The ECRM Podcast

By Joseph Tarnowski

The ECRM Podcast provides industry insights for buyers and sellers of consumer packaged goods, foodservice, pharmacy and contract manufacturing services.... more

· Business

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FAQs about The ECRM Podcast:

How many episodes does The ECRM Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 131 episodes available.

The ECRM Podcast episodes:

July 15, 2020 87. Today's Consumer Needs an 'Empathetic Ear' From Retailers & Brands (Larry Levin, IRI)
With the myriad challenges the industry has faced over the past few months, empathy is probably the most important quality a retailer and brand can demonstrate when it comes to their shoppers. Now more than ever, we need to put ourselves in their shoes and develop not only products, but solutions that will help make their lives safer, easier and as close to a sense of “normalcy” as we can make it.
In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Larry Levin, EVP of Market & Shopper Intelligence for IRI Worldwide, about how consumers’ needs and shopping behaviors have changed over the past several months as the pandemic continues to fluctuate from one segment of the country to another, and the lasting impact it will have on how, when and where they shop. They also discuss how retailers and brands can best accommodate these changes. But at the root of each of these recommendations, is the ability to have what Larry refers to as, an “empathetic ear.”
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42min
July 10, 2020 86. Success at the Shelf: Color-Blocking Strategies for Packaging Design
The true test of effective packaging design is that it makes the product jump out on the shelf and ultimately -- into the shopper's basket. One of the ways to accomplish this is by employing color-blocking strategies in the context of those competing products on the shelf, as well as within your line of products.
To show you how this is done, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Emily Page, CEO of Pearl Resourcing and a packaging design and product branding expert, who will take you through the steps on what you need to do.
Side note: This was originally recorded as a youtube video with a ton of visual examples, so if you get the chance, definitely check out the video with the link below. However, knowing that this would be a podcast as well, we did use a lot of descriptive language to make it as visual as possible for those of you just listening. Either way, you'll get a lot out of it!
YouTube video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wvu2V53tNP0
ABOUT EMILY PAGE:
Emily has managed and launched multiple 7-figure brands in Costco, Williams-Sonoma, Kroger, and Amazon. She’s bringing you the expertise, resources, and mentors you need so that you can develop products and make them sell. Work with her as a business growth consultant at http://emilyannepage.com OR subscribe to her Start To Sold YouTube Chanel for more product development advice http://youtube.com/c/starttosold/. Or add her on LINKEDIN to broaden your network: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilypage/. To hire her packaging design company visit http://pearlresourcing.net.
#ECRMrangeme #PackagingDesign #PackagingDesignStrategy #colorblocking #packagingdesign #SalesStrategy #RetailStrategy #RetailLaunch #PrivateLabelProducts #FoodIndustry #BeautyIndustry #VitaminIndustry #BuyerEducation #PearlResourcing
Joe Tarnowski
ECRM | VP of Content
Office: 440-528-4207 (Eastern)
Mobile: 917-446-7192
ECRM.MarketGate.com
RangeMe.com
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36min
July 08, 2020 85. Back to Business: How Bars & Restaurants Can Navigate Re-Opening Challenges
The last time ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski spoke with Art Sutley and Ashley Bray, Publisher and Editor respectively of Bar Business Magazine, it was April and we were early in the lockdown phase due to the coronavirus pandemic. During that interview, they discussed what bars and restaurants need to do to survive the lockdown, and what they need to start thinking about when we eventually started reopening.
Now bars and restaurants beginning to reopen. Well, kind of. The country is really a patchwork of different phases of re-opening, with some places allowing limited indoor seating, others, like my home city of New York just recently allowing outdoor dining. Then you have other areas that opened up earlier that are now shutting down due to spikes in Covid cases, many caused by reopening too early, or doing it improperly – or both.
So during this interview Joe, Art and Ashley discuss the current state of the industry as it pertains to opening back up for business, and some best practices bars and restaurants can deploy in order to provide a safe operation for guests, while at the same time maximizing revenue opportunities. As you’ll learn from the interview, these two things are often closely tied together.
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36min
July 02, 2020 84. Enstrom Candies: Bringing the In-Person Experience to Virtual Meetings
Sometimes change sparks up innovation, and that’s certainly what it did for Enstrom Candies during ECRM’s recent Candy Planning: Easter & Valentine’s Day Virtual Session. Jim Simons, the fourth-generation owner and VP of Sales for the manufacturer of all-natural almond toffee products, has been participating in ECRM in-person Candy Planning sessions for years, ever since they decided to expand from direct-to-consumer onto the store shelves.
With our pivot to virtual sessions, Jim and his team wanted to create an experience that was as close to the in-person ECRM meetings as possible, and found some interesting ways to do it, building a set up in their conference room that enable them to share their catalog digitally and provide a view of their product and displays – all while keeping the face-to-face component of the meeting. In fact, they even plan to bring some of their learnings from their virtual presentation to ECRM’s in-person sessions one we can all get together again!
During this interview with ECRM VP of Content Joseph Tarnowski, Jim gives an overview of his company and products, discusses how they have adapted to the new normal of the pandemic, and relates his successful experience on ECRM’s recent Virtual Session.
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21min
June 25, 2020 83. Retail Reset: Best Practices for Engaging Cautious Consumers (WSL Strategic Retail)
The team at WSL Strategic Retail is known for their "in-the-trenches" analysis of retail where the rubber meets the road -- in the store and online -- and they have scouts in major cities around the world gathering intelligence to evaluate how retailers are engaging with shoppers.
As retailers are beginning to open up for business, these scouts have been checking out how they have adapted their stores and operations to this new environment, where shoppers are cautiously starting to make their way into stores again, whether to browse the aisles or to pick up an online order.
During this interview, I speak with WSL Senior Consultant Elizabeth Gretkowski and Consultant Analyst Kaci Floyd about what they and their scouts have witnessed among retailers and some restaurants located in Texas, Florida, London, New York and New Jersey. One thing is for sure: Everything that retailers have been working on – convenience, store-experience, e-commerce, services -- have new definitions now compared to just three months ago, something WSL refers to as the "Retail Reset."
We wrap up the conversation with seven recommendations from the WSL team, based on this feedback from the field. on how to make your operation the place consumers feel confident to shop.
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42min
June 23, 2020 82. Virtual Sessions, Real Orders: Earth Friendly Products's Craig Harlan & ECRM Connect
Craig Harlan, VP of Sales for Earth-Friendly Products, is an example of a supplier who has experienced the speed in which buyers are following up from ECRM’s Virtual Sessions. Not only did he receive 33 follow up notifications from his meetings during our Pet Virtual Session, but one of those retailers, Bartell Drugs, already placed an order just days after the session wrapped up – and it wasn't just for his pet products, but for some other products as well!
In this episode, ECRM VP of COntent Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Craig about his company and the products they offer, and how the pandemic has impacted their business – both from a sales and supply chain perspective as well as how it changed the way they engage with buyers. He also provides details on his ECRM Virtual Session experience and the benefits that virtual meetings will bring to the industry moving forward.
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20min
June 18, 2020 81. What's Trending in the Pet Category (Maria Lange, VP of Pet & Cannabis Verticals, Nielsen)
Maria Lange, Nielsen’s VP of Pet and Cannabis verticals, was slated to speak at ECRM’s Pet Program this past April, but the pandemic through a wrench in the works and so we transformed that program into a Virtual Session that was held last week, hosting more than 1,600 meetings between retailers and suppliers of pet products over the span of four days.

