CPG Week Podcast

In this episode: The Nosh and BevNET team bring on spirits editor Ferron Salniker to dive into why the adult non-alcoholic beverage category might be facing struggles as news broke that Boisson, one of the largest independent retailers of NA beverages, is closing its brick-and-mortar stores. The team talks about what this says about the category as a whole and what might come next as non-alc brands move into larger retail distribution. Later, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous and senior reporters Lukas Southard and Brad Avery discuss provocative branding in energy drinks and how finding a lane in the competitive category is forcing at least one player to rebrand itself. Show Highlights: 2:00 – BevNET spirits editor Ferron Salniker joins the podcast to explain all that we know about the recent news that non-alcoholic adult beverage retailer Boisson has suddenly shuttered all its stores. 4:15 – The team discusses how the news reframes the non-alc category as the trend moves from niche to being carried among larger distributors and retail chains. 7:20 – Where does this leave the non-alc category and what does this foretell for the industry if one of its earliest adopters and largest independent retailers is having trouble? Ferron gives some insight into how the Boisson news is representative of how the category is growing as a whole. 11:15 – Lukas explains why Lucky F*ck Energy rebranding as just Lucky Energy is unsurprising but also speaks to how the attention economy and brands like Liquid Death have influenced other brands to increasingly push the envelope with edgy marketing campaigns. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: With April Fool’s Day fast approaching, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tests senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard to see if they can tell the difference between real CPG launches and prank products that have shown up in marketing campaigns over the years. After the Prank Product Pop Quiz, the team discusses how allulose is being talked about as “nature’s GLP-1” and the gray area around that assertion, leading to a bigger conversation on the state of sweeteners highlighted by a New York Times exposé about sugar cane harvesters in rural India. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Senior reporters Brad Avery and Lukas Southard test their knowledge of April Fool’s Day CPG products with a pop quiz from Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous. 6:00 – Monica talks about how allulose has become a hot topic in food and beverage as some brands are positioning it as a natural alternative to GLP-1 weight loss drugs. 7:15 – Lukas explains what he has learned about alternative sweeteners and appetite suppression drugs after talking to Supergut founder and CEO Marc Washington at Expo West. 10:30 – The team discusses why there doesn’t seem to be the perfect sweetener for CPG brands with perceived downsides to all options in the category from stevia to erythritol to cane sugar. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: This week, the Nosh and BevNET team talks about how a marketing campaign to boost cereal sales might be imploding for Kellogg’s and what it means for the greater food maker’s empire as it moves into a new era as Kellanova and WK Kellogg Co. Senior reporter Brad Avery takes the temperature of the performance energy category through the most recent quarterly reports of Monster and Celsius. The team talks about two plant-based companies’ financial losses and finishes up discussing Whole Foods Market’s new smaller-footprint store concept. Show Highlights: 0:30 – Is cereal a viable option for dinner? WK Kellogg’s attempt to bring the breakfast staple to other day occasions has led to some unexpected social rancor. Senior reporter Lukas Southard explains how the recent outrage on social platforms over the “cereal for dinner” campaign is related to the first standalone earnings calls for both Kellanova and WK Kellogg. 6:20 – Senior reporter Brad Avery discusses what the most recent quarterly reports from Celsius and Monster tell us about the state of energy beverages and why workout enthusiasts are driving growth in the category. 8:20 – What’s the state of plant-based? Two of the biggest plant-based meat and beverage brands posted losses in their most recent earnings. Yet, it’s not all doom and gloom, Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous pointed out, as revenues were up for one company and stock prices soared for the other. 10:35 – The team talks about the news that Whole Foods Market is launching a smaller store concept (again). Is this a reaction to other small-footprint retailers like Foxtrot or Erewhon, or a play for juicing sales of its 365 branded products? About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

