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320 | Turning Customers Into Your Best Marketers | with Brandon Horoho

Honest Ecommerce
Honest Ecommerce
Episode • Mar 10, • 27m

Brandon Horoho is a brand builder, e-commerce strategist, and the driving force behind one of the most innovative American-made knife companies. As the Co-Founder, VP, and CMO of Montana Knife Company (MKC), he has transformed a niche product into a multi-million dollar brand with a cult following.

Before launching MKC, Brandon spent decades in e-commerce and product marketing, overseeing the launch of 1,500+ products across the outdoor and fitness industries. His expertise in community-driven marketing, scarcity-based sales models, and direct-to-consumer growth strategies has helped MKC scale rapidly—without relying on traditional advertising.

Today, Brandon is on a mission to redefine American-made manufacturing in the digital age. Under his leadership, MKC has built a passionate audience of hundreds of thousands, mastering sellout product drops, a unique VIP program, and customer-first engagement strategies. By focusing on transparency, quality, and people-first branding, he’s proving that DTC success isn’t just about sales—it’s about creating a movement.

In This Conversation We Discuss:

  • [00:41] Intro
  • [00:56] Exploring the evolution of product lines
  • [01:56] Building a brand during the COVID lockdowns
  • [05:05] Scaling from custom batches to forecasting demand
  • [08:48] Mentoring young talent to grow the business
  • [09:38] Using Instagram content to build brand recognition
  • [12:30] Episode Sponsors: StoreTester and Intelligems
  • [15:42] Managing a high return customer rate challenge
  • [16:41] Turning loyal customers into brand ambassadors
  • [19:32] The power of surprise in building brand loyalty
  • [20:38] Scaling product drops with lean manufacturing
  • [22:36] Forecasting product drops 8 months ahead
  • [23:13] Avoiding pre-orders to build trust with customers
  • [24:35] Leveraging American-made for authentic marketing

Resources:

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