When I look at the macros, I am pretty bullish on premium food and beverage. But I want to qualify that. The sector will continue to grow. But the sector's been decelerating, just so some of you are aware. It's been decelerating for the last
When early-stage businesses struggle in the premium end of consumer-packaged goods, a shocking number of founders and operators leap to the conclusion that they need a “brand refresh” or a “re-brand.” Look, branding agencies are numerous, and they network heavily at Expo West. They sponsor
I’ll explain. But before I do, there are less than 10 spots available for this Friday’s quarterly cohort. So, you may want to grab one now. OK. For the rest of you reading this, this is my best explanation of why it matters for CPG founders
Scanner data companies like Nielsen, IRI, and SPINS love to default to Year-over-Year (YOY) time comparisons. Against every possible metric they have. Why? Because this involves the smallest amount of data released to any paying client, and it’s the least valuable possible information. It’s like the trailer
I have met founders who seem terrified of planning. This is often in the beginning, in Phases 1 or 2. The business is all upside down at this early point in the journey. And most entrepreneurs hate shutting down opportunities. They generally thrill on seizing
Nestle’s global head of R&D bragged to the media a few weeks ago about how they can get innovation to market faster than many startups. Isn’t that nice? Nestle still has much to learn about scaling new brands in the U.S. The extension of their $5B global
Every year hundreds of new consumer brands ship their first cases to retailers or 3P online fulfillment centers. Most will never make it to even $500,000 in trailing annual sales (i.e., gross company sales). They will struggle in what I’ve called the Death Funnel. Fundamental issues of being a de-leveraged company take most players down
OK. You absolutely now have all your 2022 numbers. Topline. Bottomline. Your accountant is working on your corporate taxes. If you didn’t hit your topline goal in 2022, know the following: This is common among folks new to this crazy industry of consumer brands. TikTok is no
I need to confess that the kid in this photo is my Blog editor. He’s a true wunderkind but wishes to remain anonymous. He’s ruthless with the strikethrough. Ruthless. And he rocks a mean, bamboo fiber onesie. He and I couldn’t agree on which PGS blog posts were
Loyalty, defined as exclusive brand usage, may be a mirage in most categories (and in many premium segments within them). But this does not mean you can not retain fans for 2-3 years before the next modern thing catches their eye. Retention is different from loyalty