CPG Insiders

On today's episode of CPG Insiders, Mark + Justin address the critical topic of legal navigation within the CPG industry. They underline the importance of understanding FDA and FTC guidelines to prevent regulatory pitfalls, especially when making product claims. They discuss the need for specialized legal counsel to aid in classifying products appropriately and ensuring compliance with advertising...

In this episode of CPG Insiders, the focus turns to the critical importance of intellectual property (IP) in the CPG world. Mark + Justin explore how IP serves as a vital asset that can greatly enhance a company's market value, drawing parallels to real estate. They cover the essential aspects of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets, underlining the necessity of safeguarding innovati...

In todays episode of CPG Insiders Mark + Justin tackle an essential question for entrepreneurs: Do you have a single product or the foundation for a broader business? They delve into the critical differences between having a successful item on platforms like Amazon and building a sustainable, scalable business capable of thriving in the competitive retail landscape. Through insightful examples and...

On today’s episode, Mark + Justin dive into the game changing strategies from the book “10x is Easier than 2x” by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy. They explore the revolutionary concept that aiming for tenfold growth is not only more exciting, but often easier than the traditional goal of doubling. Drawing from their extensive experience, Mark + Justin discuss how this 10x mindset shifts the a...

This episode, Mark + Justin welcome back master broker, David Biernbaum, to discuss his experience with ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) and its impact on the Consumer Packaged Goods industry, especially for entrepreneurial brands. ECRM has changed the industry by offering category-specific events where new companies get a chance to interact directly with retail buyers - significant...

This episode, Mark meets with Lauren Stiebing of LS International to discuss mentorship. The right mentor can fast track your learning + help you take your business to the next level. Lauren shares her insights into how to connect with the right mentor and what kind of commitment it takes to build an impactful mentor-mentee relationship. Plus, Mark + Lauren talk about common obstacles and goal-set...

This episode, Mark + Justin talk entrepreneurlife and the age-old "too much to do, not enough time" problem with Andrew Mellen, author of Calling Bullsh*t Busy. Andrew teaches entrepreneurs, businesses, and everyday people how to leverage time management + simplification to create freedom through organization. Deeper than just 'getting organized', Andrew fosters real transformation by changing how...

This episode, Dr. Mark Young is joined by Randy Mercer, Chief Product Officer at 1WorldSync, to talk about product content - what it is, why you need it as a retail vendor, and how product content platforms help both brands and retailers drive sales.    For brands entering their first retailer, getting product content to stores to help them operate their supply chain and ecommerce experience is cr...

This episode, Mark + Justin are joined by David Biernbaum to talk about Rite Aid's brace for bankruptcy and projections to close hundreds of stores. They dig into what the progression of this bankruptcy filing could look like over the next few months for vendors + consumers.    Most importantly, the guys discuss the impact on suppliers working with Rite Aid now. How brands that currently distribut...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin introduce the company that is revolutionizing the new product entry process into brick-and-mortar retailers, PharmaVision!    If you have a health-enhancing product with limited distribution or looking to gain your first major retailer, this is the must-listen-to episode for you!   For new listeners of the show, Mark and Justin provide a brief overv...

Today, the guys talk pricing and price strategies.  How, with inflation - your product isn't competing with just competitors, but with a gallon of gas, or other basic necessities.  We have an excellent guest Ben Reich that we jump right in with.  Tune in and give it a listen.  Ben Reich is the Co-founder and CEO of Datasembly (backed by well-known VCs). The company tracks product prices across 200...

This week’s exciting episode deviates from our standard entrepreneurial guest, instead we have a former FBI agent hostage negotiator, Chris Voss. Chris Voss is also the author of the world renown book “Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It” – recounting the practices and tactics Chris used in hostage negations and how it can be applied to business negotiations. Mar...

This week we welcome the charming and brilliant Joe Polish. Mark and Justin discuss his New York Times best-selling book “What’s in it for Them?”  Joe Polish is one of the most sought after marketers alive today, known for his ability to connect with almost anyone on the planet. Joe continues to be a prominent figure in the world of business and entrepreneurship. He’s the co-founder of two popular...

