Lady May Tallow will become the undisputed household name for tallow in America within six months. The tallow market has exploded with a 340% search interest increase since 2022 and a market size of $277.57 million in 2025 projected to reach $403 million by 2032. Yet the market remains fragmented with no dominant player. Lady May is already ranked #2 in national editorial coverage and possesses unique advantages that no competitor can replicate: a restaurant infrastructure serving 2,000-8,000 daily customers, authentic dual-category authority in both cooking and skincare, price accessibility at $11+ versus competitors at $30-55+, and deep Southern heritage.
The Strategy: Build a fully automated digital infrastructure that saves over 150 hours of manual work per month while pursuing aggressive physical retail expansion. Convert 5-10% of daily restaurant customers into tallow buyers, secure placement in 150+ retail accounts, and establish authority through education-first content that owns the first page of Google for all major tallow searches.
The Financial Projection: With a total 6-month investment of approximately $80,000, the plan projects $3,500,000 in total revenue (ramping from $50k to $1.2M per month), delivering a 40x+ ROI within six months.
The Throne We're Taking: "The Original Tallow Revival Brand"
The 7-Word Lane: "One fat. Two uses. Infinite trust."
Every competitor is either/or. We are both/and. Skincare brands cannot speak to cooking with authority. Cooking brands cannot speak to skincare with credibility. Lady May owns both lanes because we started in a restaurant kitchen, discovered skincare by accident, and built trust through 2,000-8,000 daily customers who eat our food and trust our ingredients.
"Lady May Tallow is the original tallow revival brand, bringing a forgotten American tradition back to modern kitchens and bathrooms. Born in a Southern restaurant kitchen, we're the only brand with authentic authority in both cooking and skincare—because we started with food, discovered beauty, and built trust through real meals served to real people."
We are not fighting other tallow brands. We are fighting the industrial food complex that convinced Americans to abandon tallow for seed oils and synthetic skincare. Our narrative is one of remembering, reviving, and returning to a better way. The story arc moves from The Forgetting (how tallow disappeared), through The Consequences (seed oils, synthetic skincare, broken trust), to The Remembering (Lady May's accidental rediscovery), The Revival (bringing tallow back), and finally The Future (a world where tallow is normal again).
What competitors cannot copy:
Skincare Flagship: Unscented Whipped Tallow Balm ($11-18) - "The simplest moisturizer that actually works"
Cooking Flagship: All-Purpose Cooking Tallow ($14-28) - "The cleanest high-heat fat for restaurant-level results"
Hero Product: Coffee-Infused Eye Cream ($27) - "Wake up your eyes. Naturally."
Gateway Product: Tallow Lip Balm ($6-8) - "The easiest way to try tallow"
The Philosophy: Automate the repetitive. Amplify the creative.
Welcome & Retention: Five-email welcome series educates new subscribers about tallow and Lady May's unique story. Abandoned cart recovery captures lost sales with three strategically timed emails. Post-purchase education provides product-specific guidance (skincare routines for balm buyers, recipes for cooking tallow buyers). Replenishment reminders are triggered based on product usage cycles (30 days for 2oz skincare, 60 days for 4oz, 45 days for 8oz cooking, 90 days for 16oz).
Content Machine: YouTube videos are automatically clipped into short-form content, captioned, and distributed to TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts via Repurpose.io. Blog posts trigger automated social media promotion across all platforms, email newsletter features, and Pinterest pin creation. Customer reviews automatically generate testimonial graphics and are featured across social media and email campaigns.
Customer Service: Gorgias handles 60-70% of common inquiries (order status, shipping questions, product usage) with automated responses, freeing humans for high-touch interactions. AI-powered sentiment analysis flags angry customers for immediate human review.
Review & UGC Collection: Automated review requests are sent seven days after delivery, with photo review incentives ($5 store credit) turning customers into a social proof engine.
Monthly Automation Costs: Approximately $870 (Klaviyo $200, SocialBee $50, Repurpose.io $25, Make.com $30, Gorgias $60, Triple Whale $130, Review app $25, Subscription app $100, Referral app $50, SEO tools $200)
Time Savings: 134 hours per month across content creation (34 hours saved), social media management (27 hours), email marketing (18 hours), customer service (30 hours), ad management (16 hours), and analytics/reporting (9 hours).
Revenue Impact: Email automation drives 25-35% of total revenue, retargeting contributes 15-20%, subscriptions generate 30-40% recurring revenue, referrals account for 10-15% of new customers, and SEO automation delivers 20-30% of organic traffic.
