The Lead’s Post

This article from Nosh.com (link in the comments) popped up in my email and it caught my eye because it featured prominently our clients NoBull Burger (and our packaging design!) - then I dug into it and found a very interesting take on big shows (Expo West) and smaller, regional shows and the perspective that brands have when it comes to participating, or not participating, in these shows - here’s a quick summary: At the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo, nearly 200 local brands showcased their innovations. Amid economic considerations, brands like NoBull Burgers and True Made Foods chose strategic focus over larger trade shows, prioritizing direct marketing and customer engagement. Key takeaway: In today's tight economic climate, emerging brands are becoming highly strategic with their resources to foster sustainable growth. It’s very interesting hearing brands leaning into the smaller shows - we’re lucky in North Carolina to have the Flavors of Carolina show which is one of the best shows I’ve gotten to attend because of its size and hyper focus on bringing retailers and NC brands together. Have you experienced the impact of choosing smaller shows over larger ones? What are your thoughts on strategic focus in brand growth and customer interaction? #BrandStrategy #CustomerEngagement #FoodAndBeverage #LocalBrands #SustainableGrowth #PackagingDesign #betterwithbuttermilk

We've had a great response to our recent survey exploring what shoppers really think of retail destinations. Here are a few tips we've come up with to help put the findings into action. #SpringShopperSurvey #LMarketing #ShoppingCentres

Here are some ‘strategies’ takeaways from my second year at the Natural Products Expo... 1) 𝐔𝐆𝐂 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐭: Various brands were projecting UGC at their booths. Shoutout to one of my favorite brands: TruFru, you were the first brand to catch my attention with this one. I was excited to see this as we’ve focused on building out UGC at the agency over the last year.  2) 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝: Platforms such as Aisle, Ibotta, Inc., & Vizer were all present this year at Expo. Brands were intrigued to learn more, and we were seeking out brands who have maybe not had success on these platforms, specifically on aisle, as the partner who could come in and help them achieve success.  3) 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞: Outside of the immensely successful complementary collab with Chobani x La Colombe there were brand: brand collabs such as Girl Scouts x Chameleon Harvest Snaps x Heretic Beer, and happy hours with brands such as Milton’s x Fly By Jing where Fly By Jing was being served as a topping for Milton’s pizza! I’m so grateful to be a part of this team and to have been able to attend my second Expo alongside Adam Brown, Sara Lerner, Wyatt Davis, Irma Bosch, Marlie Fisher, and Molly O'Donnell❤️ What else did you take away from #Expo? #expowest #expowest2024 #socialmediaagency #cpg

Just 1 week to go until our next all-client insights event, ‘Brands Away from Home’. We are really looking forward to welcoming everyone to LABS House and challenging the received wisdom around Brands in the foodservice and away-from-home market. Of course, there will be some ‘not-so-surprising’ tensions around price, but attitudes do feel different. The motivations to buy brands back-of-house vs. front-of-house are changing, as is the ‘level of access’ operators will give brands to help support their businesses. It’s all shifting and it’s all up for grabs. We look forward to sharing this New Brand Reality next Tuesday, and, as it’s the #Cateys that evening - we may string it out - present in black tie - and go straight onto the JW Marriott Grosvenor House London. Anything could happen. An early thanks ahead to the team at CGA by NIQ for their support on the project and, as a reminder, there will be a follow-up headlines session at the Arena the hospitality networking association Summer Event on 12th July. #b2bmarketing #foodtrends #brandsinb2b #brandinsights

As we head into another Expo West, I wanted to share a story about being truthful and hopefully some perspective as you speak to founders and sample products. Several years ago I was at Expo East and one of my long-time friends introduced me to a new founder that was starting a company. It was a beverage company and they had branding and samples but were not yet launched. Unfortunately, the name was clunky and the samples were even worse. Now, human empathy would normally guide us not to hurt their feelings and make up a "white lie" that the products were good. However, I did exactly the opposite -- I was brutally honest both about the name and the product. Why? Because that is what I would want people to do for me. Few people are honest with founders. Whether their family, friends or acquaintances, none of them want to hurt feelings and so few are being honest about ideas and products. To succeed in food and beverage CPG, you need a lot of things to go right but at a minimum you need: -- Meaningful Differentiation (the reason people try the product) -- Amazing taste (why they come back) -- Strong economics (how you pay for growth) By being truly honest, you can help the founder get to key decisions sooner. Maybe they need to iterate the product, change the name, redesign the packaging, or shut the business and try something else. By telling a "white lie" to avoid offense, you kick the can down the road and potentially waste a lot of that founder's time -- the one thing we can never get back. So back to the story at hand. I was brutally honest. I said I thought the idea was good, but the name was terrible and the product was not good. It was hard and I could see the founder welling up to tears in front of me. It was brutal, but we talked and I said you need to go back to the drawing board and find a better name and improve the taste. Well a year ago at last year's Expo West, I saw that Founder and he had taken my advice to heart, he had a great new brand name and I tried the new beverage which tasted great. I just saw a post from this founder that they are now the fastest growing functional beverage brand in SPINS and I could not be more proud of them. The moral of the story here is to be honest as you walk around Expo West sampling product. Help the founders out. Sometimes it could result in better taste or differentiation and other times it might result in a shutdown, but either way you are saving them the most valuable asset they have --- time!! #expowest2024 #expowest #naturalproducts Manna Tree, Steve Young, Eric Schnell

Brityard is revolutionising the retail industry with its unique approach to offering brands retail space on one of the world’s busiest shopping streets. 🛍️ Unlike traditional retailers, Brityard charges brands a subscription fee to be listed instead of buying stock to sell at a margin. In return, those brands get access to the versatile events space, which includes the opportunity to run curated masterclasses and activations, with potential for collaborations alongside other Brityard-listed brands. Our co-founder Lara speaks on this: “The activation-based model is a win-win, Brityard wouldn’t be where it is today without the support of the founder brands, while the brands have access to a premium retail location they wouldn’t necessarily have been able to fund on their own.” #Brityard #RetailRevolution #IndependentBrands #Hospitality #Events #LondonShopping

Retail conventions and trade shows are essentially the party of the year for industry insiders, where business cards are traded like Pokémon cards and coffee is consumed in quantities that would impress even the hardiest barista. On a serious note, these gatherings are networking goldmines; it's where you might meet your next business partner or just someone who equally dislikes long queues at the coffee stand. They're the catwalks of the retail world, showcasing everything from groundbreaking gadgets to the latest in eco-friendly packaging—so you can stay on trend without trying too hard. Not to mention, they’re a prime spot for unveiling new products. Imagine the oohs and aahs as you reveal your latest creation, slightly overshadowed by the freebies at the next booth. There's also a slew of talks and workshops where industry gurus spill their secrets, usually in exchange for just your email and eternal soul. And, let’s not forget, it’s a perfect chance to spy on your competitors without needing binoculars. So, pack your best pitch and a comfy pair of shoes; it’s time to mingle, learn, and maybe even have a little fun at IMAGES Group's Phygital Retail Convention 2024. Fynd (Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd.) in partnership with IMAGES Group & Strategy& are rolling 2024 edition of India Phygital Report. Hit anyone of us at Fynd (Shopsense Retail Technologies Ltd.) if you are visiting or planning to visit! Farooq Adam Ragini Varma Sriram Ramakrishnan