CPG Week by BevNET & Nosh

In this episode:

On CPG Week, the podcast team talks about Peter Rahal’s newest protein bar release, the PRIME and Feastables kid-focused Lunchly partnership, and how these two products relate to consumers' differentiated value demands from ingredients and nutrition.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous kicks off the podcast asking if senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard would try one of Peter Rahal’s new products: Hormbles Chormbles. Next, the group talks about Rahal’s other new brand, high-protein snack bar David. The team goes through some of the debate surrounding David’s ingredient list and how Rahal is taking a different approach to snack bars from his previous brand RXBAR. The podcast goes on to talk about a new entrant in kids lunch kits, Lunchly, which has paired influencer-led brands PRIME with MrBeast’s Feastables.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - What’s a Hormbles Chormbles, and how is it connected to the recently launched David protein bar?

3:15 - After teasing the well-publicized launch of RXBAR founder Peter Rahal’s return to the bar category with its 28-gram option David, the team talks about the conversation happening around the brand’s ingredients.

6:15 - The group goes on to discuss how this product seems to be focused on a target consumer who is prioritizing macronutrients like protein over clean label ingredient decks.

12:00 - Brad explains a new co-branded product entering kids lunch products, Lunchly. The group debates how influencer marketing is impacting this category and whether this is a release valve for brands needing a new product to drive growth.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On CPG Week, the podcast team talks co-branding, energy drink and protein supplement licensing with sweets makers, and the evolution of cannabis in sports and recovery drinks.

Kicking off the podcast, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous shares that she is a fan of the new Oreo and Coca-Cola co-branded products, leading to the group sharing what two CPG products they would like to see paired up. The topic leads to a conversation about energy drink maker C4’s announcement that it was partnering with Hershey’s on a line of co-branded products. The discussion of candy and indulgent flavors in fitness products carries over into what is happening in the cannabis-infused sports and hydration categories. 

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Oreo-flavored Coke or Coke-flavored Oreos? There is something for everyone. The CPG Week hosts share their ideal co-branded products.

3:00 - Senior reporter Brad Avery discusses why Jolly Rancher-flavored energy drinks might be showing up in convenience stores soon thanks to the licensing partnership between Hershey and Nutrabolt’s C4 brand.

7:30 - The team chats about why indulgent and candy flavors seem to be doing so well in the sports performance category. 

9:00 - What happened to CBD in hydration and recovery products? Senior reporter Lukas Southard tells the group about his feature on cannabis sports drinks and why there seems to be more low-dose THC popping up in the category.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On CPG Week, the podcast team explores the uphill battle for industrial hemp food and beverage brands as individual states enact restrictions, a juice category merger and the growing snack portfolio of Our Home.

Before jumping into the week’s news, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous gives senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery a pumpkin spiced quiz. Then, the group discusses the implications of California’s new regulations on the hemp industry. Next, Brad explains how the merger of Perricone Farms and Natalie's Orchid Island Juice Company provides synergies for both brands to grow. Finally, the podcasters take a look at Our Home’s recent additions to its portfolio and talk about why its shift into more conventional brands could be a smart move.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - To pumpkin spice or not to spice? Monica tests Brad and Lukas’ pumpkin spice knowledge with a quiz about past and present CPG products that have taken on the harvest season’s favorite flavor.

3:30 - Last Friday, California became the latest state to rein in the hemp-derived cannabinoid industry by issuing an executive emergency action restricting the sale of hemp-derived food and beverage. Lukas explains how this move is different from other states' approaches to regulation and what it means for the broader cannabis industry.

10:45 - In the juice category, two mid-sized companies have joined forces. Brad explains how the merger of Perricone Farms and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company will bring value to both brands.

13:30 - Snack company Our Home is on a tear, acquiring Pop Secret from the Campbell Soup Company and ParmCrisps from Hain Celestial Group in about a week. The podcast team discusses how Our Home is positioning as a new snacking empire.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On the episode of CPG Week, the team discusses the social chatter around Foxtrot’s reopening, insights from the first Newtopia Now and the state of the non-alcoholic wine category.

