In this episode of Startup GPG Podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Erin Fasano, the chief marketing officer at Core Foods with over two decades of experience in the CPG industry, and delves into the intricacies of marketing for food and beverage brands, while trying to explain the question “what is a CMO?” With a focus on emerging brands, Erin emphasizes the pivotal role of a CMO and advises aspiring marketers to start at classic CPG companies before venturing into smaller enterprises.

Discover the keys to success, including building strong relationships with retailers like Whole Foods and Target, crafting comprehensive marketing plans aligned with sales activities, and prioritizing owned platforms for long-term brand identity. Plus, gain insights on effective consumer feedback utilization, brand partnerships, navigating the competitive landscape, and understand why retail distribution often trumps direct-to-consumer channels for heavy and perishable products and unravel the strategies for success in competitive categories.

Ready to turn heads in the market? Hit play now!

What Erin talks about:

• Joining Core Foods and Transition to CMO Role
• Starting of Erin’s Own Brand - Starryside
• Challenges and Lessons
• Marketing Strategy and Planning
• Retail and Shopper Marketing
• Aligning DTC with Trade Programming
• Social Media and Authenticity
• Consumer Input and Product Development
• Consumer Input on Pricing
• Approach to D2C vs. Retail
• Consulting and Collaboration

Episode Links:

Core Food’s Website

Erin's LinkedIn

Grab Erin's FREE Marketing Calendar Template here!

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

• Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin 
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [email protected]

Episode music by Super Fantastics