CPG Week Podcast

This week on the NOSH Podcast, Nosh editor Carol Ortenberg, Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman and reporter Lukas Southard sat down to talk about THC-infused snack brand knockoffs, CPG food products cashing in on popular entertainment properties (IE Barbie and Yellowstone) and the WHO’s ruling on artificial sweetener aspartame. In the featured interview, Lukas speaks with Every Body Eat co-founders Trish Thomas and Nichole Wilson about how they strategize using inclusive innovation and how the strength of the business comes from its use of the “concept of mattering” in its production stream. In this episode: 2:23 – Carol tells Jeff and Lukas what she picked up at the local grocery stores and ate while visiting Montreal. (Spoiler: There are words exchanged about bagels) 5:40 – The team discusses why products such as Trips Ahoy and Stoneos have found themselves in hot water with the FTC and FDA. 12:33 – Carol asks Jeff and Lukas about what they think of the recent CPG foods capitalizing on trending television show Yellowstone and movie release Barbie. Jeff and Lukas have a beef about a popular TV show’s signature dish. 19:30 – Jeff explains the potential impact WHO’s ruling on aspartame and why it might change the strategy for companies who already make or intend to release sugar-free products in the future. 27:05 – In the interview, Lukas sits down with the co-founders of allergen-friendly brand Every Body Eat to talk. CEO Trish Thomas and President Nichole Wilson explain how they define inclusive innovation and how they approach in-store growth 33:38 – Thomas and Wilson discuss how they prioritize being female founders and a Black-owned business when seeking investment. 41:50 – The two women share details about Every Body Eat’s production model and how the “concept of mattering” is used to empower their workforce. “The team who understands that they matter understands that good ideas come from anywhere and sees their ideas become best practice. And [they] take our cost of manufactured goods down 50% in the span of a year, because they know that they’re the ones that do it.“” Nichole Wilson, co-founder and president of Every Body Eat About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

  In a special dispatch from the World Business Chicago/Chicago Venture Summit, on this week’s NOSH Podcast Lukas talks to Midwest-based brands and investors about the advantages and challenges of being located in the middle of the country. Recorded in May, these executives share why Chicago’s proximity to manufacturing and distribution hubs can be a benefit in developing an inside-out nationwide growth strategy. In this episode: 1:20 – What unique opportunity does the Windy City offer to CPG brands? Bluestein Ventures managing partner Ashley Hartman and senior associate Amira Khatib break down the Chicago-based firm’s investment strategy and discuss where it looks for innovation. 6:00 – Then, Annie Slabotsky and Morgan Lerner, the co-founders of banana bread mix company GoNanas, dive into the benefits a certain incubator program had on the brand’s community building efforts. The pair also highlight how its network of Midwestern investors and founders helped the company to create a successful brand. 15:05 – Monique Hypes, co-founder of regenerative tomato soup brand Tomato Bliss, explained how the company’s mission to improve soil health in Michigan has been its biggest strength in growing the brand in both foodservice and retail. 21:32 – How can a little Midwestern kindness can be used as a strength in the food industry? Audre Kapacinskas, principal at S2G Ventures, shared why the VC firm is focused on funding sustainable companies and why Chicago’s centrality provides CPG brands with a manufacturing boost.   “If you’re building a CPG brand today and you’re thinking about how to differentiate, I think Chicago – and the Midwest in general – presents a lot of opportunity with which you could explore some of those different levers to differentiate yourself with.” “Generally in the Midwest, you have the typical Midwestern attitude of helpfulness and openness to collaborate than perhaps you would have in some of the more competitive markets.” -Audre Kapacinskas, principal at S2G Ventures   About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard chat about a recent move from Sonoma Creamery. The team also runs down some nutty news from Campbell’s and Orchard Valley Harvest. Later, Adrianne sits down with Neil Booher, VP of Crisis and Reputation Risk at PR firm Edelman to learn how business leaders should navigate crises that enter the public eye. Show Highlights: 06:27: Why did Sonoma Creamery cut its fresh cheese business? Adrianne walks through the historic brand’s recent move to shift focus to snacks and how that emerging strategy will play out on the innovation end. 09:21: Campbell’s Soup Company makes more than just soup, but no longer nuts. Lukas and Carol discuss the company’s sale of Emerald Nuts to private label player Flagstone Foods and spotlights a unique nut-centric advertising campaign by Orchard Valley Harvest. 22:20: In times of crisis clarity is key, but how do you maintain a position of clear communication during a crisis? Neil talks about the evolution of positions brand leaders should take when they find themselves combating controversial company headlines. 30:29: According to Neil, influencer partnerships led companies into uncharted crisis and risk management territory during the pandemic. Listen in for his tips on how to avoid landing on the top of a tabloid’s to-do list. “The maximum often is ‘it’s the tall blade of grass that gets cut.’ When it’s an industry wide issue … [you have to weigh] what is the value of being out there and owning the issue publicly and the risks that go along with that are pretty significant.” -Neil Booher About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