ROI: 20-30x return on automation investment.
The Unfair Advantage: While competitors are DTC-only, Lady May has built-in physical distribution through restaurants serving 2,000-8,000 daily customers.
Customers will see Lady May everywhere they already are: at their favorite restaurant (Lady May, Glory Bound, Cash Alley Garage), at their local specialty grocer (Whole Foods, Rouses, Fresh Market), in boutiques, gift shops, and wellness stores, and at the gym, barbershop, or farmers market.
Months 1-2: Restaurant-to-Retail Pipeline
Activate all restaurant locations as retail points. Train servers with a simple script: "Would you like to take home the tallow we cook with?" Install dedicated tallow displays with educational signage explaining "The tallow we cook with, now for your home." Implement QR codes linking to tallow education videos. Create an email/SMS capture incentive offering a free dessert or appetizer for joining the Lady May family, triggering an immediate welcome email with the tallow story and 15% off the first tallow purchase.
Goal: Convert 5-10% of daily diners into tallow customers. With 5,000 customers per day at a 5% conversion rate, this generates 250 new tallow customers daily, or 7,500 per month. At an average order value of $35, this represents $262,500 in monthly revenue from restaurant conversion alone.
Months 2-3: Local Retail Expansion
Secure placement in 25+ local retailers across five key categories: specialty grocery and co-ops (Whole Foods, Rouses, Fresh Market, local co-ops), boutiques and gift shops (coastal tourist towns, college town boutiques, hotel gift shops), wellness and beauty retailers (independent beauty stores, spa retail sections, yoga studios with retail), fitness and performance stores (CrossFit boxes, nutrition shops, butcher shops with retail), and men's grooming outlets (barbershops with retail, men's boutiques, outdoor/hunting stores).
Utilize Faire.com for wholesale automation, allowing retailers to order 24/7 with net 60 terms and free returns. Set up a Shopify B2B portal for established accounts. Offer wholesale pricing at 50% off retail (keystone pricing) with a $200 minimum initial order and $150 reorders. Provide free display materials (shelf talkers, signage, QR codes), staff training materials, sample programs for customer trial, and co-marketing support.
Months 3-5: Regional Dominance
Expand into regional grocery chains including Rouses Markets (60+ Gulf Coast locations with local/regional product focus), Winn-Dixie (500+ Southeast locations with a "Local Goodness" program), Piggly Wiggly (530+ independent Southeast grocers with easier entry), and Fresh Market (160+ upscale specialty locations with natural/organic focus).
Pitch with data: "340% category growth, $277M market, projected $403M by 2032." Leverage the local angle: "Born in Mississippi, serving 8,000 customers daily." Use press validation: "#2 tallow brand in national editorial coverage." Propose dual placement in both the cooking oils aisle and beauty section for cross-merchandising opportunities. Offer in-store sampling through cooking demonstrations.
Simultaneously pursue restaurant supply distribution. Target local and regional distributors first (easier entry than national players like Sysco or US Foods). Offer bulk cooking tallow in 5 lb, 10 lb, and 35 lb containers at competitive pricing with premium positioning. Implement a chef validation program by sending free samples to 100 notable Southern chefs, developing case studies, collaborating on recipe development, and amplifying through press releases and social media.
Months 5-6: National Foundation
Begin outreach to national chains including Target (1,900+ stores with a "Target Accelerators" program for emerging brands), Whole Foods (500+ stores with local/regional supplier programs), Sprouts Farmers Market (400+ natural/organic stores that are emerging brand friendly), Kroger (2,800+ stores with "Local Brands" programs, starting with Southern divisions), and Costco (600+ stores for bulk cooking tallow format).
This requires finalizing co-packing partnerships for national scale, securing $5M+ liability insurance for big box retailers, hiring food brokers for chain introductions, preparing for trade shows (Natural Products Expo, Fancy Food Show), and demonstrating proven velocity with sales data from regional accounts.
Month 2: 10 local retail accounts, 5,000 restaurant-to-tallow conversions, 1 regional grocery chain in test stores
Month 3: 25 total retail accounts, 10,000 restaurant conversions, 3 regional grocery chains
Month 4: 50 total retail accounts, 15,000 restaurant conversions, 5 regional grocery chains, 10 restaurant supply accounts
Month 5: 100 total retail accounts, 20,000 restaurant conversions, 10 regional grocery chains, 1 national chain pilot program
Month 6: 150+ total retail accounts, 30,000 total restaurant conversions, 15 regional grocery chains, 2-3 national chains in negotiations
This creates omnipresence (customers see Lady May everywhere they already shop), credibility (retail placement equals legitimacy), discovery (new customers who would never find us online), impulse purchases (point-of-sale visibility), local loyalty (supporting a regional brand), and a competitive barrier (shelf space is finite; we occupy it first).
