Brand Builder

This week on Brand Builder, you're going to hear us roar.

Well... ok, you're going to hear from ROAR Organic CEO & President Roly Nesi. And he's got a lot to say.

ROAR is an organic electrolyte infusion drink that is making a huge splash. ROAR started as a side project, but early velocity made its founders realize that they had a hit on their hands. Less than a year and a half since launching, the brand can be found in more than 6,000 retail doors, including COSTCO, Target, Kroger, and Whole Foods.

The words "electrolyte" and "beverage" usually bring to mind one, maybe two isotonic beverage brands - the ones that have dominated the category for decades.

But ROAR's success suggests that it might be time for a changing of the guard. ROAR offers something different - a bold, healthy, alternative to the sugary, artificial, traditional isotonic beverages available today.

They're targeting a totally different consumer. If their brand were an item of sportswear, Roly says they're more like a pair of Lululemon yoga pants than a varsity jacket.

So how do you unseat the dominant players in the category? By carving out a new one. Roly breaks down their decision NOT to take on the category leaders on their home turf, but to change the game altogether. We talked to Roly about the biggest challenges facing ROAR, and the ambitious vision that motivates them.

Links

• ROAR
• Connect with Roly on LinkedIn

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This week we have story that proves that a brand is so much more than a name or a logo. It's about the way you show up, and the way you do business. We're talking to LesserEvil, out of Danbury, CT.

LesserEvil take a holistic approach to their brand, and it shows up in their superior product. They make organic popcorn and paleo puffs, made with the highest quality ingredients like raw extra virgin organic oils and grass fed organic ghee.

But the brand you see today was very different from when it started. LesserEvil is a bit of unique case, but their story has far reaching implications for just about any brand out there.

They were founded in 2005 with a "better for you alternative" proposition. But it wasn't until the brand changed hands and the new leadership radically rethought this core proposition that LesserEvil really found their footing and took off with consumers.

And here's something you don't always see from an emerging brand. LesserEvil is vertically integrated. They made the bold choice in 2012 to stop working with co-packers and open their own factory. It was a potentially risky move, but as you'll hear in this interview, it gives LesserEvil some unique capabilities.

One of the big challenge for LesserEvil is that some of the most interesting things they do … are essentially invisible. There is a fascinating obsession with doing things the right way - in terms of processing and sourcing - that isn't always apparent on the surface.

We spoke to LesserEvil CEO and President Charles Coristine about the evolution of LesserEvil, and why setting aside some of the brand's legacy baggage was the key to create a brand and product line that resonated with consumers in a much bigger way.

Links

• LesserEvil
• Brand Spotlight: Sunnystreet Snacks

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Welcome to the first episode in our Founder's Bootcamp series - a conversation with CPG super lawyer Nick Giannuzzi.

We obviously talk to a lot of founders on this show, and many of our guests have cited one lawyer as a major influence, mentor, and partner - someone who helped show them the way to CPG success. That someone is Nick Giannuzzi

In fact, the L word - LEGEND - has been thrown around in reference to Nick. In 2017, Forbes named him a "top consumer industry dealmaker and influencer," and he's worked with everyone from RXBAR, to Siggi's, to Glaceau Vitamin Water. (Oh and by the way, he helped negotiate the deals that turned Vitamin Water into a $4B success story.)

We spoke to Nick about the biggest legal mistakes that early stage brands need to avoid at all costs, his advice on fundraising, and his predictions for the M&A landscape.

Here's episode 1 of our founder bootcamp series - and it's all about positioning your brand for a successful exit.

Links

• The Giannuzzi Group, LLP
• Follow @GiannuzziGroup on Instagram

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This week we've got Adam Deremo, founder & Managing Partner of AWAKE Chocolate.

Launched in 2012, AWAKE make great-tasting caffeinated chocolates. They're all about providing consumers with a quick, easy - and delicious - energy boost to help them get the most out of their day. One of their bars has the same caffeine as a cup of coffee.

One of the unique things about AWAKE is that Adam and his cofounders have a history in big, traditional CPG. He talks about how this experience has given them a competitive advantage as they've built their brand.

Awake also has a unique channel strategy. They've made a point to really hone in on point of consumption and work their way outwards. In fact it's how they landed on two of their most successful channels.

Another big theme with AWAKE - testing and learning… Adam and the team do a great job taking customer feedback and iterating, to keep pace with their consumers, something that every brand out there can apply to their business.

We spoke to Adam about all this, plus the origin of Nevil, the brand's official spokes-owl.

Links

• AWAKE
• Connect with Adam on LinkedIn

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

This episode is all about Ugly Drinks, the UK's first flavored sparkling water brand with no sugar, no sweetener and no calories. They've become a smash hit across the pond - today you can find them in 5000 UK stores - and this year they've been breaking into the states in a big way.

