Just A Taste

 With more options than ever for plant-based alternatives, consumers are becoming increasingly wary of what exactly these products are made of. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we had the privilege of speaking with Dan Curtin of Greenleaf Foods. As President of two of the biggest brands in the plant-based market (Lightlife and Field Roast), he was able to lend us important insights into the ever-expanding market. In this exciting episode, we discussed how consumers are extremely interested in clean label products, and why he encourages other brands to be more transparent about their products. 

 Influencer marketing is considered the wild west of the marketing world. It's a seemingly easy way for brands to connect to their core demographic, but there's a lot of risks involved. In this episode of Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the CEO & founder of Wonderkind Co., Elle DeFreitas. They gave us an in-depth breakdown of how influencer marketing works and gave us tips for getting the best ROI when working with influencers. They also shared with us what type of products and categories tend to perform best with this type of marketing, as well as their best practices when it comes to finding the best influencers to promote your brand. 

For new small businesses, establishing cohesive and effective branding is key in catching the attention of new customers. However, the typical process of partnering with one artist/graphic designer (or agency) often leads to long timeframes and ineffective communication. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Ross Kimbarovsky of Crowdspring. In this episode, Ross shared with us how Crowdspring has created a marketplace for small businesses to connect with hundreds of artists and graphic designers. Their unique platform gives brands the opportunity to choose between many different designs, while still fostering collaborative and efficient workflow. Ross also shared with us his experience with marketing and branding, including what he believes to be common pitfalls small business encounter.  

Catching the attention of a Grocery Buyer is one of the toughest hurdles for emerging food & beverage CPG brands. Buyers at most major chains often see thousands of new products a month. When making purchases, they must factor in not just how much shelf space they have to fill in each category, but also what their customers are interested in at the moment. So what can you, as a food & beverage brand, do to stand out from the competition and catch the eye of a Grocery Buyer? This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Alli Ball. Alli is a food business consultant and founder of Retail Ready, an online course designed to help emerging brands grow their business. She is also the host of the Food Biz Wiz podcast. In this episode, she shared with us what she has learned over the years as a former Grocery Buyer, and the advice she has to new brands who are looking to get their products on shelf. 

 "Fermented" has quickly become one of the biggest buzzwords within the food & beverage industry. With an influx of new kombucha, kimchi, and other fermented products hitting the shelves in the past year, there's no shortage of these wellness-focused products. However, many consumers are still unsure as to what exactly does "fermented" actually mean, and why are these products so popular? This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with the CEO and Founder of Fermenting Fairy, Lauren Mones. She shared with us her personal journey with gut health, as well as how fermented products differ and why many consumers have found solace in them to improve their own wellness. 

 2020 has proven to be a challenging year for many brands. COVID-19 partnered with the growing demand for social justice has forced many companies to look inward and reconsider their business practices. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Walker Smith. Smith is the Chief Knowledge Officer, Brand & Marketing at Kantar. In this episode, they shared with us what food & beverage brands need to do in order to adapt to the ever-changing market. With the ongoing pandemic preventing long-term planning, and the Black Lives Matter movement placing necessary pressure on brands to reevaluate their business practices, Smith explains what brands need to do in order to be successful. 

 Once considered a product designed for athletes and muscle recovery, protein powders have evolved rapidly to fit into many consumer's daily routines. With the growing popularity of alternative forms of protein, this ever-changing market has been on the rise for many years now. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Claire Morton Reynolds about the data her team has collected about the rising and stable popularity of protein powders. Claire is a Senior Industry Analyst at Nutrition Board Journal and New Hope Network. In this episode, she shared with us how the protein category has been on a steady rise for the past year, and how COVID-19 buying behaviors have shifted (but not disrupted) the market. 

 Although still a relatively small brand, Supernola has taken the snacking world by storm. Focused on good-for-you ingredients, and promoting a healthy balanced lifestyle, they exude all the qualities an upcoming brand needs to succeed - especially during these trying times. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Cindy Poiesz, the co-founder and CEO of Supernola. She shared with us how they have created a superfood-packed snack that ticks a lot of the boxes that modern, wellness-focused consumers are interested in. She also gave us tips on what young entrepreneurs should expect (and plan for) when starting their own food & beverage brand, as well as their best practices for adapting to an ever-changing market. 

In the past few years, many companies have revitalized their private labels. With new modern packaging and increased consumer interests, private brands are on the rise. This week on Beyond the Shelf, Aimee Becker shared with us her recommendations on how private brands should maneuver through these tricky times in order to build a lasting relationship with their new (and existing) customers. As the Senior Vice President of Brand Development at Daymon, Aimee has over ten years of experience with helping brands build their private labels. In this episode, Aimee walked us through the history of private labels, and her five tips for companies attempting to make the most out of our "new normal". 

Online grocery retailing has been on our radar for many years now. But recently, as COVID-19 has forced consumers to seek out alternative shopping methods, many digital platforms have seen a boom in business. But how have online grocery retailers reacted to this sudden increase in traffic? This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Brandon Wehmeyer, the Senior Private Brands Product Development Manager at Boxed. He shared with us what has made this online retailer warehouse-style grocery retailer the "Costco for millennials". He also explained to us how COVID-19 has jumpstarted the rising interest in online grocery shopping, and how Boxed is reacting to this surge in consumer demand.