Competitors cannot copy this because they lack restaurant infrastructure to leverage a built-in customer base, have no local roots to claim Southern authenticity, lack the scale to supply regional/national chains, and cannot credibly pitch both cooking and skincare.
The Mission: Become the definitive voice on tallow. When someone searches for anything related to tallow, Lady May owns the answer.
Every piece of content must teach something, solve a problem, and build authority. We will continue producing 30-40 pieces of content per week, but with a laser focus on tallow authority and maximum automation.
Tallow Education (40% of content): Cover what tallow is, why it disappeared, why it is coming back, tallow versus alternatives, how it is made, grass-fed versus conventional, and tallow science. Formats include 15-second explainers, 45-second deep dives, 2-minute educational videos, 1,500-2,500 word SEO-optimized blog posts, infographics, and carousel posts. Distribute via YouTube (long-form hub), Instagram/TikTok/Shorts (short-form clips), blog (SEO authority), email (educational series), and Pinterest (evergreen discovery).
Kitchen Applications (25% of content): Focus on high-heat cooking, baking with tallow, restaurant techniques, recipe development, meal prep, keto/paleo/carnivore alignment, and seed oil alternatives. Create recipe videos (30-60 seconds), cooking tutorials (2-3 minutes), before/after comparisons (tallow-fried versus seed oil-fried), chef interviews, downloadable recipe cards (email opt-in), and behind-the-scenes restaurant kitchen footage.
Skincare Science & Application (25% of content): Address why tallow works for skin, how to use tallow balm, tallow for specific concerns (dry skin, eczema, anti-aging), scented versus unscented options, tallow for men's grooming, tallow for babies, and DIY formulations. Produce 30-second skincare routines, before/after customer results, application demos, ingredient breakdowns, testimonial videos, and dermatology-aligned explanations (without medical claims).
Heritage & Storytelling (10% of content): Share the Lady May origin story, Southern traditions, farm partnerships, rendering process, family stories, community impact, and the tallow revival narrative. Create 60-90 second brand story videos, 3-5 minute farm visit documentaries, customer testimonials, historical content, and founder stories.
SEO Domination: Rank #1 for all tallow-related searches by creating comprehensive pillar pages (3,000+ words) covering "The Complete Guide to Tallow," "Tallow for Skin: Science, Benefits, and How to Use," and "Cooking with Tallow: Recipes, Techniques, and Tips." Support with cluster content (1,500-2,000 word articles) targeting long-tail keywords and linking back to pillar pages. Implement FAQ pages with structured data for featured snippets. Build links through guest posts, press coverage, partnerships, and resource page placements.
YouTube Authority: Become the #1 YouTube channel for tallow education with organized playlists (Tallow 101, Cooking with Tallow, Tallow Skincare, Behind the Scenes, Customer Stories), a consistent 3x/week upload schedule (Monday: Educational, Wednesday: Recipe/cooking, Friday: Skincare/beauty), and full optimization (SEO-optimized titles/descriptions/tags, custom thumbnails, end screens, cards, pinned comments with CTAs).
Social Media Authority: Achieve explosive growth on Instagram (100k followers by Month 6) through polished educational feed posts, viral Reels with trending audio, behind-the-scenes Stories with polls and Q&A, and organized Highlights by topic. Grow TikTok even faster (250k followers by Month 6) with educational and entertaining content, strategic hashtags, and engagement through Duets/Stitches. Build a Facebook community (50k page likes, 10k group members) with a "Tallow Revival Community" group, longer-form content, and live Q&A sessions. Leverage Pinterest for visual search SEO (1M monthly viewers) with automated daily pinning via Tailwind.
Press & Media Coverage: Execute a systematic progression from local to national media. Months 1-2 focus on local/regional press with releases about becoming the #2 tallow brand nationally, local TV cooking and skincare demos, Southern lifestyle magazine features, and podcast appearances. Months 3-4 target industry/trade press with stories about how a restaurant became a CPG brand, the tallow skincare trend, nose-to-tail sustainability, and trade publication features. Months 5-6 pitch national media including business outlets (Forbes, Entrepreneur, Inc., Fast Company), beauty media (Vogue, Allure, Byrdie, The Strategist), food media (Food & Wine, Bon Appétit, Serious Eats), and health media (Well+Good, MindBodyGreen, Healthline).