To kick off the episode, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard discuss the reopening of the newly dubbed Foxtrot Café & Market and how some louder voices on social media are not thrilled about its return. Monica goes on to talk about a successful unveiling of New Hope Network’s Newtopia Now. The podcast finishes with Lukas explaining the challenges and successes in alcohol-removed wines and how it represents broader issues in adult non-alc.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Foxtrot reopened this week and some of the discourse around its return has focused on former suppliers and employees still waiting for compensation from unpaid invoices and hours.

4:45 - Monica tells the team about her trip to Colorado for the inaugural Newtopia Now and the general reaction from exhibitors and attendees.

12:30 - While there has been innovation in the NA wine category it still remains one of the hardest alcohol-free beverage categories to get right. Lukas explains what he learned reporting about alcohol-removed wines.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On the episode of CPG Week, the team conducts a wide-ranging, mid-year quiz related to some of the quirkier elements of the industry this year.

Joined by BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman, the podcast hosts — Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery — all came to the show with a trivia question to test each other’s news knowledge. The questions ranged from butter statues of famous athletes and food culture celebrity biopics to Pop-Tarts and “Brat Summer.”

Show Highlights:

0:30 - As Labor Day ushers in the unofficial end of school break, the group shares their personal favorite snacks of the summer with a nod to the impending “pumpkin spice” season.

3:30 - Jeff kicks off the quiz with a multiple-choice question addressing the overlap of food and professional sports.

7:15 - Monica’s question leads to a discussion of the announcement that Mars is acquiring Pop-Tarts maker Kellanova.

14:00 - Ushered in by Charlie XCX’s hit album “Brat,” Brad asks which sausage maker has capitalized on one of the summer’s biggest hashtag trends.

15:30 - Who is the latest food icon to be announced as the subject of a biopic? Spoiler: It's not Guy Fieri, but that might be the group’s favorite option for future biographical films.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this week’s podcast, the team digs into the latest investigative story on how one Small Business Administration (SBA) pandemic loan program has left many companies with few options to grow their businesses in a post-COVID environment.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Brad Avery sit down with their colleague reporter Adrianne DeLuca to talk about her detailed story on the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and why it is causing a host of bureaucratic obstacles for CPG businesses.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Snacks in space? Monica finds out what Brad would choose as his favorite astronaut food.

1:45 -  Adrianne walks the team through the two most common loan programs offered by the Small Business Administration — Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) — and how each had a different structure of what was expected from the loanees.

5:20 - The complexities of what has developed since the early days of COVID has led to a bureaucratic nightmare for many small businesses who took the EIDLs.

11:30 - Is there a way out from under these loans? Adrianne lays out how there isn’t an easy solution to this complex issue and what the SBA is saying to help resolve the issue. 

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery talk about two different retailers’ returns from bankruptcy.

The CPG Week podcasters discuss how there is a differing consensus about the expected returns of Foxtrot and Boisson. While some suppliers seem ready to return to Foxtrot shelves, there appears to be more hesitancy among brands who’ve formerly worked with NA retailer Boisson. In other news, a different low- and no-alcohol retailer gets an endorsement from bev-alc private equity firm in the form of a capital investment.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Are truffles overrated? HuffPost thinks so; the CPG Week team responds.

1:45 -  For Foxtrot founder Mike LaVitola, its return is not a comeback so much as a “totally new company.” The CPG Week group looks at what it means for the next-gen convenience store to return to business both from a brand perspective and from a macro-industry angle.

6:00 - Alternatively, there appears to be some trepidation surrounding the return of non-alcoholic beverage retailer Boisson. Lukas runs through a recent BevNET story that dissected suppliers’ opinions about Boisson’s return in light of the unfinished business and unpaid bills that haven’t been completely addressed.

