Retail and Social: Exploring The Connection

Neil Murphy, Chief Revenue Officer at Bridg joins us to talk his journey from a minor league baseball player to a leader in retail media. He shares his extensive experience at Walmart, where he helped develop their advertising business, and his current role at Brid, focusing on identity resolution and customer insights. Neil emphasizes the importance of understanding customers, especially for regional grocers, and offers advice for brands looking to enter the retail media landscape.

Ryan Merry, the creative director of El Nacho, shares his journey from hospitality to the world of CPG. He discusses the importance of owning manufacturing, the unique branding inspired by luchador culture, and the strategic pivots that have positioned El Nacho as a competitive player in the snack market. The conversation also covers retail strategies, the role of innovation, and future directions for the brand as it aims to become a lifestyle brand.

 Matt Cohen the Founder of Kidfresh meals joins us. He discusses the evolution of Kidfresh, a brand focused on providing healthy food options for kids. He shares insights on the brand's strategic decisions, including their approach to retail partnerships, the importance of packaging redesign, and the role of social media in engaging with consumers. Matt emphasizes the significance of understanding consumer needs and the challenges of maintaining brand loyalty while attracting new customers. He also reflects on the value of trade shows and offers advice for young entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of building a CPG business.

Ryan has a new job! We talk through what else is new and a quick preview of the upcoming season

In this episode, Lewis Goldstein, CEO of Better with Buckwheat, shares his journey from Maine Crisp to rebranding the company. He discusses the challenges and strategies involved in the rebranding process, the importance of understanding market dynamics, and the reception from retailers. Lewis emphasizes the need for simplicity in marketing and the significance of consumer engagement as the brand expands its product offerings.

As Isaac and I continue to deep dive regenerative agriculture we caught up with David Brown who is the Chief Marketing Officer at Alec's Ice Cream. We delve into the concept of creating an emotionally healthy brand and the unique positioning of Alex Ice Cream. Also, the retail and social strategy that the team deploys in this growth stage. A little buyer perspective sprinkled in and finally we end the podcast with a parent corner.

Our first returning guest Ryan Blad comes on to talk through his teams viral video for Sun Warrior. We talk all about how this video came to life and what's next for the video and the brand.

In an effort to continue our deep dive on Regerenerative Agriculture we invited Mary Purdy, from the Nutrient Density Alliance to discuss the importance of connecting regenerative agriculture with nutrient-dense outcomes. We explore the challenges of getting buy-in from various stakeholders, including consumers, farmers, retailers and food industry leaders. It also delves into the need for education and communication to help consumers understand the benefits of nutrient-dense food and the importance of regenerative farming practices.

In this episode, we interview Daniela, the founder of Big Picture Foods, a brand that focuses on regenerative farming and produces olives, peppers, and capers. Daniela explains the traditional slow curing process of olives using salt and how it has been replaced by industrialized methods. She emphasizes the importance of natural fermentation and the use of wild native cultures derived from the soil. The conversation also covers the challenges in the food system, the need for clean ingredient products, and the impact of regenerative agriculture on soil health and carbon sequestration. The sourcing and supply chain of Big Picture Foods are discussed, highlighting the partnerships with small farms and the focus on nutrient density and resilience in the face of climate change. Big Picture Foods is a regenerative food company that focuses on creating clean, healthy, and sustainable products. They are committed to educating consumers about the importance of reading ingredient labels and making informed choices.

We are joined by Alex Temple from Mable Marketplace. Mable is turning itself into a valuable tool for emerging brands and Alex tells us how. Mable is a marketplace technology for distributors and a selling platform for brands in the food and beverage industry. They enable distributors to sell third-party products to their customers without warehousing them, and they enable emerging brands to drop ship products to customers they couldn't otherwise reach. We chat with Alex about how Mabel started as a B2B marketplace connecting emerging brands directly with retailers but pivoted to partnering with distributors to make restocking seamless for buyers. And then how they work with distributors like McLane and help brands get into convenience stores and other retailers. She shares how Mabel's platform provides data sharing, forecasting, and support for brands to scale their businesses.