156. Wasting 70% of your trade spend? That's why your retail growth is stalling—and it's costing you more than you think.

In this episode, we break down the essential trade marketing strategies that separate high-performing CPG brands from those stuck repeating last year's playbook. Most brands treat trade spend as a cost of doing business. The truth? It's your largest growth lever—and your biggest profit leak.

You'll learn how to shift from velocity thinking to contribution thinking, build an intentional pricing and promotion strategy, avoid ineffective off-invoice traps, and align sales and marketing around a unified trade plan. We also unpack why most promotions fail, how to measure incremental volume properly, and how to use trade marketing to create a sustainable competitive advantage.

If you want predictable, profitable retail growth, this episode is your roadmap.

Listen to related episodes to go deeper into ROI, contribution, and retail execution strategy.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session156

155. You're wasting trade spend—and it's killing your runway. Most CPG brands blindly pour 25% of gross revenue into trade marketing, yet 70%+ of promotions don't even break even. That's lost margin, lost leverage, and lost shelf life.

In this episode, we break down what trade marketing really is, why "cost of doing business" is the most dangerous myth in CPG, and how poor promotion strategy silently erodes your brand equity. You'll learn how to shift from reactive, check-writing behavior to strategic trade management that drives trial, builds base sales, and strengthens retailer partnerships.

We cover trade rate, gross margin impact, promotion ROI, broker alignment, and how natural brands can compete without racing to the bottom on price.

If you want more runway, stronger retailer relationships, and sustainable growth, this episode is required listening.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session155

154. If your brand story doesn't match your company culture, shoppers will sense it—and you'll lose trust before you ever win loyalty.

In this episode, I sit down with Emily and Justin from Root + River to unpack why your brand isn't just your logo, packaging, or marketing—it's the soul of your company. We talk about intrinsic branding, the "fishbowl effect," and why modern consumers demand transparency, authenticity, and alignment between what you say and what you actually do.

You'll learn why price and promotions can't build loyalty, how to craft a belief-driven brand story, and why founders must lead from the front—without hiding behind the logo. If you want to turn occasional shoppers into loyal evangelists, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about culture, messaging, and leadership.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session154

153. If your brand disappeared tomorrow, would anyone care? That question determines whether you win shelf space—or lose it to cheaper competitors.

In this episode, I sit down with brand strategist Mitch Duckler to unpack what it really takes to build an indispensable brand in today's crowded CPG landscape. We dive into why meaningful differentiation—not price—drives loyalty, margin, and long-term retail success.

You'll learn the four primary ways to differentiate your brand (the what, how, why, and who), how to use social listening to uncover authentic consumer insights, and how to turn those insights into a powerful retail selling story. We also discuss how to move beyond generic syndicated data and instead connect consumer behavior to retailer profit, traffic, and basket growth.

If you want retailers to see you as a category leader—not just another SKU—this episode is your roadmap.

Listen to the related episodes on retail execution and category leadership to strengthen your foundation

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session153

152. Most CPG brands waste thousands launching into retail before they validate real demand. That mistake can bankrupt you before you ever scale. In this episode, we break down why farmer's markets are the smartest, lowest-risk way to test your product, refine your pricing, validate your messaging, and build raving fans before chasing wholesale distribution. You'll learn how to use live customer feedback as a paid focus group, how to strengthen your selling story, and how to turn grassroots support into retail leverage. This is how you build a healthy foundation instead of guessing your way onto shelves.

Listen to related episodes to go deeper into retail execution and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session152

151. Are you wasting trade spend and still wondering why retail growth feels unpredictable? Most brands burn 25% of gross sales on trade—and 70% of it underperforms. That shortens your runway, erodes margin, and weakens your leverage with buyers.

In this episode, I sit down with Mike Forbes, CEO of Alter Eco, to unpack how to blend big CPG discipline with natural channel hustle to win at retail. We break down how to evaluate promotions beyond canned reports, how to use scorecards and KPIs to eliminate guesswork, and how to turn retailer relationships into a competitive advantage. You'll learn how to leverage shopper insights, basket data, and community engagement to drive sustainable base sales—not just temporary spikes.

If you want to stop renting volume and start building profitable, repeatable growth, this conversation is for you.

Listen to related episodes to go deeper into trade strategy, execution, and category leadership.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session151

150. Your product isn't losing at retail because of price—it's losing because you're not telling the ingredient story that builds trust. If shoppers don't understand where your ingredients come from or why they matter, you become just another SKU on a crowded shelf.

In this episode, I sit down with Kristyn of Krissy Farms to unpack how regenerative sourcing, real ingredient integrity, and mission-driven brands create a competitive advantage at retail. We talk about why produce is the gateway to the entire store, how food waste can become opportunity, why sensory quality matters more than marketing claims, and how aligning with farmer values builds deeper retailer trust.

This isn't just about clean labels. It's about leveraging your ingredient story to strengthen your selling story, win shelf space, and create loyal evangelists—not transactional buyers.

Download the free guide at the link in the show notes and listen to related episodes to go deeper into category management, retail strategy, and sustainable CPG growth.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session150

149. If your marketing sounds great but your sales calls fall flat, you don't have a sales problem—you have a brand alignment problem. That disconnect costs you distribution, velocity, and retailer trust.

In this episode, I sit down with Katie from Real Food Brands to unpack how emerging CPG brands can align branding, marketing, and sales into one unified, powerful voice. We dig into the Three C's framework—consumer, competitor, and company—and how to find your unfair advantage in a crowded category. We also challenge outdated tactics like traditional focus groups and talk about why community, contribution, and market basket strategy matter more than raw velocity.

If you want to grow sustainable retail sales, attract the right shoppers, and become a true category leader, this episode is your roadmap.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session149

148. You're leaving growth—and profit—on the table if you ignore upcycled ingredients. Food waste isn't just an environmental issue. It's a massive competitive opportunity. In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Kurzrock, co-founder of ReGrained, to unpack how edible upcycling transforms brewery byproducts into high-protein, high-fiber ingredients that power scalable CPG innovation.

We break down how upcycled grain doubles protein, quadruples fiber, improves flavor, and creates a brand story retailers and shoppers care about. We also dig into packaging sustainability, supply chain partnerships, and how authenticity drives trust at retail.

If you want differentiation beyond price and promotion, this episode shows you how to build value, not just velocity.

Listen to related episodes on trade marketing, execution, and category leadership to go deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session148

147. Your brand is losing shelf space because retailers commoditize your shopper—and you let them. That's why this episode matters.

Big CPG competes on price and velocity. You can't win that game—and you shouldn't try. The real opportunity is leveraging your unique consumer as your sustainable competitive advantage.

In this episode, I sit down with David Lemley of Retail Voodoo to unpack why natural and better-for-you brands drive category growth—and how to stop being "one of many" after copycats flood your space. We break down citizen brandhood, category leadership, sustainable profit, and how to educate retailers so they see you as a strategic partner—not a SKU.

If you want to extend runway, protect margin, and turn shoppers into loyal evangelists, this conversation will shift how you think about brand building at retail.

Then listen to related episodes on category management and selling strategy to go deeper.

Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session147