The best question asked in my Q1 Author Q&A was from Kyle Kent, founder of Vodkyte. And so he got a signed hardcover of Ramping Your Brand. His question? "Is it a plus to do private label production for one of your top retail customers?" I routinely hear
Premium CPG founders face serious headwinds trying to scale. Most never do. The ones who do scale take 7-10 years on average, though we all get distracted by a tiny group that does it in 2-3 years. This is why I always recommend that founders
Lots of variables go into this. But, the short answer is: no, unless you are in a category with a very high Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ), such as canned alcohol. You have to approach seed money psychologically: it has to be money you (and others) have
This is an excerpt from Episode 90 of my podcast Startup Confidential, which goes live with new content on the 1st and 15th of every month. We are witnessing a temporary lull in private equity and V.C. investment in consumer brands. It won’t last, in part,
My award-winning, best-selling business book for consumer founders still sells every day. If you haven’t grabbed a copy, please consider it. Here’s an excerpt that might tempt you to grab a copy. “The Power of Focus, or the Law of Frito-Lay Ironically, there is another critical law
On a webinar hosted by Gary Hirshberg in May, Wayne WU of VMG Partners pointed to a common problem before the pandemic. “[Brands chasing a pre-determined exit] are generally not the best brands to invest in because … they haven’t focused on surprising and delighting consumers.
Given the supply chain costs post-pandemic, the flame-out threshold may have actually lowered since the research that went into my book. Not sure. Many entrepreneurs think they have the next Big Thing. You kind of have to believe this to push through the unceasing firehose of
The face-to-face social bonding aspects of trade shows stand out to all of us as the most irreplaceable feature of the trade show. But do we need after-parties and cocktail events to move our businesses forward? Really? How many warm relationships become 'hot' after 10
"How we first communicate with the world is the work we do with a branding agency" TJ McIntyre, CEO of Bobo's What are the core functions of a branding agency? Packaging and brand identity (Logo, trademark, characters/mascots, color schemes, and other brand symbolism) are the
Folks new to the industry often get shocked when they start uncovering how much some design firms will charge to re-do their package graphics, essentially. A considerable strategy fee (for what?). Some kind of brand/visual identity fee (OK). A whole lot per UPC/SKU (penalizing a