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“We already have a product like that on our menu, so this is a pass.” We don't often hear this, but it has come up a few times. My go-to response is: "Competition makes categories." What does this mean? In our experience, dispensaries that carry more than one product in a single category lead to more sales for both. It's about complementing and expanding the choices for consumers. How can that be? First, the original product on the shelf may not suit all customers. From dietary restrictions to personal taste preferences, having options increases the likelihood of satisfying a wider audience. Also, offering a variety ensures that customers keep coming back to see what's new and exciting, fostering loyalty and repeat business. I love working through rebuttals like this with my team. How would you handle that one?

Ready to run it back again as a mentor for this spring's CPG accelerator track with SKU - the trailblazing accelerator that was a springboard for brands like Siete, Epic Provisions, and Dude Wipes. These 7 brands were selected from over 150 applicants and are the ones to watch 👀 across food & beverage 🥤, beauty 💅 and pet 🐶. Heather's Choice makes delicious dehydrated meals, catering to the outdoor adventure market with an eye toward health and quality. Ever tried to pack a hiking snack that wasn't a trail mix or PB&J? I thought so. Kelsi's Kitchen makes decadent, truffle-like chocolates inspired by the raw food diet and made with just 5 nutrient-dense ingredients. Try to have just one square. I dare you. I Love Micheladas has a mission to share the joy of legit Mexican flavors through Michelada mixes that deliver the every 🌶 time. Don't sleep on Micheladas for your next refreshment, folks. Wellnergy Pets offers a unique line of premium preventive care and supportive care products for your furry loved ones, including hip and joint care, skin care, dental care, and gastrointestinal care. The time for a petcare Renaissance is now. SANARA NATURAL BEAUTY LLC offers luxurious mind and body care rituals crafted with indigenous Latin American botanicals for the spa beauty markets. The name Sanara comes from the Spanish word, sanará which means “you will heal.” Curation Beverage Company's collection of canned alcoholic beverages are a modern spin on craft cocktails made with real juice and nothing artificial, ever. If you have a thirst for honest ingredients, pick up a multi-spirit party pack. OhhFoods is on a mission to make snacking safer and a lot sweeter by creating a line of snacks that are vegan, gluten-free, and free from the top 10 allergens. The snacking bites are like a heavenly slice of pie, trust me! Ready to spark some movement to the moon 🚀 for these breakthrough brands! #emergingbrands #foodandbeverage #beautyindustry #petcare #cpg

From permissible indulgence to seeking out fun experiences and experimentation, Gen Z are snacking different to previous generations. Coming in hot and fresh on The Dieline today, Vault49's Chloe Sacrè delves into the latest Gen Z consumer insights, identifies the snacking trends that are resonating, and shares three ways that snack brands can connect with the audience that everyone wants to sit with. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/ey8h3akd an extra special shout out to Bill McCool, Nicole Prefer & Mek Frinchaboy for their collaboration on this article. Snacks are on us. . #genz #generationz #insights #strategy #brandstrategy #snacking #snackingtrends #trends #consumerinsights #designtrends #brands #branding #design #designstrategy #CPG

January ShelfLife is available now The prestigious ShelfLife C-Store Awards, held on Wednesday, 22 November 2023, are the only comprehensive and independently judged business accolades for the convenience store sector. In this month’s issue, we pay tribute to all our deserving winners, with a special emphasis, naturally, on our Supreme Champion, Mace Bettystown in Co. Meath. Elsewhere, the CSNA (Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association) outlines a comprehensive checklist to help improve your bottom line in 2024, and Stephen Vincent, Nearby business development manager (IRL) is in the hot seat for our ’20 Quick Questions’ interview. Within our Advisor section, The HR Suite’s Caroline Reidy outlines the details of Ireland’s new paid leave for domestic violence; Colin Gordon explores why some brands stand the test of time while others disappear into the ether; and Excel Recruitment’s Nikki Murran outlines important points to consider before taking the plunge and handing in your notice. As always, our category features provide an in-depth look at the brands and innovations generating sales in-store. This month, we highlight the leading brands and latest developments in the bottled water, Easter, and packaged meats sectors. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ecfnUjT7 Features in our February issue include #frozenfoods, and a special report on sports nutrition, energy, and protein. To include your brands please get in touch #FMCG #brands #marketing #grocery #convenience #forecourt #offtrade NOffLA BWG Foods UC #mace SAVAGE & WHITTEN WHOLESALE LTD #cstore #easter #business #Mace The HR Suite Excel Recruitment #innovation #bottledwater #packagedmeats #protein #energy #nutrition #grocers #retail #consumers #b2b

