The CPG Guys

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Kim Lefko, Chief Marketing Officer and Molly Hjelm, Corportae Vice President of Retail Media at Ace Hardware, a co-operative of 5,300+ hardware stores.

This episode was recorded at Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, during Ace Hardware’s RedVest Media 2027 Upfront.

Follow Kim Lefko on linkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimlefko/

Follow Molly Hjlem on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollyhjelm/

Follow RedVest media on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/redvest-media/

Follow RedVest Media online at: https://www.redvestmedia.com/

Kim & Molly answer these questions:

1. We are recording at Wrigley Field following RedVest Media’s inaugural Upfront. What does this moment represent for Ace and for the brands that grow with you? 
2. We talked to you a year ago around this time, as you were preparing to launch RedVest Media. Why did it feel important to host this event? What were you looking to accomplish? 
3. You built a career on the brand side prior to Ace, and you've been at Ace for nearly a decade now. What has stood out to you in this first year? Did anything surprise you about how the organization and vendor community responded?
4. To the extent that an event like today is designed to celebrate partnerships, news and progress, We'd love to know: How do you separate a meaningful opportunity from retail media noise?
5. Okay now let's get down to it and talk about today's announcements!
6. RedVest already had a full funnel portfolio and now you've announced a broad set of new capabilities this morning. Give us the lay of the land on what you announced. 
7. Put yourself in the shoes of the audience: everyone here will need to go back and share back these updates with their organization. If you were a CMO at a vendor, which of these announcements will resonate most? 
8. Let's start with measurement. Molly you are passionate about measurement and have data as an undercurrent in your career. How are vendors and merchants responding to performance so far and what will these enhancements do for the dialogue?  
9. As the person responsible for how customers perceive and engage with the Ace brands; What differentiates the Ace customer from other customers? 
10. Give us your perspective on purchase based audiences. Why an audience library now and how does that differ from the way you've targeted to date? 
11. Tell us a little about why these felt important to launch to your vendors in Y1
12. What is the role of social within the context of Ace's marketing strategy? 
13. Talk about the value of DoorDash to Ace
14. Talk about what you've announced and why it matters 

If we are back at Wrigley Field one year from now, what would make each of you most proud?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Sam Bevan, Global Director, Mid-Market, SMB & Global Expansion at Spotify, the most popular global audio streaming service with 365m users, including 165m subscribers across 178 markets.

Follow Sam on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samuelbevan/

Follow Spotify Ads online at: https://ads.spotify.com/

1. You’ve built SMB and mid-market advertising businesses at Google, Facebook, and Snap before landing at Spotify. What drew you to audio as the next frontier — and why now?
2. Your current remit spans emerging and scaled business, mid-market, SMB, customer success, and market expansion globally.  That’s a massive scope. How do you think about prioritization when everything is simultaneously “on”?
3. CPG brands have historically been heavy TV and display spenders. What’s the honest conversation you have with a CMO who still sees audio as a “nice to have” rather than a core channel?
4. Spotify has stated that audio ads on the platform are two times more effective than display ads for both purchase intent and information intent. How does that data land with CPG performance marketers who are laser-focused on ROAS and attribution?
5. Retail media has exploded as a category because of purchase-signal data. Spotify sits outside the transactional data loop — how do you make the case that listening behavior is a proxy for buying behavior?
6. We talk a lot on this show about the “commerce moment” — the point where brand intent converts to purchase. How is Spotify thinking about bridging the gap between audio impression and point of sale?
7. You joined Spotify from Snapchat, where you led SMB sales, having also held SMB-focused roles at Facebook and Google. What’s the universal truth about selling advertising to scaled and emerging businesses — regardless of platform?
8. You described 2025 as a “breakout year” for Spotify’s emerging and scaled business, driven by rapid adoption of Ads Manager and Ad Exchange. For CPG brands that haven’t yet leaned in — what are they leaving on the table?
9. Agentic AI and programmatic buying are reshaping how media gets planned and purchased. What does Spotify’s ad exchange strategy look like in a world where AI agents may soon be making the media buys?
10. We’re here at Cannes Lions, the festival of creativity. Spotify sits at the intersection of culture, creativity, and commerce. How do you think about Spotify’s role in helping CPG brands show up more culturally — not just commercially?
11. What’s one thing CPG brand teams consistently get wrong when they approach audio creative — and how should they fix it?
12. Final question: if you could wave a wand and change one thing about how the advertising industry thinks about audio and Spotify specifically, what would it be?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 

This week’s topics:

• Albertsons names Meg Whitman Executive Chair
• Publicist wins global PepsiCo account
• Kroger customer sales outlook
• Amazon partners with Chat GPT

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Jessica DuQuesne, Global Brand Marketing & Strategy Lead at The Hershey Company and Allyson Gill, Managing Director at Flywheel, the commerce accelerator division of Omnicom.

