Cady Roberts

There are three critical things to communicate when it comes to growing your CPG brand. Whether it’s investors, buyers, distributors or anyone else who you need to get on board. 1. Where are you going? Vision is a word that gets thrown around a lot, but when you define what that actually means it’s the answer to a simple question. It’s a powerful guide for your behavior everyday. It’s critical to know where you want to be years down the line, if you are going to build alignment with key stakeholders along the way. EVERYONE wants to go to the promised land, so tell them where that is, what it looks like and feels like to be there, bring this place to life in your core essence and share that passion with anyone you wish to enroll in your pursuit. It’s not enough to just talk about revenue, white space, or data. That’s all very important, but people need to believe that you see it, that it’s a real place that exists, and it’s just a matter of making the trek. 2. Why should people care? Assuming that making it to the promised land includes a compelling value prop that’s linked to clear differentiators in your category that customers actually care about and you have data to support this no matter how young you are. Okay, that’s maybe an assumption I shouldn’t make, but if you don’t have that, definitely don’t make the trek. If you have that, then don’t overthink this question. This question is all about why any stakeholder will make more money with you than without you. Ultimately that’s the baseline that will get any stakeholder on board. Investors have thousands of deals to choose from, buyers have thousands of brands/products to choose from, distributors have only so much room in their facilities/trucks. At some point you have to articulate why yours is better from that black and white perspective. If you don’t have this answer completely dialed in for every stakeholder, nobody will believe that you are the right guide to follow to the promised land. 3. How are you going to make it happen? It’s impossible to anticipate every twist and turn along the way, but you should have a very clear picture of what you and your team are capable of doing to execute this vision. Not that it can be done, or even the best route to take, but your demonstrable ability to make it happen. The more specific you are the better. The more commitments you have the better. Even when you have those things it sometimes is not enough so you need to combine these tangible plans with perseverance. If you can’t speak to these three things clearly with conviction and passion, it will be hard for anyone else to take you seriously enough to invest their time or money. Don’t fluff it either, give people the straight sauce. Even if it’s not perfect (shocker, it never is, and if you believe it is people won’t believe you), a little authenticity will help build trust, so don’t paint the perfect picture, just lay out the argument in a way that is very real.

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What if we started bottom up? * We are taught to identify a customer problem or need. At the very top of the food (or "stuff") chain. Find a sweet spot no-one is addressing - a gap on the shelves, or “category”. Create the product. Spend hours defining its positioning. Define its purpose. Work out what to do with it to make it sustainable or impactful in some way. What if we started bottom up?  Identified a problem on the ground. Children in coffee growing villages going hungry and we pay £5 for a flat white. This factory used to house denim makers and now it’s empty. Tea farmers are poor ‘cause we’ll only spend 2p on teabags. More and more often, we’re seeing brands start bottom up. As they go along their journey of introducing their product people will ask them - what’s your usp? (even 12 year old nephews). They will tell them the problem the brand wants to address. Its purpose. And it’s a real one. Some will care. Will be behind you. Your tribe. But as things get more commercial; conversations with retailers, agencies, consultants, they will be told - “That’s nice, but people don’t really care about that part." And they’ll be encouraged to distill how the brand shows up into 3 bullet points you can put in roundels that a consumer can remember. And whilst its true that a product has to appeal and sell  for it to make any impact on the ground. We also have to ask - what if people cared? And isn't it our job to help them care? As Wycliffe Sande says - people can't care about what they don't know. * To distill is to - “extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of” something.  Did you extract the right bit? And do you like my sketch? * Musing 18 of 30 on #smallbusiness and #startups #founders #brandstrategy #purpose

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CPG Panel — “More than commerce”: 🔥 We are working on a mega panel (June 13) of CPG powerhouses right now including some of my great friends: Jamie Schwab (Colgate-Palmolive) Jamie Decker (Del Monte Foods, Inc.). We will be diving into the importance of driving direct-to-customer engagement through digital, not just commerce. Topics: (4) 1. First-party data strategies 2. Customer engagement 3. Omnichannel marketing 4. No doubt AI! We still have a few panelists spots remaining, feel free send me a DM or comment below if you may be interested or know some who would be great for this topic. #ecommerce #digital #omnichannel #strategy #cmo #cdo #ceo #cro #leadership #retailecommerceclub #cpg #privateequity #playtowin