In this episode: What’s it like to stay in an Eggo-themed pancake house in rural Tennessee? Why is the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) challenging the Kroger/Albertsons merger? What is yaupon? Why is Mason Dixie betting consumers want more clean comfort food? This week the BevNET and Nosh team dive into all these topics and more. Show Highlights: 0:45 – It might look like the setting for a bad horror movie, but Eggo’s short-term rental “pancake house” marketing stunt is probably a satisfying place to spend a weekend. 2:20 – In the latest wrinkle in the potential mega-merger between Kroger and Albertsons, the FTC this week sided with nine attorneys general on the grounds that the deal would reduce competition in the grocery landscape. The team discusses the implications of the federal government’s involvement and why this will slow the possible merger down. 6:00 – Senior reporter Brad Avery explains why yaupon is one of the newest clean caffeine ingredients and how pre-launch beverage brand Sacred Energy is banking on its proprietary mix of the plant-based extract to carve out a niche in energy drinks. 10:00 – Nosh managing editor Monica Watrous tells the team about her recent conversation with Mason Dixie founder and CEO Ayeshah Abuelhiga on why the brand is going deeper on breakfast comfort food. About the CPG Week CPG Week is the podcast that explores the latest happenings in the consumer packaged goods industry. Join our seasoned reporting team as they dish out the week’s stories in quick, easy-to-digest episodes. Catch up on the top headlines of the week, dive into exclusive insights with the BevNET and Nosh teams, and set yourself up to make more informed business decisions. Tune in to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in the dynamic world of packaged food and beverage. New episodes are released every week. Send us comments and suggestions anytime to [email protected]. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

On this week’s episode of the NOSH Podcast, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporters Lukas Southard and Adrianne DeLuca talk about Thanksgiving traditions and what to expect at NOSH Live. Then the trio dives into influencer disclosures on social media (or the lack thereof) after the FTC warned a group of registered dietitians who were paid to post by industry lobbying groups. Show Highlights: 1:00 – Thanksgiving is here so the NOSH team talks about holiday traditions at the table, the hierarchy of dish delegation and how to keep it interesting when menu planning. 8:45 – With NOSH Live around the corner, the group runs down all of the great event speakers coming to Marina Del Rey on November 30 and the on-stage discussions that are in store. 13:30 – The team talks about how the FTC’s crackdown on influencers promoting the safety of aspartame is representative of the larger problem with influencer marketing and social media-derived medical advice. 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 the founder and CEO of Zack’s Mighty, Zack Gazzaniga, dive right into a corny discussion on the origins of the brand, and the special corn variety behind its unique taste and texture. The duo grind through the brand’s supply chain journey and how different audiences respond to the details of that sourcing story. Show Highlights: 02:03: Building a tortilla chip that doesn’t break in guac starts with good corn. For Zack’s Mighty, that pursuit of the perfect corn had its founder venturing to different continents and through the 10,000 year history of the iconic cobs. 14:12: Growing a brand with a complex supply chain sometimes requires compromises. Zack talks through the choices he had to make and why these decisions have ultimately allowed the brand to scale. 15:49: How did consumers respond to the brand’s corn history lesson? Zack explains how the brand narrowed in on its best selling feature and dialed in its marketing messaging. 22:46: Profitability remains key and Zack explains why different steps along the company’s supply chain appealed to investors. “If something is easy to make, then it’s probably not that special. When something is hard, it just means that there’s not an existing supply chain for that and I think that can help you be unique.” -Zack Gazzaniga 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 this episode: On this week’s episode of the NOSH Podcast, NOSH editor Carol Ortenberg and reporter Brad Avery chat about Orchard Valley Harvest’s “No Nut November” ad campaign, including the importance of knowing your target audience when taking a risk with marketing. Then the two muse over Getir’s acquisition of FreshDirect and what the future holds for grocery delivery. In the featured interview, Brazi Bites cofounder and CMO Junea Rocha shares how and why the brand expanded into the frozen waffle set and why building a successful food company involves more than just having a good product. Show Highlights: 2:10 – Brad and Carol discuss Orchard Valley Harvest’s new provocative ad campaign and talk about the tenuous line brands must walk with risque marketing campaigns. 9:00 – What does the acquisition of FreshDirect by Getir mean for quick service delivery in the Northeast? Why was Ahold Delhaize willing to part ways with FreshDirect after purchasing it in 2021? These are the questions that Brad and Carol ponder while chatting about the grocery delivery deal. 12:50 – Brazi Bites co-founder Junea Rocha joins the podcast to explain how TikTok posts of consumers “waffling” the company’s Brazilian cheese bread ultimately led it to enter the breakfast category. 21:00 – Building a brand and launching a new SKU comes down to more than just having a good product. Rocha discusses how finding the right retailer who can put the product in the baskets of the target consumer is just as important to growth. 27:15 – Rocha talks about one of its less successful products and why sometimes a discontinued product can be just as helpful in moving a company forward as a home run. “Our industry is very impatient…You can have a great product and get shelf space, but if it doesn’t get discovered in time for you to drive the velocity that you need, then it’s going to fall off the shelf the next year.” – Junea Rocha, Brazi Bites cofounder and CMO 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