CPG Insiders

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin consider a question that clients often ask them. They run through a number of things to consider about your CPG product when you’re planning your creative and media strategy. This includes what kind of advertising it needs to effectively sell, where it is sold, who the target demographic is, as well as other constraints.

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin talk about guarantees ad why they can help sales for your products. Most ad agencies push concepts like “awareness” (in its myriad forms) and intent-to-buy as goals for their clients to achieve through advertising. Jekyll & Hyde Advertising is different, focusing on measurable, tangible metrics like increased sales for your products. Because of...

On this episode, Mark and Justin discuss content marketing (also called native content or native advertising), focusing most on long-form advertising. They discuss how content marketing has changed and how it has stayed the same. People now feel entitled to getting information for free on the Internet, and content marketing takes advantage of that. They discuss some different ways to reach your ta...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin skim the surface of neuro-linguistic programming and how J&H utilizes scientifically proven techniques in their neuro-persuasive advertising. They discuss the conscious mind and how much information it can process, versus the volume that the unconscious mind can manage. They go through a number of techniques to help change consumer behavior. The...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark Young and Justin Girouard discuss 7 of the most common mistakes CPG brands make when starting to market their products. After decades of experience in the advertising industry, the team at Jekyll & Hyde have identified many common traps that challenger brands fall into when starting out in the CPG marketplace. Mark and Justin offer up some sound advice for...

On this episode, Mark and Justin Girouard, Director of Accounts at J&H, talk about direct response advertising in the modern CPG space. They compare the original, typical model of direct response with what it can look like now, thanks in large part to the Amazon marketplace.  Consumer behavior has changed, making people more willing to purchase things directly without ever seeing or touching t...

On today’s episode, Mark and Robb delve into the murky waters of utilizing well-known celebrity talent within a campaign. A recognizable face and voice in a TV or radio spot can help snag the attention of consumers, driving sales of your product, but there are many things to take into consideration before taking that leap. They discuss the steps that a brand should take before committing to using...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Abe Cohn of the Cohn Legal Group shares his expertise involved with start-up companies and registering trademarks for brands and products. They discuss what makes it more likely for trademarks to gain approval with the Patent and Trademark Office, and what challenges companies can face when naming products. They also consider some of the legalities to be considered...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark welcomes David Biernbaum back to the show to discuss NACDS. They talk about what to expect from NACDS and how manufacturers trying to get into retail should approach the event. They also offer valuable tips to those attending who already have a place on retailer shelves. They talk about what buyers are looking for in the 12-minute meeting at Meet the Market, a...

This episode, Mark invites Brandon Leong of RangeMe onto the podcast to discuss what the platform does to help manufacturers get retail distribution. With nearly half a million brands and a million products listed on the platform, they act as a connecting point for both new and established products with retail buyers and service providers. Mark and Brandon break down the process of working with Ra...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome Steve Anderson, President of Hockfield & Associates, Inc., to share some important information about getting a product into Walgreens. As a manufacturer’s rep that works primarily with the major drug chain, he has an insider perspective that is essential for growing CPG manufacturers to understand. They cover why a well-versed broker is so beneficial for...

On this episode, CPG Insiders welcomes Joe Tarnowski and Sarah Davidson from ECRM to the show. ECRM brings efficiencies and effectiveness to the buying & selling process, by connecting buying and supplies of various categories (food service, CPG, etc.).  Joe (VP of Content) and Sarah (SVP of Grocery) expand on the elements of the ECRM program and how vendors can get the most of out of their me...

Mark and Robb invite Joshua Blake onto the show to discuss the complex ecosystem of the Amazon marketplace. They talk about why it is now in your best interests to have your product or products represented on Amazon, especially if you’re trying to earn shelf space in a brick and mortar store. They also cover a number of challenges that come with selling on Amazon, including resellers, price contro...

Mark and Robb welcome Roberto Carli of Alloy, a company that works with manufacturers of consumer products to overcome challenges with data and inventory. Retailers are pushing fewer vendors these days, but buyers understand that innovation and higher margins come from smaller players. That means it has never been easier for small companies or startups to break into major retail, if they’re prepar...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome master broker David Biernbaum back to the show to discuss the timing of getting your product onto retail shelves. They explore a number of practical recommendations on how to impress buyers during your meeting, as well as the technicalities of what to expect once you have a contract with a retailer.   As a manufacturer in the CPG industry, it always helps to...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome Amanda Igrisan, Social Media Director at Jekyll & Hyde, to discuss the ins and outs of social media marketing. They talk about how to best use social media, how to handle negative comments and why social media marketing is more than just putting content out for people to see. Social media is a good place for brands to develop their personality, but you al...

Walmart represents a huge opportunity for CPG brands to grow exponentially. To explore the possibilities, Mark is joined by Chad Bugos, co-founder and CEO of Infinity Worlds Inc . The company is a dedicated team of manufacturer brokers that specialize in Walmart distribution for their clients. On the show, Mark and Chad discuss the kinds of products, brands and clients that Infinity Worlds partner...

On this episode, we welcome Jekyll & Hyde’s Digital Media Director, Cameron Solu, to provide an overview of digital media marketing. Mark, Robb and Cameron cover tactics such as Search Engine Marketing (SEM), display ads, social media sponsored ads, retargeting campaigns and more. They talk about types of targeting that can be done on different platforms, the type of media that appeals to user...

Mark and Robb are joined by J&H’s Director of Traditional Media, Jeff Peterman. They discuss the reach of different types of media, including which are usually best for CPG products. They cover the value of recency in planning media and how it can offset the need for frequency. They compare different formats and lengths of commercials on tv, radio and podcasts and why you would choose one for...

Mark and Robb explore the factors that determine how much you should spend on your advertising campaign, breaking down share of voice, share of market, frequency and more. They discuss why the category in which your product sells can make such an impact, plus strategies that can help tackle a greater share for your campaigns. Mark lists what he would discuss with a client who comes to him asking a...

Consultant and Master Broker David Biernbaum joins Mark and Robb on the podcast to discuss what a company should know before meeting with retail buyers. They go through steps in the process of getting a product on a retail shelf, exploring some of the thinking behind the store-level planning that determines whether or not a product will be approved. Category reviews at retail stores are major ende...

Mark Young and Robb Taylor explain why a CPG product needs both a paid search campaign and an organic search strategy in their overall digital marketing strategy. They talk through typical consumer behavior that makes it important for your product to show up at the top of their search. They cover the differences between intent terms, conquest terms and consideration terms and how they can be used...

Mark Young and Robb Taylor explain the strategy of offering premium-priced products to consumers compared to presenting yourself as a low-price leader. They explore the differences for your company, your product and the retailers where you want to earn shelf space.

Mark Young and Robb Taylor of Jekyll & Hyde Advertising expand on the difference between brand building and increasing sales for CPG companies. They explain what brand awareness, unaided brand awareness and top-of-mind awareness mean, in terms of measuring success – and what can make these figures nearly irrelevant. They offer insight on what a brand really needs to do in order to shape how co...