What are fortified foods, and why should consumers care about them? Suzy's Melissa Dunn and New Hope Network's Bill Giebler will discuss functional vs fortified foods, consumer perceptions, and innovative brands. Don't miss out—register now! suzy.news/nhn-ff-li #fortifiedfoods #consumerinsights #MRX

Primal Kitchen carries significant equity into every line extension it creates. This kind of brand awareness creates opportunities for faster category penetration. The challenge for these fast-moving brands is ensuring each product gets the strategic process necessary to battle in competitive categories. In this example, their Cheeder Cheez follows the plant-based trend with a straightforward strategy. With more time to consider the packaging design, brand research could suggest a disconnect between primal and plant-based diets. While we wouldn't eliminate this purchase driver, a better strategy would be to focus on terms the primal audience wants to hear. Emphasizing no dairy resonates with their brand essence more than a term related to consumers who avoid animal products. Primal could even support the no-dairy emphasis by clarifying the replacement ingredients and their collective benefits. 🔻⁠🔻🔻⁠ ⁠ 📰 Sign up for the SmashReport to receive data-first category insights, thought leadership from our team, and more! Hit the Link ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gyX9EXnS⁠ ⁠ 🔔 Want more tips here on LinkedIn? Hit the bell at the top of our company page to be notified every time we publish helpful CPG insights 🔔⁠ #branding #packagingdesign #CPG #CPGbrands #brandstrategy

What is #Goodles selling? And does it fit the pattern of dozens of prior brands (e.g., #Chobani, #SkinnyPop) that have pulled off the seemingly impossible to carve out new segments in mature center-store categories? Dr. James Richardson shares his insights - https://lnkd.in/eyKkJMBW #cpg #businessintelligence

I started following Benny, and co-founders Paige Cey and Julie Letizia on Linkedin only a few weeks ago, after seeing their post about their plans to exhibit at the Canadian Health Food Association show. I made a note of their booth number and had to stop by to say hello. Some cpg founders I meet at shows for the first time have an energy about them that's confident, fun, and infectious. That's the team from Benny. I've said it before and I will say it again, this is a people business. The product is secondary, no matter how great it is. VCs, Category Managers, Brokers, Distributors and even consumers at a sampling event are going to buy into you and your energy, long-before they buy into your product, brand and business. You're killing it. Well done! I'm a Paige and Julie and benny fan. Really nice meeting you both in-person, and congratulations on your success to date. I've enjoyed your products this past week, my fav being the elderberry yuzu. Looking forward to seeing where you will be when we meet again at CHFA in Vancouver in spring, 2024. For all the functional beverage buyers and natural product category managers out there, Benny offers "Nourishing energy without the nasties" in three, delicious, functional flavours: 1. Peach Lychee - Balance 2. Raspberry Hibiscus - Focus 3. Elderberry Yuzu - Immunity https://drinkbenny.com/ Really looking forward to our call! Until then! #cpg #cpgmarketing #cpgbranding #cpgsales #functionalbeverages #naturalproducts #naturalhealthproducts #beverages #groceryretail #categorymanager #categorymanagement #gasandconvenience That CPG Guy

The challenge with traditional research methods like surveys and focus groups is that people rarely say how they really feel, nor do what they say they do. A classic example is Yoplait attempting to surpass Danion in the French yogurt space many years ago. While conducting traditional primary research with moms, focus group peer pressure and desire to not be perceived as a 'bad mom' resulted in many moms being untruthful about how chaotic their mornings were, and how seldom their kids enjoyed a healthy breakfast. It wasn't until Yoplait conducted ethnographic research that they realized the truth, and witnessed kids sneaking into their lunch boxes before lunch to get a snack. Even mom wanted something easy to eat while driving around running errands. Those observations led Yoplait to create Go-Gurts, a portable yogurt that people could enjoy without needing a spoon. Go-Gurt helped Yoplait claim the #1 market share position and retain it for years (until Chobani blindsided them with the appeal of Greek yogurt, but that's a post for another day.) If you want to increase sales, there is no better substitute than getting super close to your target audience. Annual surveys or regular NPS tracking won't cut it. You need to eat/sleep/drink/work/play like your customers do to concoct solutions they will truly value. ***To learn more from case studies like these, sign up for The Gathering Summit, www.cultgathering.com***

What is #Goodles selling? And does it fit the pattern of dozens of prior brands (e.g., #Chobani, #SkinnyPop) that have pulled off the seemingly impossible to carve out new segments in mature center-store categories? Dr. James Richardson shares his insights - https://lnkd.in/eyKkJMBW #cpg #businessintelligence