Food Marketing Nerds Restaurant and CPG Marketing Podcast

When it comes to the companies who win awards for product innovation, the first thought that comes to mind is probably some hot new startup on the bleeding edge of an emerging trend. And while that might be true in some cases, B&G Foods is no start up by any stretch of the imagination, and they've been reinventing some of the most classic brands in the CPG industry lately, picking up awards while they're at it . Today we're talking with Juv Marchisio, Marketing Director of B&G Foods, about innovating both from a product development and marketing standpoint with recent examples from the brands in his portfolio, like Cream of Wheat and Ortega. On this episode, you'll learn: How to take an analytical look at growth opportunities for your brand Where and when to start in generating demand for a new product What characteristics make food companies an attractive acquisition And much more…

Over the past several years, the beef jerky category has been on fire with investments from big money players and major acquisitions, and today, we're talking with Steele Meisinger, te brand manager for one of the companies that started it all: Krave Jerky. After being acquired by Hershey in 2015, Krave has been growing like crazy, and it's allowed them to do some amazing things in the marketing department. And you're gonna get to hear about a few of those things from Steele herself. On today's episode, you'll learn: Where to start when approaching a truly 360 degree campaign How to integrate native advertising into your marketing strategy What it was like working with Michael Phelps as an Olympic sponsor And much more…

Here’s a fun fact: the human brain processes visual information up to 60,000 times faster than plain text alone...pretty crazy. But it would explain why infographics, pictures and videos have exploded in popularity on the internet these past few years. Today, we’re talking with Stephanie Hall who is the visual graphics coordinator of Enstrom Candies. Stephanie spends a majority of her time translating written messages into visual form, whether she’s focused on branding, creating ads or setting Enstrom up for success at an upcoming tradeshow. It’s easy to get caught up in the wow factor behind the visuals of your brand, but as you’ll learn on today’s episode, it doesn’t matter how your designs and graphics look, unless they’re actually getting you results. On today’s episode, you’ll learn How to strategically give your brand a look that appeals to the right demographic What steps you need to take to make sure visual media is effective What nuances to focus on when creating digital versus print graphics And a whole lot more

I don't know about you but it feels like every other week, there's yet another food company being acquired by an industry beast for 10's and even 100's of millions of dollars. It's encouraging for food entrepreneurs, knowing that many of these companies started with good old-fashioned, grassroots marketing. But does that type of approach even work anymore? Well today's guest will be the first to say that, yes, it absolutely does. Hannah Kuhlberg is the Bean Queen, aka handler of many things including marketing, for a company called Better Bean Co. She's been using some really creative, not to mention super effective, ways to leverage this new landscape of marketing and PR to grow her business, one cheeky grassroots effort at a time. On today's episode, you'll learn: What strategies work to drive measurable ROI with in-store demos Where to start out to build a successful brand ambassador program How to indirectly help customers find your product on the shelves And much more…

Today we're talkin' Hummus. Hummus has been around for THOUSANDS of years, and yet, Hope Foods, makers of Hope Hummus, has redefined the category as we know it. On the show today, we're gonna be chatting with Will Burger, Director of Marketing for Hope Foods, about how a group of friends went from making hummus in their kitchen at home, to now, still a group of friends making hummus for stores all over the country, all on a shoestring budget. On today's episode, you'll learn: How to get buyers and customers talking to each other about your products What you should be doing on social media to build awareness when you're entering a new market Where to look for inspiration for launching new flavors that people will love And much more…

Is it possible to change the way people think about a food they've loved their entire lives? Today's guest will tell you that it isn't easy, but with a great product, and outstanding marketing, it is possible. Will Schafer is the Director of Marketing at Beyond Meat, a company that has been changing the game around plant based protein. And it's not just vegetarians and vegans, carnivores are embracing their products and for good reason, because they taste exactly like actual meat. In our interview Will talks about how Beyond Meat has been successful in pushed back against conventional norms, especially with their newest product, the Beyond Burger. Even though Beyond Meat has created its own category, the marketing and social media strategies we discuss can be super effective for any food or beverage company launching a new product. In this episode, we talk about: How to introduce a product to a demographic outside your core customers Why social media is so effective for revolutionary food brands How to create demand before your products even launch And a ton more…

What does it really take to challenge the status quo in the CPG industry? Some might say time, or creativity, others might say strategy. Well today's guest would likely say, "all of the above". If you've never heard of Scott Jenson before this episode, then surely you've heard of his first food startup, Stubbs Barbeque sauce. Scott Jenson co-founded Stubbs BBQ sauce in the early '90s, which he sold just a few years ago. Being the pioneer that he is, Scott is now the CEO of Rhythm Superfoods and has his hands in some other great ventures you'll hear in this episode. In this episode with Scott, you're gonna learn: - Where your marketing focus needs to be to increase sell-through rate - How often you should be updating your packaging - Why going after different retail channels at once can backfire - And a whole lot more… For links mentioned in the episode or for a full recap, go to FoodMarketingNerds.com.

What's up guys, this is Alex Oesterle and thank you for tuning into episode 9 of Food Marketing Nerds. We've all heard stories of food startups that have achieved insane growth in a short period of time. If you're anything like me, those stories leave you thinking, Ok so I know what they achieved, but how did they go about doing it? Today's guest is Lizzi Ackerman, who is the COO of the all-natural pancake mix brand, Birch Benders. Over the past two years, Birch Benders has gone from a distribution of just under 20 stores to now over 5000. And after talking with Lizzi, I can tell you that it wasn't luck, but smart, well thought out strategy that led to Birch Benders' success. A lot of which, you'll get to hear from Lizzi. In this episode, we'll be discussing: How your distribution strategy will make or break you Where to focus marketing budget when funds are limited What tools Birch Benders uses to stay lean And many more insights from an entrepreneur who is practicing what she preaches.

There’s no denying, some products are flat out easier to market than others. A lot of people see a cool social media campaign and think, “if only I had a product as easy to market as that one” or “people might think my product is boring so how am I supposed make sales on social media?” Well, today’s guest will be the first one to tell you that with enough knowledge of the different social media platforms, tapping into relevant trends and tuning into how customers see your brand, there are so many different ways to leverage the benefit of your products to create engaging, shareable content. And that’s exactly what Jake Sablosky has done with his company’s products. Jake is the VP of Business development at NuNaturals, and has transformed the brand’s digital presence using simple and effective strategies that food and beverage companies of all types can implement. On this episode, you’ll learn: -How to engage influencers and get them excited about your product -How to blog in a way that actually drives sales -Why Pinterest is a gold mine for companies that sell ingredients

Do you ever stumble upon a trend and wonder where the heck it came from? As a marketer, especially in the food and beverage industry, keying in on trends in consumer taste can make or break your brand. Spotting trends before they hit critical mass takes a lot of time and intuition, and today’s guest will tell you what and where he looks for changes in consumer behavior to set his clients up for success. Blake Mitchell is the President of Interact, a design agency specializing in the food and beverage CPG space. As the head of a design firm, Blake has become a student of consumer behavior and has a ton of knowledge when it comes to helping food and beverage companies build on their businesses. In this episode, we’ll be discussing: How to spot the beginning of a shift in customer preferences What to look for to spot downward trending buzzwords How to capture a brand purpose through design And a lot more.