For today’s episode we welcome our guest, the owner of Sweet Leaf, Michal May. Michael recounts his father’s incredible journey starting the company.  We learn about alternatives to sugars, and the laborious process of getting FDA approval. Mark, Justin, and Michael discuss the lessons they’ve learned that are crucial for the success of starting a company.  Michael talks about applying his militar...

This Show’s Notes Mark is in sunny Florida for today’s show, and Justin is in an ice storm in Detroit.  Mark let’s us know a little about our guest David Biernbaum.  The guys jump right in to how the pandemic changed meeting.  From retailers conducting business differently, to ECRM being digital. Pre-Pandemic, all the retailers would have an annual review.  There would be meetings set up, and we w...

Today’s Episode These shows are essentially conversations that we, at the Agency have every week. The core of these shows come from meetings we have taken with clients. If we get three people asking us the same questions in a week, there has to be other people who would benefit from knowing this information. Every show here is built on something someone asked. Mark and Justin dive into explaining...

Content Outline For Today's Show Segment 1: When we have increased costs and increased store brand sales - do not stop advertising Segment 2: The odds that you are the only one product in market that can do what you can do is very unlikely Segment 3: When you cut advertising and marketing, you reduce your future value - momentum matters If you have any questions, you can contact us through jandhla...

Content Outline: Segment 1: Foundational Info for Brand Managers Segment 2: What are the Common Mistakes Brand Managers Make Segment 3: Peer to Peer Interaction and Sessions with Kevin’s team Kolbe Info - https://www.kolbe.com/   Guest Biography:   Kevin is a trained educator with 20 years of experience as a CPG executive. Since founding Gurulocity in 2016, he's been empowering brand managers to t...

Justin had so much more to talk about to a past guest, Dr. Sarah Marion the Director of Syndicated Research at Murphy Research.  She was kind enough to give us, and YOU some more time to dive into some of the data that makes Justin Smile!!!

Content Outline: 1. Segment 1: Organic Farming (costs, results, future casting) 2. Segment 2: Can you leverage this into messaging for brands? 3. Segment 3: With continued inflation hitting these “more expensive” brands what does that look like in the future? Julie DiNatale has been working in sustainability and agriculture for over two decades and is Truterra’s Commercial and Strategic Partnershi...

Content Outline: Segment 1: One Shot at a First Impression.  Nielsen and IRI Data makes failure public.  Operating at a loss, before you even get started. Segment 2: Which Products Can Survive and Which Ones Can’t.  This is no time for Brand Building. Segment 3: What Retail Survival Requires If you want to learn more about saving your product from being de-listed you can contact us through jandhla...

Content Outline: Segment 1: COVID – How it took over our lives over the past 2 years.  How the population has moved to 30 percentages of the population claiming anxiety.  Macro shifts / large scale changes from pre-pandemic times.  Waves of the pandemic have shown changes in behavior. Segment 2: For CPG companies, more people now are engaged now with nutrition to the tune of 12 million more people...

Content Outline: Segment 1: Siena tells us about where she is and what they do. she does. They have found a way to use data to help their clients understand the unpredictable. They work specifically with brands that want to learn about how their brands move in market. Consumer test / quantitively testing – how well the story that they are telling is doing. Segment 2: Buying decisions are made with...

Segment 1: The guys dig into the two distinctive styles of entrepreneurs that there are.  Understanding WHO you are, can help you understand which type you might be, and plan to be successful.  You will always function at your best when you are being true to yourself.  Segment 2: Elon Musk – Hard Core Risk Taker – type of entrepreneur.  Mark goes into a little detail on the background and the hist...

Today's Show -  Segment 1: There is Doom and Gloom in the air. Just listen to the news these days, it would be very easy for people to get depressed with everything going on. But despite all that, it is still a great time to be alive, and be in business. There are fortunes to be made. Labor shortage, customer service, figure out how to deliver these – and you could be a super star. Segment 2: We m...