Influencer & Partnership Strategy: Build a network of 100+ micro-influencers (5k-50k followers) in clean beauty, ancestral health, Southern lifestyle, sustainable living, homesteading/DIY, and men's grooming niches. Automate outreach via Upfluence or AspireIQ, offering free product plus 15% affiliate commission. Partner with 50 notable Southern chefs, offering free bulk tallow and co-marketing in exchange for endorsements and case studies. Engage dermatology-aligned professionals (without making medical claims) by providing professional samples and education materials for expert validation.
Engagement Metrics: 1M+ total video views per month, 500k combined social followers, 50k email subscribers, 100k monthly blog visitors, and 25k YouTube subscribers—all by Month 6.
Authority Metrics: Top 3 rankings for 20+ tallow keywords, 50+ press mentions, 500+ backlinks, and domain authority of 40+ by Month 6.
Conversion Metrics: Content-attributed revenue of 30-40% of total, email-attributed revenue of 25-35%, social-attributed revenue of 15-20%, and organic search revenue of 20-30%.
The Content Advantage: Competitors are selling products. Lady May is teaching a movement. When you own the education, you own the category. Content is the compounding asset that turns a brand into an authority, and an authority into a legacy.
Theme: Activate existing assets and build the automation foundation.
Digital Focus: Implement Klaviyo with welcome series, abandoned cart, and post-purchase flows. Set up SocialBee/Buffer and schedule the first 100 pieces of content. Configure Repurpose.io to connect YouTube to all short-form channels. Implement Judge.me to automate review collection. Produce 40 pieces of content focused on "What is Tallow?" and "Why Lady May?" Launch the YouTube channel with the first 3 educational videos. Publish 3 pillar pages and submit the sitemap to Google Search Console.
Real-World Focus: Train all restaurant staff on the tallow story and products. Install new displays, table tents, and QR codes in all restaurant locations. Launch the email/SMS capture incentive (free dessert/appetizer). Send a press release announcing becoming the #2 tallow brand nationally. Book 2-3 local TV/radio spots.
Goals for Month 1: 50,000 email/SMS subscribers from restaurants, 1,000 online orders from restaurant conversions, 10,000 TikTok followers, 5,000 Instagram followers, and rank on page 1 for 5 long-tail keywords.
Theme: Expand reach into local retail and optimize digital channels.
Digital Focus: Launch automated retargeting ads on Facebook/Instagram. Implement Gorgias for customer service automation. Set up subscription offering with Recharge/Skio. Focus content on recipes and skincare routines. Launch the micro-influencer program (onboard first 20 influencers). Publish 10 cluster content articles linking to pillar pages and begin guest post outreach.
Real-World Focus: Secure 10 local retail accounts (specialty grocery, boutiques). Set up Faire.com wholesale marketplace. Participate in 1-2 local farmers markets or events.
Goals for Month 2: 10 local retail accounts, 5,000 restaurant-to-tallow conversions, $50,000 in online sales, 50k TikTok followers, 20k Instagram followers, and 20 active influencers.
Theme: Establish authority through expert validation and scale distribution.
Digital Focus: Implement Triple Whale for advanced analytics. Automate social listening and competitive monitoring. Launch the chef partnership program (onboard 5 chefs). Publish third-party testing results (microbial, purity). Create the "Tallow Revival Community" Facebook Group. Rank in top 3 for "what is tallow" and "tallow for skin." Secure 5 high-authority backlinks.
Real-World Focus: Secure placement in 3 regional grocery chains (Rouses, Winn-Dixie). Begin outreach to restaurant supply distributors. Pitch food and beauty trade publications.
Goals for Month 3: 25 total retail accounts, 10,000 restaurant-to-tallow conversions, $150,000 in online sales, 100k TikTok followers, 50k Instagram followers, and 10,000 members in the Facebook Group.
Theme: Dominate search and social, diversify revenue streams.
Digital Focus: Optimize ad spend with automated rules (Madgicx/Revealbot). Launch automated loyalty program (Smile.io). Focus content on comparison pieces (tallow versus seed oils, tallow versus coconut oil). Launch national media outreach campaign. Own the entire first page of Google for "tallow."