Ugly is a bit of an "anti-brand" - but it's not a "brand-less" product, not in the least. When everyone else is maybe going for this minimalist approach, Ugly has chosen a bold aesthetic.

Ugly CEO and co-founder Hugh Thomas on the show this week joins us to talk about the origin story of the brand, plus their strategy for bringing the Ugly truth to the U.S.

Links

• Ugly
• Connect with Hugh on LinkedIn

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

Brand Builder was the exclusive podcast on the floor at this year's WORLDZ Summit - a global event that unites tomorrow's leaders with CEOs, CMOs & cultural icons to create the world of tomorrow. And this… is the Brand Builder WORLDZ Mashup episode.

WORLDZ is all about big ideas. They take the planet's biggest problems, and explore how brands and brand storytelling can create a platform where people can solve them.

But as great as their programming is (and it is great), what so many people love about WORLDZ is the one-on-one interactions with other attendees. The caliber of attendee is very high at WORLDZ, and it's those interpersonal connections that can spark new ideas, new ventures, and major change.

That's what I had the pleasure to do - I was on the floor for two days straight… just talking to people. Learning their stories and asking them some big questions.

One of the things I was most interested in learning: Why is brand the right platform for tackling these problems? How do you approach it? Here's what we found out.

Links

WORLDZ Recap Video

Peter Rahal

• RXBAR
• Connect with Peter on LinkedIn

Stan Graham

• Elements for Athletes
• Stan on Instagram

Dana Mangaliman

• City Year LA
• Connect with Dana on LinkedIn

Jason Primrose

• The Lost Children of Andromeda
• Connect with Jason on Linkedin

Ryan Williams

• Podcast
• The Influencer Economy

CJ Johnson

• @CJJohnsonJr on Instagram
• Connect with CJ on LinkedIn

The Sleep Doctor, Michael Breus, PhD

• The Sleep Doctor
• Connect with Michael on LinkedIn

Jordan 'Jet' Temkin

• Drone Racing League
• Jet on Instagram

KIND Heaven

Summer Rona

• SummerRona.com
• Slingshot music video

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

What would life be without coffee?

It's a daily ritual for millions of people across the world, and the lifeblood of business here in the States.

With a product so ubiquitous, and with coffee brands seemingly a dime a dozen, how do you build a brand that cuts through the noise?

To find out, we've got the folks from RISE Brewing - co-founders Grant Gyesky and Justin Weinstein.

RISE Brewing Co. brews nitro cold-brew coffee kegs and cans for offices, bars, restaurants, cafes, and has a growing direct to consumer business too.

And by all accounts, they have a hit on their hands.hey've seen rapid growth and some high profile accounts - like NIKE, Facebook, and the NBA. Consumers are going crazy for the the delicious, natural sweetness that the nitro imparts. Plus their coffee is organic, non-GMO, fair-trade, single-origin, non-dairy and contains zero calories.

So how did they pull this off? In part by taking a craft beer approach to brewing coffee. We dive into the rapid rise of RISE in this conversation.

Links

• RISE Brewing Co.
• Connect with Justin and Grant on LinkedIn

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.

A conversation with Josh Tetrick, the CEO and co-founder of JUST.

https://justforall.com/

It's time for another Culture Builder, our ongoing series on culture and leadership. And as promised, Soylent CEO Bryan Crowley is once again our subject.

This episode features Bryan's unique take on culture, which he picked up during his 22 year career in CPG.

Bryan has worked for or led all types of brands, from behemoths like Anheuser Busch and Mars, to emerging brands like KeVita and Veev spirits, and shares a few lessons he learned early in his career that he still carries with him today. He also talks about Soylent's culture - specifically what it was like to take over as CEO after founder Rob Rhinehart decided to take a back seat.

This week on Brand Builder our guest is Bryan Crowley, the CEO of Soylent.

Founded in 2013, the Los Angeles-based company garnered a ton of early attention by bringing a futuristic, Silicon Valley-style approach to food and nutrition.

Because of all this early press, Soylent is a brand that people think they understand… but we'd argue really don't.

Today Soylent's focus - and appeal - has certainly widened, and their growth is undeniable. They're up to 55 employees, and this year alone they've grossed $15M in sales just on Amazon. A recently inked Kroger deal now has them in more than 1,850 stores, and more than 10,000 retail locations altogether.

But that's still just part of the story. We love Bryan and the Soylent team for their big picture ideas. They are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing not just our food system, but our planet and society.

We talked to Bryan about sustainability, food voids, and the company's unabashed PRO GMO stance. Bryan also spoke to us extensively about Soylent's fascinating company culture - and it's so good that we're releasing that part of the interview this Thursday as part of our ongoing Culture Builder series.

Links

• Soylent
• Bryan's awesome BevNet keynote
• Connect with Bryan on LinkedIn.

Brand Builder is a co-production of SnackNation and ForceBrands.