Follow Jessica on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-duquesne-exec/

Follow the Hershey Company online at: https://www.thehersheycompany.com/

Follow Alyson on Linkedin at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allyson-holland-gill-55194a2/

Follow Flywheel online at: https://flywheeldigital.com

Jessica & Allyson answer these questions:

1. The "Scream for REESE'S" campaign was described as Hershey's first partnership of this kind. What was the internal case you had to make to greenlight something so unprecedented — pairing a candy brand with an R-rated horror franchise — and how did you overcome skeptics?

2. The explicit goal was to establish REESE'S as the quintessential Halloween treat in five key international markets where U.S.-style Halloween culture is still emerging. How do you localize a Halloween campaign for markets where the holiday doesn't have the same roots, and what did success look like differently country to country?

3. The Effie-winning "Be So Eggstra" Easter campaign at Walmart was all about converting shopper interest into action. How does the consumer psychology of Halloween differ from Easter when you're building a commerce strategy — and did those Easter learnings inform how you approached the Scream activation at retail?

4. From Flywheel's vantage point sitting across dozens of CPG clients, how rare is it to see a brand successfully stitch together an entertainment IP partnership, international expansion, and seasonal retail activation all in one campaign? What made Hershey's execution stand out?

5. The campaign delivered "compelling seasonal concepts and highlighted opportunities to prioritize REESE'S product placement" at retail. How do you actually influence product placement in international markets where Hershey's retail relationships are far less established than in the U.S.? What's the commerce infrastructure playbook for markets like Mexico or Puerto Rico?

6. Seasonal confectionery is one of the most contested shelves in retail — every brand is fighting for the same holiday display real estate. From a commerce strategy standpoint, how should CPG brands think about the interplay between in-store placement, digital shelf, and social to amplify a limited-time partnership activation like this one?

7. In the UK, the campaign gave consumers a chance to win exclusive tickets to a private screening of Scream 7 through in-store promotional materials. Sweepstakes and experiential prizes are classic shopper mechanics — but how do you measure their commerce impact beyond entries? What are the right KPIs for a promotion like this?

8. Scream is a franchise with a specific fan base — older, horror-savvy, nostalgic. REESE'S skews much broader. How did you make sure the partnership reached the casual Halloween consumer and not just the Ghostface superfan? Where was the creative tension in that balancing act?

9. We're seeing more CPG brands pursue entertainment IP licensing — from candy to beverages to snacks. Is this a durable strategic playbook, or a moment in time? And what separates a partnership that genuinely builds brand equity from one that's just a short-term sales bump with a logo slap?

10. Agentic commerce and AI-driven shopping are beginning to reshape how consumers discover and buy seasonal products. If an AI agent is doing a consumer's Halloween shopping — choosing between REESE'S and a competitor — what does a brand need to have in place to win that moment? Does a Scream partnership even register?

11. Seasonal is the highest-stakes, most compressed window in CPG. The entire campaign has to land in 6-8 weeks. How is the rise of AI-powered media planning and retail media networks changing how you resource, pace, and measure a seasonal program like this one?

12. You've described this campaign as "just the beginning" and a template for future collaborations that deepen brand relevance and seasonal impact. What's the evolution of this playbook — and as Scream 7 actually hits theaters in February 2026, how does Hershey sustain the cultural connection beyond the Halloween window?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Lauren Livak Gilbert, Executive Director of the Digital Shelf Institute, part of Salsify.