Real-World Focus: Reach 50 total retail accounts and 10 restaurant supply accounts. Host the first tallow education night at a restaurant location.
Goals for Month 4: 50 total retail accounts, 15,000 restaurant-to-tallow conversions, $300,000 in online sales, 150k TikTok followers, 75k Instagram followers, and top 3 ranking for 20+ tallow keywords.
Theme: Solidify national presence and prepare for big box retail.
Digital Focus: Refine personalization with advanced segmentation in Klaviyo. Automate A/B testing of landing pages and email subject lines. Secure features in 2-3 national publications (Forbes, Vogue, etc.). Launch podcast tour (founder as guest on 10+ shows).
Real-World Focus: Begin formal outreach to Target, Whole Foods, and Kroger. Finalize co-packing agreements for national scale. Prepare for Natural Products Expo and Fancy Food Show.
Goals for Month 5: 100 total retail accounts, 20,000 restaurant-to-tallow conversions, $500,000 in online sales, 200k TikTok followers, 100k Instagram followers, and a pilot program with 1 national chain.
Theme: Cement status as the household name for tallow.
Digital Focus: Implement full-funnel attribution with automated budget allocation to highest-ROI channels. Launch "The Tallow Revival" documentary (3-5 minutes). Host a virtual summit with chefs, influencers, and health experts.
Real-World Focus: Reach 150+ retail accounts. Advance negotiations with 2-3 national chains. Announce plans for the Ocean Springs General Store (2027).
Goals for Month 6: 150+ retail accounts, 30,000 total restaurant-to-tallow conversions, $1M+ in monthly revenue (online + wholesale), 250k+ TikTok followers, 150k+ Instagram followers, and recognition by media as the #1 authority in the tallow space.
This entire plan is underpinned by a ruthless commitment to automation. The following outlines the core automation plays that enable this accelerated timeline:
Email/SMS: Pre-built, behavior-triggered flows (Klaviyo) save 18 hours per month and drive 25-35% of revenue.
Social Media: Scheduling and recycling content (SocialBee, Repurpose.io) saves 27 hours per month.
Content Creation: AI-assisted scripting and template-based video (ChatGPT, Shotstack) saves 34 hours per month.
Customer Service: AI-powered instant answers and macros (Gorgias) saves 30 hours per month and handles 60-70% of inquiries.
Paid Ads: Rule-based performance optimization (Madgicx, Revealbot) saves 16 hours per month.
Analytics: Real-time, unified dashboards and alerts (Triple Whale) saves 9 hours per month.
Wholesale: Self-serve B2B portal and marketplace (Shopify B2B, Faire.com) saves 20 hours per month.
Total Time Saved: Approximately 154 hours per month. This is the equivalent of hiring four full-time marketing coordinators, but with greater speed, consistency, and data-driven precision. This is how we compress two years into six months.
Digital Automation Stack: Approximately $870 per month (Klaviyo $200, SocialBee $50, Repurpose.io $25, Make.com $30, Gorgias $60, Triple Whale $130, Review app $25, Subscription app $100, Referral app $50, SEO tools $200)
Content Production: Approximately $3,500 per month (video equipment $5,000 one-time, editing software $100/month, AI tools $200/month, automation tools $150/month, part-time content creator $3,000/month)
Real-World Distribution: Approximately $30,000 initial investment plus $5,000 per month (wholesale platform setup $2,000, retail display materials $5,000, product liability insurance $3,000/year, trade show presence $10,000, broker fees 5-10% of wholesale revenue, demo program $5,000/month)
Total 6-Month Investment: Approximately $80,000
Restaurant Conversion: 30,000 customers × $35 average order value = $1,050,000
Retail Accounts: 150 stores × $500/month average = $75,000 per month
Regional Grocery: 100 stores × $1,000/month average = $100,000 per month
Restaurant Supply: 10 accounts × $2,000/month = $20,000 per month
Total Monthly Revenue (Month 6): $1,245,000
6-Month Total Revenue: Approximately $3,500,000 (ramping from $50k to $1.2M per month)
ROI: 40x+ on initial investment within 6 months.
This is more than a marketing plan. It is a blueprint for category ownership. By integrating an aggressive, automated digital strategy with our unique real-world advantages, we will not just participate in the tallow revival—we will lead it. In six months, Lady May will not be just another brand. It will be the brand. The household name. The category leader. The authority. The movement.
Move fast. Build clean. No excuses. Make it undeniable.