Nick Budden

Let’s not forget the abject distain #CPG #emergingbrands who sold primarily through retail channels faced and heard from venture & PE investors, as well as all the DTC “native” brands out there in the 2017-2021 time frame. We at Once Upon a Farm heard a lot of it. “You wanna sell through Whole Foods? Good luck with that“. “You’re focused on retail and will get a 2X multiple, we can get 10x, let’s merge so my multiple helps yours”. “Good luck making money with all those middlemen”. Now the same investors and entrepreneurs are falling all over themselves to take their brands to retail as fast as they can, the ones lucky enough to not already be road-kill. “Omni-channel” is the thing today. LOL. Shocker. The zero interest rate, DTC-only, spend anything you want stupidity period is over, good riddance. Welcome to the retail battlefield, where margin for error is short, and memories are long. May the best brands, doing the best work for consumers and the consumer ecosystem, win.

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Many have asked why I'm prioritizing China 🇨🇳 for CC Spicy 🌶‘s growth. Here's why: 👍🏼The health-conscious middle class is transitioning from purchasing luxury brands to demonstrate status. They’re focusing on their health and fitness. 🌐With nearly 1 BILLION online shoppers, China is a massive market, even for food items (https://lnkd.in/gDyFy6nC). 👩🏻‍💻Live stream selling is huge, surpassing traditional e-commerce platforms like Taobao (https://lnkd.in/g7a4Qc5m). 🇨🇦 Canada's top food safety ranking makes it appealing to Chinese consumers. 💰You don’t need the distributors and brokers! I’ve started talking to a few Canadian CPG brands that are interested in tapping into the Chinese market. DM me if interested! 🇨🇳 If you still think China is poor, dirty and dangerous, you’re absolutely wrong. Watch this video. https://lnkd.in/gWs5phav #china #globalexpansion #internationaltrade #dtc #cpg

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I just had a eye-opening convo with a distributor about how they *really* analyze CPG brands... and it might change your whole approach: Here's what catches their eye:  👉 Unique differentiators in your pitch. Not just "we're better," but truly standout features.  👉 A website that screams your differentiator. It should be impossible to miss.  👉 A prominent store locator. This shows you're already making moves in retail.  👉 A product that aligns with their retailer account base. The bottom line: Getting on shelf is SO MUCH MORE than just "connections" and "outreach." Before you approach a buyer/distributor, ask yourself: • Is my pitch customized for this unique audience? • Is my brand's USP clearly communicated across every potential touchpoint? (website, packaging, sell sheet, etc) • Is my brand's digital presence set up for wholesale? Too many brands are out there cold calling and DM-ing buyers/distributors without this groundwork—it's like trying to build a house without a blueprint. What else does it take to be "distributor-ready?"

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I'm a believer in Manifesting - "to make something happen by imagining it and consciously thinking that it will happen" (Cambridge Dictionary) Seven years ago, as Jennifer Garner & I agreed to join Once Upon a Farm as co-founders with Ari Raz & Cassandra Curtis, I sent Jen this late night email, manifesting what we were going to do here. "Building great and enduring things is hard. I think this is one of those and it is now on us to bring the dream to reality. Not often does a group of people have opportunity to create a new company that has the potential to change the landscape of food nutrition in any country, nor to create a company from near scratch with a culture that will be widely admired almost from day one. We have those opportunities and more. I am so excited by that potential to create something truly new, genuine, and cherished. I know that there will be challenges, curve balls, and things we all do not expect and will have to react to, it goes with any start up experience. Expect that. But we have a ton of experience, and we will adapt and learn and grow to beat every challenge. And the opportunity here is large. I was just talking to a senior person at Target responsible for all their healthy food marketing and strategy and this space we are looking to occupy is wide-open. Amazing opportunity. Our consumers will be our heroes, the moms and dads that struggle every day to deal with the challenges and distractions of life to build their families and to raise the most incredible people that they can. We are going to be there for them in a way that few brands have ever been in the consumer space. Total consumer obsession and love and respect. This will breed brand love and trust. We will also look to drive positive social impact with everything we do, every choice, every action. We want to follow in the footsteps of leaders like Annie's Inc., Patagonia, Clif Bar, and others to raise the bar on social and environmental impact and transparency. There is so much opportunity!" Manifest the future you want to create for your #emergingbrand in #cpg. The culture you want, consumers you will honor, impact you want to have, and the place you want to occupy in the space. Then go make it happen. Good luck.