Follow Lauren on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenlivak/

Follow the Digital Shelf Institute online at: https://www.digitalshelfinstitute.org/

Listen to "Unpacking the Digital Shelf" podcast on Apple at: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unpacking-the-digital-shelf/id1483944522

Listen to "Unpacking the Digital Shelf" podcast on Spotify at: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Qme24wjJjUnqrztQyMkUE?si=b6a0a46a58774fd7

Learn about the Digital Shelf Summit here: https://www.digitalshelfsummit.com/

Lauren answers these questions:

1. How is generative AI changing the way shoppers actually discover and evaluate products online — and is “search” even the right word anymore?
2. With AI-powered shopping assistants and chat-based commerce emerging, how should brands rethink product content that's optimized for an AI intermediary rather than a human scrolling a page?
3. What does “digital shelf readiness” mean in an AI-driven world compared to five years ago?
4. Are retailers' own AI tools (like retail media search and generative product Q&A) creating new data or visibility gaps that brands need to manage?
5. How is AI changing the economics and workflow of content creation — copy, imagery, A+ content — at scale across thousands of SKUs?
6. What early use cases of AI in digital shelf analytics have actually moved the needle on sales or share, versus ones that are still more hype than results?
7. How should brand and eCommerce teams be restructuring roles or skill sets as AI takes over more manual digital shelf tasks?
8. What are the biggest risks — misinformation, hallucinated product claims, brand voice drift — as AI generates more customer-facing content, and how are brands guarding against them?
9. How is AI reshaping competitive intelligence and price/promotion monitoring on the digital shelf?
10. Where do you see agentic AI — bots that shop, compare, and even purchase on a consumer's behalf — heading, and how prepared is the CPG industry for that shift?
11. What's a common mistake you see brands make when they adopt AI tools for digital shelf management too quickly or without a strategy?
12. Looking two to three years out, what's the single biggest way AI will change how brands compete for shelf space and share of search?

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 

This week’s topics:

• Campbell's swings to a loss, cuts 13% of its salaried workforce
• PepsiCo hands its global media business to Publicis
• Barilla adds mac-and-cheese disruptor Goodles
• Walmart adds Dunkin' to its restaurant delivery lineup

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined by Dan Hooker, Executive Director of the Food Industry Management Program at Cornell University’s S C Johnson College of Business along with eight participants from the 2026 Omnicommerce Leadership Executive Education Certificate Program.

Learn about the 2027 Cornell Omnicommerce Leadership Program here: https://ecornell.cornell.edu/certificates/financial-management/omnicommerce-leadership/

Follow Dan Hooker on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hookerdaniel/

Follow Pacvue’s Luke Batestri on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/luke-balestri-b5085127/

Follow Kevel’s Joe McCorkle on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jmccorkle/

Follow Iterate.ai’s Brian Sathianathan on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/briansathianathan/

Follow Shipt’s Kristy LaMontagna on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-lamontagna-b5646912/

Follow DoorDash’s Katie Daleo on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katiedougherty/

Follow Fetch’s Jag Wadhwani on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jagdeepwadhwani/

Follow SheCommerce’s Cristina Marinucci on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinamarinucci/

Follow Instacart’s Priyash Shahane on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priyashs/

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 

This week’s topics:

• Dollar General & Dollar Tree ride the value wave
• Levanta raises $22 million to build out creator commerce
• Walmart extends Scintilla to Sam's Club
• Ace Hardware's RedVest Media goes big at its first Upfront

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by returning guest Nik Modi, Co-Head of Global Consumer & Retail Research at RBC Capital Markets for Nik’s recent release .

Follow Nik Modi on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nik-modi-675926/

Follow RBC Capital Markets on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rbc-capital-markets/

Follow RBC Capital online at: https://www.rbccm.com/en/=

Nik discusses these themes from his recent release of Modi’s Musings:

1. Cultural Relevance > Brand Equity
2. Crisis Capitalism is Here
3. K-Shaped Economy is Structural
4. Synthetic Shoppers
5. Occasion vs. Category
6. Longevity-as-a-Service (LaaS): Revenue Whitespace
7. Shifting Superpowers Influencing Consumer Trends and Business Models
8. Global vs. Local
9. Real as the New Premium
10. New Revenue Streams / Business Models

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast. 

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 

This week’s topics:

• Walmart & Target earnings
• Price Reference Resets
• Cyclospora Won't Go Away
• Home Depot Enters Delivery Race

CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.

CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.