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When Consumers Pull Back, Only brands with high perceived value earn the right not to be traded down. This WSJ article (may be paywalled) made me reflect on how food companies adjust to consumer feedback. - Consumers are pulling back in the U.S. and China, indicating a slowdown in spending. - Restaurant chains and food manufacturers are responding to consumer dissatisfaction with high prices by offering deals and introducing new products. - Companies like Domino's Pizza are raising prices at a slower pace and implementing more discounts to attract customers back to their brands. Profit Margins Remain Strong for Food Industry: - Major restaurant chains and food manufacturers have seen profits soar, with some reaching or surpassing 2019 levels. - Gross margins for many food makers are at or near prepandemic levels, indicating financial stability. Economic Growth Boosts Food Company Earnings: - Food companies have enjoyed record quarterly profits, aligning with economic growth trends. - Efforts to become more efficient and scale back pandemic-era measures have contributed to increased profits. Consumer Response to Pricing Strategies: - Consumer sentiment on food prices is mixed, with concerns about overcharging and shrinking product sizes. - While some consumers are cutting back on dining out, others are adjusting to higher prices and looking for value deals. Promotions and Discounts to Drive Sales: - Companies like McDonald's and Starbucks are launching promotional offers to attract customers back and improve sales volumes. - Food makers like Mondelez and General Mills are lowering prices, offering discounts, and enhancing product taste to drive consumer interest. Challenges in Winning Back Consumer Trust: - Executives acknowledge the challenge of winning consumers back post-inflation, requiring sustained efforts and investments. - The slow pace of consumer trust rebuilding highlights the complexity of addressing pricing concerns and ensuring affordability. Focus on Value and Affordability: - Restaurants are emphasizing value meals and affordable options to retain and attract customers. - Food manufacturers are reducing prices, offering discounts, and improving product quality to maintain competitiveness. Future Strategies and Consumer Engagement: - Companies anticipate a gradual process in winning back consumer trust post-inflation and emphasize the need for sustained investments. - Enhanced promotions, discounts, and product improvements aim to engage consumers and drive sales growth. Hiring Slowdown Fuels Bets on Rate Cut: - A hiring slowdown is fueling expectations of a larger rate cut by the Federal Reserve. - This development reflects concerns about the economic outlook and the potential need for monetary policy adjustments. I write about training marketers so that CMOs have a focused team to build profitable brands. Get a copy of my BrandTips® newsletter. See more in the comments. #marketing #branding #management #mentoring

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Reflecting on this monumental moment, I wanted to wait until the news was "official" before sharing my thoughts and feelings... Almost 7 years ago, a good friend now who started as a good client invited me to his new office in NJ to explore a plant-based protein company he was considering acquiring. That's when I first encountered OWYN. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of it initially. Plant-based, vegan protein drinks weren't in my usual "repertoire" of ideation and marketing. But after trying the product that day, I knew I wanted to be part of the journey. And what an incredible journey it has been! Throughout the last 7 years, in my capacity as a "strategic advisor," I've embraced a multitude of roles and responsibilities, working closely with a diverse array of talented leaders. From individuals who made significant contributions from the outset and have since moved on, to those who have ascended to leadership positions, such as CEO Mark O. and Chief Sales Officer Matt OConnell, as well as "more recent" additions like CMO Julia Perez, who came in and made an immediate and substantial impact, our collaboration has been characterized by passion, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Now, fast forward to today. After countless hours of strategic discussions, meetings, and partnerships, we've achieved something remarkable. We've taken a niche brand, crafted with the finest ingredients, and found the perfect successor in our recent acquisition. If you notice, even as a "consultant" I always will refer to it as we. When I work with brands, especially from day 1, I consider myself a true part of the team. Being part of a brand from inception to this pivotal moment is incredibly special. As a matter of fact, it's been a huge goal of mine since that fateful day 7 years ago. I'm eager to see what lies ahead for OWYN and hopeful that I can continue contributing to a product and brand that means so much to me and countless others, especially our consumers. #OWYN #PlantBased #Acquisition #Journey #Gratitude #Business #CPG #SimplyGood https://lnkd.in/emY6UT2g

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I think consumer feedback is often under used by emerging CPG brands… Coming from a Kraft Foods general management upbringing and then experiencing start-ups for many years, I’m often thinking about which “big company” practices could bring value to young emerging companies while not screwing up their great entrepreneurial culture and founder brilliance. The one area I continue to see a gap in is “entrepreneurial” consumer feedback/market research—the lack of fast/low cost consumer research options (or even confirmation research) discussed to prevent a low velocity SKU to get delisted, to maximize brand communication, and avoid wasted spend or lost opportunity on the back end. There are some great research companies out there, but their costs (while valid and worth it) are just not in the ballpark for what many founders want to spend for or go through the time on. Sometimes it’s a lot more natural for founders to go with their gut and not get bogged down by research. And I totally get this, and it does work in many instances.   I just wish there were more options out there to efficiently confirm purchase interest between two packages or between new innovation ideas to complement founder gut. In the end, it could save the emerging brand money…. Thought I’d reach out to the linkedin community, PLEASE not from research companies selling their research, but from founders/emerging brand marketers who have been through this dilemma and have found some consumer feedback very helpful and fitting for emerging brand bootstrap budget and speed (even if their own tools or alternative ways they’ve brought in consumers more)?  This sharing might help more companies maximize their moves in the future…so hope it helps… thanks! #ConsumerFeedback #jcbgrowth

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