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The rise of the flexitarian drinker is reshaping the beverage landscape. “The future of NA is actually alongside booze. Why go to a specific niche store when you can grab your NA alongside everything else you have on your grocery list?” 🍹🚫🍺 Is blending NA and alcoholic options on retail shelves the key to catering to today’s consumer? #BeverageTrends #FlexitarianDrinker #Alcohol https://lnkd.in/gkYGg_Nm

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A 5% boost in customer retention can amp up your profits by 25-95%. Imagine that kind of impact. If you're ready to be one of the few getting close to those 95%, here's an invite. Join me and my friend Zach Bingham this July as we dive deep with some of the best in the biz, sharing powerful strategies that go beyond the retention average. The Retention Revolution Series features 3 digital events, with the first one starting next week! We’re set to show you how to transform distracted shoppers into loyal repeat customers by perfecting their journey. Got questions for us? Drop them in the comments, and I'll make sure we cover them all. #CustomerRetention #MarketingStrategy #Personalization #DTC #Ecommerce

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AB, Target, and brand values – this is a case study for the OPPOSITE approach   Liquid Death knows who they are. And they are loud and proud They actually EMBRACE the feedback from brand haters Using it to demonstrate their brand values Does it work?   $700mm valuation with $100mm in sales (2022) far higher than Pepsi’s 3 times sales valuation on par with established Monster at 9X sales   Investor Rampolla said, “What we liked from the beginning: the data on Whole Foods and 7-Eleven. I’ve never seen a brand perform equally well in both of those chains out of the gate. It’s so abnormal. I can’t think of another brand I’ve ever seen.”   Key principle: don’t compromise your values   Because the opposite of love isn’t hate. It’s indifference #fooddoinggood #foodsystem #food (link to original post in comments) (source in comments) PS: this is day 22 of my 30 days of LinkedIn challenge! Hit the 🔔 on my profile to get each update. I’ll share learnings as I go. 👍  

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Let's talk a little bit about category reinvention. I've seen multiple posts lately handwringing about new category entrants or new categories that aren't "worth paying so much for." One example was a post about the NA beverage category. The critique boiled down to this: why pay a ton for wine that is "just juice" or "cocktails" that are just sugar, water and additives? The author even goes as far as to argue that it's not worth paying for because you could mix mocktails at home by yourself. I don't disagree that flavor and other alcohol-like qualities (bite, burn, etc.) could be improved in the alternatives. And, yes, many products can be (re)created at home with time, money and access to the right ingredients. However, this is part of the growth and maturation cycle of most categories: ➡ New alternatives emerge at a higher price point ➡ Marketing dollars are put behind them ➡ Consumers compare them to the established product(s) they know and find things they don't like & established players fight back with their own claims and content ➡ Even more new alternatives emerge to address the pushback, some at premium price points ➡ The main players add to their portfolios or hold firm ➡ Some brands survive; some don't ➡ The dust settles and the category is redefined to include the alternatives We've seen this before in many other CPG categories when they first entered the market: -People complained about paying more for soy milk in their coffee and even spread false information about soy altering the male body -Natural / non-toxic household cleaners were all labeled as part of "greenwashing" and bloggers argued for making your own with vinegar -Greek yogurt was criticized for having less calcium and for using "fillers" instead of true craft straining technique -Etc Beyond this, it's critically important to consider the role of occasion and brand. For the NA category, holding a sharply designed can in your hand helps you feel at home among hard seltzer and beer drinkers, even if the taste or burn isn't the same. And let's not forget brand - that ephemeral, magical something - that makes old and new players alike unstoppable, even if the product itself isn't drastically new(hello, Liquid Death!) When I was pregnant, I too sought meaningful alternatives to drinking alcohol. Some were great in taste; some weren't. Some gave me a booze-like mouthfeel; others didn't. But I certainly had more options than a person in my shoes 5 years ago. And as both a consumer and marketer, I'm confident NA products will continue to optimize and improve (as they always do). #marketing #categoryreinvention #brand