12:30 - Not all non-alc retailers are struggling to win over brands. Charleston, S.C.-based Sèchey landed investment from InvestBev last week. Brad details how the new capital is an approval of one company’s approach to growing in NA beverages.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team talks about “zombie brands,” a rumored mega-merger of snacks and sweets, a recap of earnings, and another lawsuit for PRIME.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporter Lukas Southard are joined by BevNET managing editor Martín Caballero in a packed episode where they talk about the idea of zombie brands and how it relates to other CPG categories (and Steven Seagal movies?). The group also discusses a rumored acquisition of Kellanova brands by Mars and what this could mean for both food companies. Afterwards, the team goes on to review recent beverage company earnings reports and yet another legal case filed against Logan Paul’s PRIME beverage company.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - Nostalgia is in and the podcast hosts discuss what discontinued CPG products should make a comeback. They share their favorite long-lost items from bubbly beverages to one of the OGs of the bar category. 

3:15 - After reading a recent story in Modern Retail focused on the increasing amount of “zombie brands,” the team discusses how this idea relates to alternative meats and its links to the influx of new brands that came out of the pandemic and have since stalled as investment has waned.  

8:15 - What could it mean for Kellanova to be acquired by sweets maker Mars and what does this foretell for both companies? The CPG Week podcast jumps into the rumors swirling around these food giants' possible merger.

12:30 - Marty goes over recent earnings from Celsius and BellRing Brands with a look towards how the large strategics are utilizing their distribution networks to buoy revenue.

15:00 - PRIME is in more legal hot water after beverage manufacturer Refresco filed a $67 million lawsuit alleging Logan Paul’s brand backed out of a production deal. Marty goes through this latest suit and what it could mean for others in the energy and sports drink categories.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team teases their Nosh Notables honorable mentions, details the latest investment for a fast-growing food brand and discusses the different marketing approaches food brands are taking in the Ozempic Era.

Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard talk about Oats Overnight Series B round and how the brand has built a strong consumer base in ecommerce. The team goes on to dive into the Brightfield Group’s exclusive BevNET/Nosh Q2 Report: The GLP-1/Ozempic Craze and reflects on how food brands are marketing around the continuing demand for weight loss solutions related to GLP-1 drugs.

Show Highlights:

0:50 - The team shares their personal honorable mentions for Nosh Notables including a shoutout to Omsom’s founders, the creative mind behind Netflix’s “Unfrosted” and one of leading names in hot honey.

3:00 - Senior reporter Brad Avery talks about Oats Overnight’s recent $35 million investment announced this week. The company appears to be continuing its growth trajectory and resourcing its manufacturing and labor force with the new tranche of capital.

6:45 - Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous explains what was reported in the Brightfield Group’s Q2 dive into GLP-1 drugs and how consumers are responding to weight loss solutions in CPG. The conversation harkens back to previous podcast episodes where the team has discussed the growing trend towards weight loss products and how food and beverage brands are positioning around semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. 

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode:

On this episode of CPG Week, the podcast team talks expensive energy drink-themed accessories, IFT First and the latest legal quandary for Logan Paul’s drink brand, PRIME.

Senior reporter Lukas Southard was in Chicago last week for IFT First where he got an inside look at how trends are incubated by suppliers and tells his co-hosts about the innovative new products on display. Later in the show, senior reporter Brad Avery discusses the new lawsuit filed against PRIME and what it might mean for the company.

Show Highlights:

0:30 - What makes formal attire functional? According to 5-Hour Energy, its caffeinated cufflinks. Learn what Brad thinks about the energy drink’s most recent marketing campaign. 

2:30 - Lukas explains what he learned at the Institute of Food Technologists’ yearly expo and how ingredient suppliers shape many of the food trends we see in the market. He explains how weight loss solutions, sweetener alternatives and plant-based ingredients were on full display.

5:50 - From fortified honey to baobab seed pod powder, Lukas tells the team about new products on display at the show before talking about how tracing, certifications and clinical studies were also highlighted at the show.

8:30 - PRIME is in legal hot water again. Brad talks about how the drink maker has raised the ire of the U.S. Olympic Committee and how it is another legal issue facing the insurgent hydration and energy brand.

About the CPG Week

CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage.

New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected].

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts