Blue Apron just roasted its own business model (and i kinda love it)

everyone’s talking about Duolingo drama, Cracker Barrel’s “rebrand,” and Travis + Taylor maybe tying the knot…and meanwhile, my eyes are glued to Blue Apron.

Blue Apron was the brand that pioneered meal-kit subscriptions back in 2012. the whole blueprint of their business was: commit to a weekly box, lock into a plan, build the habit.

until last week.

after more than a decade of locking people into weekly meal kits, they scrapped the model entirely. cue a full rebrand, complete with dystopian black mirror–style ads where people are trapped in a nightmare of subscriptions (honestly, not far from reality).

then, they yanked their influencer program in-house. instead of relying on agencies, they’re building direct relationships with 100+ creators so they can move faster, cut costs, and flood your feed with à la carte content.

it’s risky, messy, and yeah… it takes some (blue) balls. 

(sorry, had to).

honestly… I’m applauding them for it. because here’s the part that matters: Blue Apron is listening.

they heard their customers screaming “we’re tired of subscriptions” and reacted. fast. by tearing up their own blueprint and rebuilding in real time.

they saw the need to move quicker with influencer campaigns and cut out middlemen. risky? absolutely. but it’s also the same playbook Duolingo has run for years: listen to your audience, pivot hard, lean into the chaos and don’t overthink it.

now blue apron is giving it a shot.

will it work? who knows. but if it does, we might be watching the comeback story of the decade.

and honestly, i’m here for it- popcorn in hand. 🍿

xx

-Mackenzie @ the cohort