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July's Faire Market is right around the corner... here's my playbook for higher sales: In January, Faire Market featured 26k brands and 57k retailers—facilitating over 105k new relationships between brands and retailers. Here's how you can prepare + make the most of the Market this July: 1️⃣ 1st week of July: Schedule your promo. Tier the promo. Make sure your products are up to date and optimized for the algorithm (aka update imagery, keywords) to increase discovery. 2️⃣ 2nd week of July: Send a campaign teasing days until the market. Post on Instagram Stories and LinkedIn promoting your Faire direct link. 3️⃣ 3rd week of July: Create collections for summer, for your bestsellers. Send another countdown email. 4️⃣ 4th week of July (Market days): Message buyers with your products in cart and buyers who haven’t reordered in a while. Run a day-by-day countdown campaign highlighting products & deals. This is what I'll be doing with my clients! If you have any questions about making the most of Faire Market, comment below 👇

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I spent my entire weekend following the Kendrick Lamar vs Drake rap beef. Here’s what it taught me about CPG marketing: 1. 🙅‍♀️ Comparisons: As a small brand taking on a huge category (Health & Wellness), we’re always thinking about how to show they're NOT LIKE US. Comparison-focused content does wonders here in breaking down why you’re better than what’s on the market (here’s one of our first viral videos comparing our Immunity Icon mix to Emergen-C: https://lnkd.in/gsufCMGr) 2. 🙌 Purpose: Family matters, your brand matters too. Many of the larger legacy brands are mainly focused on one KPI: profit. Is your brand for the people or just profit? Convey your mission, ethos, and why you exist beyond your product and customers will rally behind your brand (along with their $$ too). 3. 🗣️ Allegations: Competitors and even prospective customers will ALWAYS have negative things to say about your product. Your job is to address these claims head-on and even “diss” back - this builds even more trust with customers while effectively marketing why you’re different at the same time (example: https://lnkd.in/gQAcbvKm). 4. 🎼 When a marketing cord strikes, double down. When Kendrick dropped a hit track (Euphoria) on Drake, he didn’t stop (Meet the Grahams) -- don't give your competitors room to breathe when something resonates with the audience (super effective when paired with #3). 5. 🤷 Just have better product/material - Kdot won a Pulitzer Prize for a reason 😅 To sum it up: lean into why your products and brand is different in every way while not being afraid of standing on business when the opportunity arises. Follow for more tips (and catch up on the rap beef if you haven't yet - it's the best we've seen in decades). #kendrick #drake #rapbeef #marketing #cpg #marketingtips

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👉 Generation Z is at the forefront of driving innovation in both the alcoholic beverage and digital marketing industries! 🚀 🍸 According to a recent report by Circana, Gen Z consumers aged 21-26 are prioritizing convenience and novelty in alcoholic beverages. Brands are responding with exciting flavor profiles and premium packaging to cater to their preferences. Ready-to-drink cocktails and hard seltzers are particularly popular among this demographic, with variety packs leading the way. 🛍️ On the digital front, America’s Rewards App, Fetch has captured the attention of Gen Z with personalized offers, social features, and gamified experience. With nearly one-third of our user base under 25, Fetch has become the go-to platform for Gen Z shoppers looking for fun, savings, and product discovery. 💡 What does this mean for BevAlc marketers? It's clear that Gen Z's affinity for digital experiences and personalized rewards is reshaping both the beverage and marketing landscapes. Ready to connect with LDA Gen Z and drive brand success? Hit me up! #GenZ #BevAlc

