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

Figuring out how to compete in a new, or underdeveloped, food or beverage category is a challenge -- especially if you're a disruptive natural foods business determined to shake things up!  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva takes us back to revisit a great episode with Amy Zitelman, Co-Founder and CEO of Soom Foods, to talk about how they build relation...

Do you ever feel like you're starring in your very own David and Goliath story as you try to take on big brands for market share and shelf space?  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Matt Parry, founder of the Good Crisp Company, the canister chip brand that has replaced Pringles on all Virgin Australia and Tiger flights, is stocke...

There are many different ways to grow your sales numbers. You can increase your market penetration, by going deeper within your existing market in order to reach new customers. You can focus on market expansion, moving into new geographical areas to find new people. Finally, you can increase buy rate, finding new ways for your existing customers to use your product so they buy it more frequently....

While optimism can get us far in the natural food business, you also need to spend some time thinking about what could go wrong. Planning for the worst-case scenario means that you can more confidently move forward with a positive outlook, knowing that you won't get blindsided if things don't go as planned. No matter what phase of business you're in, it's worth it to invest time to think ahead to...

Recently many online gurus have been identifying email as the next big thing, but it has really never gone away. Social media still has its place, but ultimately, it's something that you rent because they can completely change the game on you at any moment. Email is something you own—even with algorithms sorting you into different inboxes you can still get through to the right audience if you're c...

Whether you're just starting out or scaling your food or beverage business, there are so many things to do that you can't possibly do them all (well) at the same time.  The key is to figuring out how to prioritize so you can turn your laser-like focus into a competitive advantage. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks with Ainsley Moir, Founder and Le...

One of the most frequently asked questions is how to scale a business into a national brand. The answer definitely requires more than one podcast episode, but today we have an opportunity to talk to a food company founder who has done it and hear the lessons he's learned along the way. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Scott Demers, co-fo...

Being an entrepreneur and building your food brand is not easy. Having a trusted circle of other entrepreneurs in your life to share your opportunities and hurdles to help you determine the best path forward can make all the difference. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva tells us why building a peer community for yourself as an entrepreneur is so importa...

Brand strategy and marketing can be really confusing for a lot of people. There are a lot of options out there, and in order to make the right decisions, you need to lay a strategic foundation for your brand.  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks through her 3-step framework for developing and implementing a brand strategy to make sure that everythin...

There's an old saying that if Henry Ford would've asked people what they wanted, they would've said, "A faster horse." Being a challenger brand in an established food category means you need to be willing to shake up the status quo and take the risks that bigger brands won't. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks with Fred Hart, Creative Director and...

Sometimes you get a brilliant, game-changing idea and the best thing is to get it to market as quickly as possible. The problem is that it's not as easy as coming up with a great recipe in your kitchen and then immediately scaling it. You need to source commercial ingredients, work around suppliers' and co-packers' limitations, and make sure you have the certifications your brand needs to reflect...

Building a relationship with grocery retailers is about more than just making a great product they can put on their shelf. You need to have a real understanding of who your consumer is, what else they put in their shopping carts, and why your food or beverage brand provides value to a store beyond the profit margin on an individual sale. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strate...

Research and Development (R&D) is one area many brands need help with in order to bring an idea to life with new product samples or to scale your recipe to production level. In this episode of the Real Food Brands Podcast, host Katie Mleziva sits down with Lindsay Wisener, an independent beverage development consultant working on everything from baby formula to plant-based protein drinks. She's th...

Where do you find inspiration? Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host Katie Mleziva walks us through what she does when she or her food and beverage company clients need to find new insights and innovations. In This Episode: How to prepare for inspiration when it may strike at any moment. Why getting out of your office or production facility is so important. Why traveling is a great time to f...

Getting started with your food startup, or scaling to the next level can be exciting. You get to share something you love with new people, and (at some point) make some money for your efforts. As you start making moves to make your passion into your career, however, you'll run into some problems if you don't have a clear idea of who you're marketing to and how you want to grow.  Today on the Real...

Working with co-packers, co-manufacturers, and everything else required to get your brand onto shelves that matter can be a daunting task for the sharpest entrepreneur. Making sure that you're consistently delivering at the quality level you expect while staying within your budget is the secret to long-term growth. This week on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host Katie Mleziva sits down w...

The Natural Products Expo West show is an exciting gathering of people dedicated to shaking up shopping carts, and the energy was infectious. The convention covers 555,000 square feet of booths and brings in over eighty-five thousand people over the course of a week. Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast host Katie Mleziva is back with insights on where the industry is headed and what trends you can...

In this episode of The Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host Katie  Mleziva   talks about why your brand strategy should come first as you launch or scale your food or beverage business.  Katie shares  four ways that documenting your brand strategy  supports your business goals: clarifying your vision and setting your north star, streamlining  decision  making  and aligning your team, prepar in...

Kara Hanninen, Founder and CEO of  Craveity  Marketing , joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss all things social media marketing, from choosing the right platform, to ads, to influencers ... and more! In This Episode:   Why Kara moved from digital marketing ad agencies to her own  mission focused  food related  marketing  firm.   Seven important things to consider when creating y...

Alli Ball, Creator of Retail Ready TM  and Founder of Allison Ball Consulting, returns to the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss selecting the right food & bev industry trade show events and maximizing your trade show success, as well as tips to avoid common pitfalls.   In This Episode:   Why Alli decided to start Retail Ready   Why industry trade shows are not about making direct sales...

Ainsley Moir, Founder and Chief Brand Engineer of Engineer Your Brand, joins Katie Mleziva on the Real Food Marketing Brands Podcast to discuss the value of consistency in everything you do in both the front end  and  backend operations of your business in order to build your food or beverage brand.      In This Episode:   Why Ainsley was inspired to start her own company while working in CPG at a...

Join host Katie Mleziva as she outlines ways to identify theunique "unfair advantage" that sets your food or beverage brand apart from the rest of the market.     In This Episode:   Three ways of looking at your main strengths   Your product:   What is it that makes your food product stand out?   Is it a completely new kind of product, or if it is a commodity product, what about the ingredients or...

Joe Henry of J. Henry Bourbon joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss the importance of setting a brand strategy and then delivering on your promises through consistent operational and marketing excellence in order to help your company stand out in a crowded marketplace.      In This Episode:   The story behind the J. Henry & Sons Wisconsin Straight Bourbon brand strategy   How J....

Join host Katie Mleziva as she discusses the ways a clearly defined brand strategy can keep you on track to meeting your goals and help you bring more value to your customers.   In This Episode:   A quick overview of what should be included in a brand strategy   How a brand strategy guides you towards your goals   Why action does not necessarily equal progress   How to refine and update your brand...

Chitra Agrawal and Ben Garthus, founders of Brooklyn Delhi, join the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss taking inspiration from their personal backgrounds and leveraging their professional expertise in food blogging and packaging design firm to start their own food company.      In This Episode:   The story behind how and why Ben and Chitra started Brooklyn Delhi   How Ben and Chitra ed...