Food Business Marketing Podcast | Brand Strategy, Sales, & Growth for Food & Farm Brands

Find the full transcript for this episode plus other resources for food business owners at www.realfoodbrands.com/podcast. Do you ever wonder how to stand out in a crowded market and help people see why your food brand really is better? In today's episode, I'm answering a listener's question: 'Katie, how can I tell people our products are ACTUALLY better?' In this episode, you'll hear tips to shif...

Find the full transcript for this episode plus other resources for food business owners at www.realfoodbrands.com/podcast. Have you ever felt stuck in reaction mode, pivoting too often when things don't go as planned? Today, we're diving into 3 ways pivoting too soon might be hurting your food brand more than helping it. We'll explore why consistency is key to building a memorable brand and how co...

In this episode, Katie Mleziva, Food Brand Strategist and host of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast shares how taking a brand-first approach can help you prioritize ideas and take aligned action to build a strong, cohesive food brand that stands out. Whether you're just starting or have been in the business for a while, this approach ensures you lead with strategy, not just tactics. Key Takea...

Your Brand Strategy requires careful word choice, and so does how you talk about your plans with your team and partners. Listen to this episode for one easy, but important shift that will instill confidence in your brand! I'm your host and Food Brand Strategist, Katie Mleziva. I spent years in Brand Management at big companies before I left the corporate world to follow my vision of working with s...

Are you selling a product or building a brand? Everyone has to start somewhere, but in this episode, Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares what it means to go from making a great product to building a strong brand that stands out. Here's what's in this episode - you can find all the links on the episode web page. The event that sparked Katie's interest in brand management. Why a great product...

Have you thought much about the fact that you need to sell your product THREE times before someone can use it at home? I don't share this to be depressing because sometimes one sounds like enough! And if it sounds like more work, it's just the reality of breaking down the process that's already happening and being intentional with your marketing and sales plans to leverage your brand strategy foun...

In almost every client meeting or strategy session I hear food business owners relay concern over how many things are competing for their attention -- and how exhausting it can be. Some share they are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and some just feel like they are being forced to wear too many hats at the same time every. single. day...and are searching for ways to stay positive about the business th...

The Real Food Brands Podcast is BACK and I'm so glad you're here.  The topic of doing the right things at the right time is always a good concept to keep top of mind, and in this episode, you'll hear me (Katie Mleziva, your food brand strategist) talk about:  What you can expect from new podcast episodes to help you Define, Align, and Activate your brand strategy to position your brand to stand ou...

Have you ever noticed something in your business isn't working as you planned, or as it once did? Sometimes things that made sense just aren't a good fit anymore. We spend so much time and energy trying to keep pushing forward that it can be hard to step back and admit when things aren't working the way we want them to—and decide what to do about it. Today on Episode 111 of the Real Food Brands Ma...

Have you ever thought about the difference between content and copy? And how each works differently to connect with your reader depending on if you're talking about a website, social media, ads, packaging, etc? Today on Episode 110 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Celsea Jenkins, the owner of Grassfed Copy about the art...

Sometimes you need to let yourself dream and think big. Instead of letting other people tell you how things work and why you can't do something, it can pay off to look at things from a new perspective. It helps, of course, to have a great story, which is something that brand strategy work can really help with. Today on Episode 109 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Stra...

As you're working to build your food business or farm, brand strategy and brand development may seem like something that can wait for later. The thing is, brand strategy work goes far beyond your logo or fonts or colors. When you've done the work to create your brand's North Star, it serves as the guide and the glue for everything you do on the front AND back end of your business. It helps you mak...

Brand strategy work is something that is second nature for big brands, but not as common for small brands. There's so much to do when you're wearing all the hats that it can seem like something you'll get to "next." While big brands have access to brand managers and agencies, we can help even the score by providing streamlined versions of the concepts they use to focus on the key parts of the proc...

A common approach for food and farm businesses is to think about offering a great product rather than building a strong brand . The thinking is that if a product is good enough, taste will ultimately win and of course, people will buy. While this is understandable as you perfect your craft, great taste and quality are expected these days so we don't want your products to be seen as an interchangea...

With over 100 episodes of the podcast now available, we thought it would be a good time to go back and highlight some of the great content you may have missed to help you find the right resources at the right time for your food business. To help, we've put together a list of some of our best episodes organized around the Brand Strategy Streamlined process: Define/Refine, Align, and Activate (and a...

If you want to understand brand positioning, think of Kia, Volvo, and Tesla. Sure, all three are car companies but they're each very different brands with their own unique, loyal audience, product benefits, and customer experience. All of these factors combined for each brand create a very different offer for each and attract different groups of people as loyal fans of their brand. Today on Episod...

We've been through a lot of changes in the past few years, and as a result, consumer behaviors are shifting. But as a food business owner how do you know what changes are temporary and what changes are here to stay? And how can you meet the evolving needs of your consumers? In Episode 103 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Sarah M...

Have you thought about the difference between brand story and brand history ? While your brand history can certainly be a part of your brand story, the history is about the past and the story is about the future , and what you're inviting people to be a part of. Today on episode 102 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares her guidance on writi...

After episode 100, Katie's daughter suggested that she "start over," and it only seemed fitting that episode 101 should be a brand strategy 101—an intro-level class, so to speak. Today on episode 101 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva goes over the five W's of how Brand Strategy can help you go from making a great product to building a strong br...

When we launched the podcast in March 2018, we didn't know exactly what the future would hold but we took a leap. It's been a steady build over the past few years and we're so thankful for all our listeners and guests who have made this show an enriching and rewarding experience as we work collectively to help more people get access to real food. Today on episode 100 of the Real Food Brands Market...

For a food and beverage business, it can be a big benefit to choose to go slow to go fast. While that may sound counterintuitive, taking a little time to plan can increase efficiency and help you accelerate more rapidly because you've got the clarity and confidence to know what to do next. Today on episode 99 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva e...

Podcasts have exploded in popularity, and being a guest on one can be a big boost for both your brand and your credibility. But what kind of show are you looking for? How do you reach out? And how do you make it a success once you get a YES? Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares how to make the right pitch, and what to do once you're b...

While Katie loves her 1:1 work with clients, she's become increasingly aware that her impact is limited by the number of hours in the day. At the same time, while the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast can help you piece together the process, there's space for something in between the two—a self-guided but structured resource to help you create a strong brand strategy for your food business. Today...

Most of us are in the food and bev business because, in some way, we want to make a positive impact on how people eat. Most of us also have a Vision for the impact we want to make but might not know exactly how to accomplish this big dream. You may have heard the old phrase "a vision without a plan is just a dream." Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Ka...

Selling direct to consumer can create new sales opportunities for your food brand, but it can still be hard to stand out with the marketplace as crowded as it is. Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Adam Pollack, Head of Content at Rodeo CPG, who has some practical tips for how to set up your DTC eCommerce website and what me...