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Do you have success stories illustrating the potential of EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY laws? As a startup, we have yet to see any direct benefit. The concept: if CPG brands want to continue passing off responsibility for managing and disposing of the cheap plastics they keep pumping into the market onto customers and municipalities, they should pay by the pound for the polluting privilege. Theoretically this will increase the cost of petroleum plastics thereby creating a more even playing field for new nontoxic, biobased and fully biodegradable materials. New materials are less plentiful, not heavily subsidized (unlike oil and gas), and while many can be integrated into existing manufacturing processes and supply chains, the exchange is not 1 for 1 -- it takes some commitment on the part of everyone involved-there is a learning curve, it takes development dollars. Optimally, when faced with the choice between spending money to integrate cleaner and more mutually beneficial materials into their products, or giving the money to waste management to burn and landfill their current toxic, deadly material mix, CPG brands will wake up and smell the roses. But are they? Even a little? I'd love to know. In the ScienceAlerta rticle referred to below -- for every 1% increase in petroleum plastic pumped into the world in the form of packaging, there is a 1% increase in plastic pollution. 1:1. #extendedproducerresponsibility #epr #makecompostmainstream https://lnkd.in/dQdv-QhN https://lnkd.in/dC7PEp9m

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I love trend-watching - trying to understand how macro & micro economic shifts could affect my work & personal life... alot of these overlap with @palmventurestudios focus areas as well. A few areas I'm investing my time and $: 📈 📉 Inflation / Interest Rates - obvy been a rough few years, but I still love RE and think it's a great way to build generational, passive wealth. So I'm ALWAYS watching RE prices & valuations. What I'm doing: starting to look more seriously at RE again - if you can withstand higher int rates until the inevitable cuts - there should be some good values both in residential & commercial this year. 🤖 AI & Upskilling - Elon suggested that AI will surpass human intelligence NEXT YEAR. He's not the best at timing, but he's usually right. I also find Grok more conversational than ChatGPT. What I'm doing: seeing where we can leverage AI in our company, and trying to get the kiddos to focus on skills less likely to be disrupted by AI (sales, strategy, debate etc - but I'm sure this list will evolve a LOT in next year). 🌱 Cannabis - it's been a ROUGH 3+ yrs for almost everyone in the space. But feel confident something positive will happen on federal side within next 12 mos, but not banking on anything for 3-5 yrs. What I'm doing: Long Woodstock (obvy), but also CNTMF (microcap) - for its value price and huge potential with FL, PA (both which should flip AU in next yr) and TX. 🌎 Climate change - hard to ignore no matter where you live... VT had minimal snow all winter, but then 4 ft in like 2 wks in April?! The Great Salt Lake is evaporating?! What I'm doing: driving an EV 🚗 , recycling & composting food ♻️ , solar power 😎 , eating less meat 🥕. Looking into battery storage next - and trying to talk everyone into doing their part. 🏋️ Personal health - I've let my physical health slip in the past year. For me (and most), it's mostly eating / drinking. What I'm doing: drink less (more THC bevvies over beers), eat more plant-based, and try to incorporate weight lifting into my routine. Life has been crazy in past year (in a mostly good way), but need to prioritize health rn! 🚅 Experiences - this may be more my kids life stage (how many soccer balls can one kid have?). But trying to shift our focus on experience over tangible things... and trying to get my daughter un-hooked off skin care 🤷‍♂️. What trends are you noticing / acting on?

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Talking with my friend and consumer/CPG investor Scott Caras this morning. He sees hundreds of pitches from emerging CPG brands every year, and has invested in and sold some awesome brands like Grillo's Pickles and True Botanicals. "The thing that so many companies are missing is an actual strategic plan, backed with numbers, about what the company is going to look like over the next 3-5 years, and the prioritized initiatives that it will take to get there. Having that or not having that is a kind of a game-changer when talking to investors. It shows a level of thoughtfulness about the business that separates certain teams from others and makes an investor a lot more comfortable." My takeaway: Investors are OK with taking some risk - that's literally what they get paid to do. It's your job as a founder/exec to help them understand the risks that you plan on taking, and why those risks will produce an upside outcome for you both. P.S. - We're cooking something up with Olivia Gold aka the OG of strategic planning on this one very soon...stay tuned.

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Who do you think are the Top 5 biggest players in CPG investing right now? If these people or firms invested in you, the level of credibility and support you'd land would be the best of the best. I need help creating a list. Size or stage they invest doesn't matter.

