How Jiggy Puzzles is reinventing a classic pastime

Jiggy Puzzles was created by Kaylin Marcotte in November 2019, with the goal of reinventing the classic jigsaw puzzle for a modern audience while supporting creative talent.

Kaylin is one of the millions of people who enjoy these puzzles for meditation and stress relief. But she quickly became disillusioned with the same old cheesy jigsaw designs and unimaginative product presentation, so she decided to offer unique, striking examples of modern art by emerging female artists.

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The artists receive a cut on each sale, while the traditional box-and-plastic-bag packaging is replaced by a reusable glass jar.

What followed was an immediate success as customers responded to her unique and socially-conscious business model, helped by a strong focus on storytelling and visual, user-generated marketing content on platforms like Instagram.

“The first hook is the presentation and packaging, the design and branding—people think it would make a great gift. But then, once they come to our site, read our ‘about’ page or sign up for our email and start learning our founding story, my story, and that of the artists, they really start to become evangelists and brand loyalists.”

This episode of The Cart Insiders podcast follows Kaylin’s story, as this one-woman show navigated a hectic pre-Christmas launch, followed by the impact of COVID-19 … a wild ride for any new business and an incredibly steep learning curve for Kaylin herself!

Main discussion points

• The importance of telling a story: Kaylin has an exciting and interesting business model that people want to feel a part of. Learn how she tells her story for maximum effect, letting her customers become brand ambassadors.
• From gifting to repeat customers: What began with a pre-Christmas launch of gift-driven purchases became a more sustainable pattern of repeat purchases. Learn what drove this important shift.
• The impact of COVID-19: The current pandemic is causing a significant shift in consumer behavior. Learn how Kaylin dealt with this shift to her advantage while navigating difficulties in supply chain and logistics.
• Running a relevant and well-timed campaign: During the height of the crisis in New York, Jiggy Puzzles ran a relief auction to support artists who had lost income and donate to COVID-19 causes. Learn how the community responded to this and how it contributed to Jiggy’s socially-conscious story.
• The challenges of context-changing between several tasks: Kaylin began as a one-woman operation and faced a steep learning curve in balancing the different aspects of her new business. Learn how she surrounded herself with the right people to inspire and bring expertise in areas she was unfamiliar with.

Listen to Kaylin’s full story on the Cart Insiders Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,  Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Want even more Jiggy? Find out how Jiggy Puzzles drives 69% of their revenue with marketing automation