And in place of the in-person thought leadership session, participants were able to get a first-look at the video Q&A with Maria hosted by ECRM VP of Content Joseph Tarnowski, during which they covered some key trends in the pet category, including the impact of Covid-19, the “re-grainification” of pet food, sustainability, and premiumization.

With the Pet Virtual Session now behind us, we’re opening up the Q&A for everyone, and below you’ll find an edited excerpt from the interview, as well as links to the full podcast and video interviews.
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42min
June 16, 2020 80. Q&A With Bartell Drugs' Gemeral Merchandise Category Manager Howie Cohen
During the initial phase of the pandemic, essential items were considered to be things like food, hand sanitizer and of course, toilet paper. But as the stay-at-home orders began to span months, the definition of what was essential has shifted. Now it includes products that keep us occupied, that help us to work and learn from home, things that help us to prepare meals, and many of these products fall under the general merchandise umbrella.
In this podcast, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski speaks with Howie Cohen, General Merchandise Category Manager for Bartell Drugs, about how their consumers' shopping activity around general merchandise has changed over the past few months. They also discuss how the stay-at-home orders hae impacted Howie's day-to-day activities as a category manager, and the role virtual has played in them. And since he also participated in ECRM's recent Pet Virtual Session, we talk about his experience using the platform, and the opportunities it presents for him in sourcing products in other GM segments, as well. This is actually Joe's third interview with Howie, who is just an all-around awesome guy, and you'll not only find this discussion informative, but very entertaining, as well.
Click here to read the blog post
Click here to watch the video interview on YouTube
Click here to see the list of ECRM's category-specific virtual sessions.

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35min
June 11, 2020 79. The New Retail Mindset & What it Means for Suppliers (Dan Mack, Founder of Mack Elevation)
One impact of the Covid-19 pandemic is that it has changed the mindset of retailers and the way in which they view thier supplier partnerships. They have new expectations when it comes to supply chain capabilities, innovation, and consumer engagement, and trust is now more important than ever.
In this episode, ECRM's Wayne Bennett speaks with Dan Mack, Founder & Managng Director of Mack Elevantion Forum, they discuss this new retail mindset and provide some insights on how suppliers can best engage with them moving forward.
Dan is a strategist, advisor and performance coach to numerous companies in the consumer package goods industry. He is the founder of the Elevation Forum Leadership Group and he hosts thought leadership events bringing together retailers and suppliers to discuss higher level partnerships and the future of the industry. He researches and advises executives on the practices of elite growth companies in his first book, Dark Horse: How Challenger Companies Rise to Prominence.
Mack was a sales and training leader at GlaxoSmithKline, served as Vice President of Sales at GOJO Industries (the creator of PURELL) and Vice President of Sales at Dentek Oral Care. He as a passion for coaching leaders on creating high performing sales cultures.
https://mackelevationforum.com/
Read the blog Q&A here: https://ecrm.marketgate.com/Blog/2020/06/The-New-Retail-Mindset-What-it-Means-for-Suppliers
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18min
June 08, 2020 78. ECRM Virtual Platform a 'Game Changer' for Hy-Vee's Todd Gean
Todd Gean, Candy Category Manager for Hy-Vee, who was originally a bit skeptical about participatng in ECRM's Virtual Session for Easter & Valentine's Day Candy Planning. After all, he had been working remotely for a couple of months now and had been setting up virtual meetings with suppliers on his own. So he figured, why would he need us to do it? But that all changed once his meetings began, and he saw the value delivered by the people, process and platform behind ECRM's virtual sessions. In this episode, ECRM's Joseph Tarnowski chats with Todd about his experience with our virtual platform, and why he thinks it's a game-changer for buyers and suppliers.
Click here to read the blog post.
Click here to watch the video on YouTube.
Click here for the list of ECRM's category-specific virtual sessions.
#retail #cpg #candy #virtualmeetings #categorymanager #sourcing
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17min

FAQs about The ECRM Podcast:

How many episodes does The ECRM Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 131 episodes available.