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When you are building a new brand in retail in 2024, it’s important to be scrappy and patient. Those are slightly opposing ideas typically. I believe it has always been important to walk before you run, but it's especially important as investors are looking more closely at customer validation than they were before. Investors are considering capital efficiency now, and so should you. Today, it's still possible to buy your top line. It's not the move. Don't get suckered into deals that drive you into more distribution but force you into an EDLP too early, or that require outsized trade/marketing spend. It's not sexy, it's stupid. SCRAPPY - Do the hard work, build real partnerships, learn about what your customer cares about, who they are, and whether or not they organically convert with your current offering before you consider scaling. Iterate, and make adjustments if it's not working, don't just assume they are wrong and will get it later. Look in the mirror and answer tough questions about what you have created and if it's truly resonating beyond your own aspirations. Go to the markets who appreciate what you have created and genuinely want to support you, not just take your money. Do this if you can while not paying yourself. You really won't be able to pay yourself in this game for a couple years sustainably, so don't have an illusion of transitioning before you're ready. This scrappy phase is all about the customer, not YOU. Make sure they see what you see, and want it as much as you want it. If you aren't outselling the category leaders in the best markets that matter more to you than to them, it will be even harder to do as you grow. Crack the code before you have the pressure, because it's way harder to fix later. You have to work harder than you ever have in this phase, and you will get nothing for it in the near term. If you make this investment, it does have a chance of a handsome reward in the end but that is far from gauranteed. It's important to know what you are signing up for. PATIENCE - This is the hardest thing to do, and getting harder as the world is moving so quickly now. Trust me, this is one of the best things you can do as a brand for many reasons. You will build a resilient base of core customers, and there are many ways you can unlock this value. Your customers are your foundation though. You will generate a pull position, and in this business it's imperative to be in a position of strength. Brands rarely have the ability to negotiate, be one of those brands. Generate FOMO. If you are out selling the category, people will want to be a part of it, it's that simple. Investors, retailers, influencers, collaborators, they will want you if you're winning, and they will not if you're not. If you try to fool them, you will only be fooling yourself. So bring it, we need it, but do it the right way. No short cuts. #emergingbrands #cpginnovation #brandbuilding #retailstrategy #angelinvesting #earlystage Adam Spriggs

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🙋🏻‍♀️ I think this partnership is brilliant. Impossible Foods is a brand that’s selling fake meat to meat eaters. They chose the poster child of meat-eating as an ambassador. Essentially: “Hey look, Joey Chesnut is the 👑 of eating meat, even ✨HE✨ eats fake meat.” 🍔First, Impossible positions themselves as a healthier option for meat eaters. (Whether or not it is—that’s for another side of LinkedIn). This positioning is unlike other fake meat brands that primarily target their foods to vegetarians and vegans that “miss” the taste of meat. 🌭Second, consumers perceive Impossible Foods as a “crunchy,” vegan food. Hence the uproar! But… With Joey Chestnut at the helm, this could break the perception. ➕Bonus, Nathan’s could take full advantage of this instead of choosing to ban him. 🤨Curious… What do you think? #brand #branddeal #partnerships #brandstrategy #personalbrand https://lnkd.in/erHh4qws

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STRATEGY IS KING This from the amazing Chelsea Ford hit my inbox this morning. "There are more than 22,000 SKUs on a typical retailer's shelves. What’s your plan to kick one of those products off and get your product on their shelf instead?" And yes. We see the same thing again and again. Every founder has the same challenges. Retailers want innovation. Innovation leads to growth and profit. How do you get on shelf? How do you grow on shelf? How do you stay on shelf? How do you innovate on shelf? If you're a one hit wonder... then what's your play? If you're a copy of something else... then what's your play? If you're a small brand trying to look big... then what's your play? If you're still trying to grow after 5 years of hustle... why? What's your exit plan? How are you going to pay back your investors? Time to act!!!! #launch #scale #sell #brand #strategy #business #founders #entrepreneurs #VCs #PEs #LFG #cpg #fmcg #challengerbrand

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