LaunchPad Expo: Dara’s Ice Cream founder says emotional connection drives brand success
Building a successful food brand requires more than offering a strong product, with customer experience, emotional connection, and consistency playing a central role in long-term growth, Dara Ghosheh, founder of Dara’s Ice Cream, said at LaunchPad Expo on Saturday.
The session, titled “Beyond the Product: Building a Food Brand with Feeling,” was moderated by Nayra El Berry and focused on how startups can transform products into memorable customer experiences that strengthen brand loyalty and differentiation.
Ghosheh said the success of Dara’s Ice Cream was built around creating a complete sensory experience rather than focusing solely on the product itself.
“The product turns into an experience,” she said, explaining that factors such as store design, music, scents, staff interactions and overall atmosphere all contribute to shaping how customers connect with a brand.
She said understanding customers and maintaining a clear brand identity from the beginning helped the company create a recognisable emotional connection with consumers.
Speakers highlighted the growing importance of customer engagement and consistent brand identity as competition intensifies across Egypt’s food and beverage sector.
Ghosheh said consistency remains one of the biggest challenges for expanding brands, particularly when operating across multiple locations and serving different customer preferences.
“The consistency in terms of flavor and quality is critical,” she said, adding that maintaining the same customer experience across branches is essential for preserving trust and loyalty.
The discussion also focused on recruitment and company culture, with Ghosheh emphasising the importance of hiring employees who align with the company’s values and customer-focused approach.
“You need the right people in the right roles,” she said, warning startups against rushing hiring decisions simply to fill operational gaps quickly.
She added that employee training and internal culture directly affect customer satisfaction and brand perception, particularly in hospitality and food service businesses.
The panel also explored how founders can differentiate themselves in increasingly crowded markets.
Ghosheh said entrepreneurs should prioritise authenticity over imitating competitors or striving for perfection.
“I don’t want to be perfect. I want to be real,” she said, stressing the importance of building genuine relationships with customers and allowing brand identity to evolve naturally over time.
She noted that personal storytelling and emotional transparency can help businesses create stronger connections with consumers, particularly in lifestyle-driven sectors such as food, hospitality, and retail.
The session concluded with speakers encouraging entrepreneurs to prioritise customer experience, operational consistency, and authentic brand-building as key drivers of sustainable growth.
Attribution: Amwal Al Ghad English