it were to become an Olympic sport and whether the big brands will be coming for BJJ market in the future.
To learn more about Swifty Fitness and Scramble’s recent collaboration collection head HERE
See a brief summary of what was talked and skip ahead to a section in the conversation below -
01:12 – Brief introduction on Scramble got started
03:43 – Discussing logo design and different variations for different purposes
08:40 – How Swifty Fitness and Scramble met and got working together
10:14 – How Scramble developed and expanded as a company at the beginning
15:23 – Discussing sponsoring athletes, how the nature of it has evolved over time and sending products to ‘influencers’
23:58 – Top tips for new brands starting off
30:07 – The importance of building up a product and preparing an audience for a launch
32:25 – Challenges that come from developing and manufacturing products
39:02 – The joy that comes from trying to master a craft, from BJJ to balance boarding
44:25 - Are bigger brands going to look to buy into smaller niche markets like Jiu Jitsu in the future?
48:14 – The representation of BJJ in mass media, and how ambassadors of sports shape the perception of it to the wider world
52:58 – Would It be bad for BJJ to become an Olympic sport?
53:59 – Polaris Pro Grappling, how it began and expanded its influence
59:27 – The positive response of Scramble’s own grip training aids and the search for the ideal product