This week on the NOSH Podcast, the team begins by discussing the strategies brands use to boost perception of their sales strength as well as possible risks with this approach. Then reporter Lukas Southard describes what he saw and heard on his trip to Chicago, where he attended Naturally Chicago’s Pitch Slam and the Chicago Venture Summit: Future of Food, before the team discusses the impact of SPACs in CPG. In our featured interview FitJoy president Norman Taliaferro shares details surrounding the company’s recent $3.5 million fundraise, and the evolution of the company’s portfolio from protein bars to salty snacks. In this episode: 05:05 – Carol, Jeff and Lukas talk about “retail refereeing” when brands encourage consumers to buy up products in order to appear in a strong position with category buyers and managers. 09:00 – Lukas tells Jeff and Carol about his trip to the Chicago Venture Summit last week and how the Midwestern CPG community is trying to gain recognition as a hotbed for food industry innovation. 17:45 – The team talks about SPACs in CPG food and how the current investment environment has impacted the landscape for “blank check” investment opportunities. 20:15 – Carol speaks with FitJoy president Norman Taliaferro about how the brand pivoted into a new and completely different category, its struggles to stay afloat during the pandemic, fundraising and new innovation. “As everything goes in fundraising, it just takes twice as long as you think it will take.” “Getting on shelf – as hard as it is – is the easiest part of the process.” – Norman Taliaferro, FitJoy president About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts  

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Adrianne DeLuca and Lukas Southard chat about recent news from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding functional food claims. Later, Adrianne sits down with Cynthia Cabrera, chief strategy officer at Hometown Hero CBD, and Bethany Gomez, managing director of The Brightfield Group to talk about the impact of hemp-derived THC has had on the CPG industry and how this unregulated space has contributed to consumer awareness of cannabinoid products. Show Highlights: 07:17: The team breaks down recent news from the FTC, which saw nearly 700 businesses receive warning letters regarding their use of certain functional food claims, and the challenges functional brands could face in the future. 15:24: In the spirit of 4/20, the topic turns to hemp-derived THC compounds including Delta-8 and Delta-9. Cynthia and Bethany talk through the regulatory nuances that have allowed this subset of the hemp space to grow and how the rules vary from those governing marijuana businesses. 21:25: Cynthia and Bethany discuss the implications widespread distribution has had on these products and business and breakdown opportunities for growth – ranging from gas stations to grocery stores to e-commerce. 32:13: The duo then shares their expectations for the upcoming farm bill reauthorization and the conversation centers around ramifications of state level legislation, rather than federal law, that have impacted the overall market’s performance. “Marijuana companies are not sure what to think about the whole hemp-derived THC space. Many of them are up in arms about it and really looking to view it as a threat and are combating against it, and others are viewing it as an opportunity.” – Bethany Gomez “At the time [of the 2018 Farm Bill], nobody knew that a whole other industry could or would crop up — that’s the beauty of innovation. That’s the beauty of an entrepreneurial market. They see an opportunity and they take it. The worst thing that could happen would be anything that tamps that down.”  – Cynthia Cabrera About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s show, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, editor-in-chief Jeff Klineman and reporter Adrianne DeLuca talk about some notable, viral marketing campaigns as well as some tips, tricks and potential trends for Expo West. Later, Carol chats with Bobo’s CEO TJ McIntyre about the common missteps he believes brands make when they approach innovation and growth in tandem. Show Highlights: 02:22: The NOSH team talks through how Three Wishes used a TikTok trend to promote their own rebrand as well as the ‘nepo babies’ that appeared in Silk’s plant-based iteration of the iconic Got Milk campaign. 06:34: The discussion then shifts toward Expo West and the team shares some handy supplier sorting strategies, how they intend to tackle the troves of booths and what they are looking out for on the floor this year (Hint: Adrianne wants to meet all the millet makers) 21:10: TJ reigns in brand expectations about launching new innovations. He also explains why he believes introducing a new product to work your way out of business and financial troubles is a big mistake. 36:19: What happens to your margins when rapid innovation is the near-term goal? TJ said in his experience, the business quickly ends up building off pennies instead of cash and long term, can lead itself right to extinction. “If you’re going to come out with new innovation and put it into another category, don’t believe in your own hype that people are going to follow you there.” -TJ McIntyre, CEO at Bobo’s About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg, BevNET Editor-in-Chief Jeff Klineman and reporter Lukas Southard debate what is considered what food products should truly be called food technology, while others are perhaps just innovation. Jeff explains why the recent news of Oatly’s decision to move into a hybrid manufacturing structure with co-packer Ya YA foods is driving a discussion on social media over the merits of vertically- integrated production models. Later, Lukas interviewed Elohi Strategic Advisors founder Stephanie Lind to discuss the successes and failures of plant-based brands in foodservice. In this episode: 1:00 – The NOSH team talks about their weekends and then unpacks what the term “food tech” actually means these days. They debate if the food tech industry is over-promising and under-delivering on innovation or if there is a need to set realistic expectations for its role in the greater CPG food space. 14:20 – Jeff discusses how Oatly’s move into a hybrid production model is creating a stir among industry leaders over vertically integrated versus horizontally integrated manufacturing. 17:35 – In this week’s interview, Lukas talks to Stephanie Lind about how foodservice could be a big winner (or pitfall) for emerging plant-based brands. About the NOSH Podcast The staff of NOSH.com takes listeners inside the business of natural, organic, sustainable and healthy food during the NOSH Podcast. Using interviews and discussion, the team illuminates the news, brands, people, trends, and money affecting the world of packaged food. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts