Carol Ortenberg

Last month during our Category Close-Up: Product Showcase we explored innovation and growth strategies for a group of rising noodle brands. In this special bonus segment, you’ll hear from three more brands.

Late last week Boston-based pickle brand Grillo’s revealed it had been sold to family-owned bakery business King’s Hawaiian earlier this year. While pickles and bread are often sandwiched together, the brand will largely be speeding ahead on its own, according to Grillo’s executives.

Yesterday CPG conglomerate Unilever announced it would acquire Onnit, a producer of food, beverage and supplement products designed for fitness-focused consumers. Onnit relies heavily on content marketing to draw in new consumers, investing marketing dollars in what Unilever says is a “destination website.”

Breakout Boston-based pickle brand Grillo’s Pickles has been sold to bakery company King’s Hawaiian in a deal that closed earlier this year.

The confection aisle is a tough nut to crack but SkinnyDipped believes it has the perfect recipe with its emphasis on clean ingredient decks, indulgence and lower-sugar formulations. Last week, the company announced that it would add to its flagship line of coated nuts, launching a new line of nut butter cups and chocolate bars.

In this episode of Category Closeup, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporter Erin Cabrey will interview executives and brand leaders from emerging confection companies to discuss company strategy, and how changes within the category affect new product development and marketing.

Covering all manner of treats, selling confections might seem like a sweet gig — but getting space on shelf or capturing a consumer’s eye can be tricky in this candy wonderland — especially against large incumbents with the resources to fund innovation and marketing plans. In this month’s Category Closeup: Expert Analysis, we’ll hear from a group of industry leaders and explore both the market dynamics facing confection brands as well as the opportunities within the category.

Twenty years after inception, investor 2X Growth Partners is shaking things up in a continued effort to help CPG brands reach new heights. The group announced yesterday its name was changing to Loft Growth Partners, a moniker it says better expresses the firm’s operating practices. The change comes as the firm also announced the close of its third fund.

As part of its strategy to reframe its frozen meal business to appeal to a wider array of shoppers as well as younger consumers, Nestle this week announced two new offerings in its Life Cuisine line featuring Banza chickpea pasta, part of an 11 SKU launch.

In this episode of Market Share, host Carol Ortenberg, the editor of NOSH, speaks with Scott Freidmann, CEO and co-founder of beverage and condiment brand Acid League. Having recently closed a multi-million dollar round of capital for the brand, in this discussion Friedmann shares how the company’s emphasis on innovation and design has played a role in its success.