It's no surprise that most large distribution systems favor national brands. They have the funding and stable logistical systems that allow buyers to trust them. For smaller, emerging brands, this isn't always the case. Grocery buyers are less likely to purchase from these brands because of the uncertainty about whether they could consistently stock their shelves due to inadequate distribution systems. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke to Larissa Russell, the CEO & Co-founder of Pod Foods. She shared with us how small brands are often underrepresented on grocery shelves because of inaccuracies in common distribution systems, and how their software helps bridge this gap. 

Did you know that it takes 1 lb of grains to make 1 six-pack of IPA beer? And although many breweries donate their leftover grains to farms for feed, much of it is left unused. This food waste is often full of nutrients, and with the right technology could be turned into a superfood. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Daniel Kurzrock, the Co-Founder and CEO of ReGrained. He shared with us not only how his company partners with breweries to turn leftover grains into delicious snacks, but also how their patented technology could revolutionize food waste throughout the entire industry. 

In just a few months, COVID-19 has completely flipped America on its head. With panic spreading rapidly, many brands are struggling to stay afloat and react properly to consumer's reasonable concerns. Although some markets within the food & beverage industry have seen an increase in sales, many brands that have been deemed non-essential are having to think out-of-the-box to appeal to the ever-changing consumer demand. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with Jess Saba (founder of Good Point PR) about what brands can do during COVID-19. She shared with us how companies should approach marketing during the pandemic, and how to share philanthropic initiatives with consumers without appearing insensitive. 

 Kombucha. Love it or hate it, it's here to stay. The cult-favorite, probiotic heavy beverage has taken the industry by storm in the past five years. Focusing on their wellness properties, many brands have found their audience in health-minded individuals who are seeking a unique beverage experience. But this is just the tip of the iceberg for the market. Enter hard kombucha. Meeting at the intersection of wellness and alcohol, hard kombucha has quickly become a fan favorite. This week on Beyond the Shelf, we spoke with co-founder of Boochcraft, Adam Hiner. He shared with us his experience launching California's first hard kombucha brand, as well as consumer's reception of this fast-growing market. 

Sustainability has been and will continue to be an important discussion within the food & beverage industry. Many brands have already taken the necessary steps to lessen their environmental impact, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. The meat industry, in particular, has been consistently under fire for their non-sustainable practices. However, a new market is in development, one that could theoretically change the industry forever: cell-based meat. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke with Megan Poinski, a Senior Editor at Food Dive. We discussed what exactly is cell-based meat, and the legislative conundrum that the industry is facing 

 Once dominated by brands such as Gatorade or Powerade, the functional/performance beverage market has recently undergone a huge resurgence. With the help of trendy ingredients, such as CBD, brands have been reshaping how consumers view this once-booming market. With an emphasis on nutritional and performance benefits, this  (new) market is hitting all the sweet spots for modern consumers. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke with Beau Wehrle of DEFY. Their CBD-infused performance drink is the first to be made with athletes in mind. We discussed how the product came to be, as well as the hurtles their product has encountered in such a new and emerging market. 

How much do you actually know about our food supply chain? In its most simple form, we'd like to think that our food goes from the farmers/producers to the distributors, to the store, and then to the consumer. But it's rarely that simple. In fact, typically there are a lot more steps to the process. And with the growing trend of consumers wanting to know more about where their food is coming from, transparency is key in making consumers happy. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke with DJ Bodden, who is the Chief Operations Officer of Farmer Connect. They have created a system that allows consumers, and other farmers, to trace the source of their food to the original grower. From there, Farmer Connect allows people to learn more about who is growing their food and support them through monetary donations. 

 Did you know that 95% of food & beverage products fail within the first three years? Whether that happens during research and development, or during marketing testing, companies must do everything they can to reduce the risk of failing from the beginning. One of the best ways to do this is to develop flavor profiles that appeal to their specific demographics. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke with Jason Cohen who is the CEO and Founder of Analytical Flavor Systems who have created Gastrograph, an AI system that analyzes human sensory perceptions of flavor, aroma, and texture. Food and beverage companies partner with Analytical Flavor Systems to utilize their extensive consumer data to determine what flavor profiles appeal to specific demographics. 

 As of January 2020, 11 states have fully legalized cannabis. And as this number continues to grow, the food and beverage industry is quickly reacting by developing products using CBD and hemp oils. Whether that be edibles or beverages, this growing market is facing a lot of issues. One such issue is the lack of widespread technology that allows manufacturers to manage consumer experience through proper dosage and chemical interactions. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke with Scott Riefler of SōRSE Technology about the booming cannabis market in the food and beverage industry, and how their innovative water-soluble oils are solving many issues for both brands and consumers. 

 Throughout the past several years, many consumers have been increasingly focused on shopping more locally, especially with their produce. However, local farmers oftentimes do not have the resources to be able to supply their produce to a larger scale on their own. They are also at the mercy of environmental influences that may affect their harvest. This week on Just a Taste, we spoke to Patrick Mateer, Co-Founder and CEO of Seal the Seasons, who have created a network of local farmers which allows growers to produce, freeze, and sell their produce in regional grocery stores. We spoke to them about how their business has created an innovative new supply chain for local farmers, as well as the importance of keeping jobs/money within local businesses.