the Joshua Schall Audio Experience

The brand portfolio of Glanbia Performance Nutrition is the definition of a beige flag...not offensive, but not particularly inspiring or exciting either! Glanbia Plc (LON:GLB) is a multibillion-dollar global nutrition company that's currently comprised of three divisions that span across the B2B supply chain (i.e. Health & Nutrition and Dairy Nutrition) and branded products (Performance N...

Talk to enough beverage industry oldheads…and eventually a few will share their “rise and fall” thoughts on The Coca-Cola Company’s Venturing and Emerging Brands (VEB) unit. Launched in 2007, the VEB business unit was tasked with identifying and supporting the growth of beverage brands with billion-dollar potential through investment or acquisition. Essentially, VEB was a way for the beverage gian...

Alani Nu is experiencing “scary-level growth,” but that shouldn’t be concerning…as Celsius Holdings leadership doesn’t get spooked easily! Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) had quarterly revenue of $739.3 million, which was up 84% YoY. Excluding the Alani Nu acquisition-related financial impact, CELSIUS brand revenue grew 9% YoY. And if you were wondering about Alani Nu, it’s second quarter revenue...

Last summer, it was a protein Ice Cream experiential marketing event. And now it’s a collaboration with my fellow dessert loving Ohioan Christina Tosi (Founder of Milk Bar). Come on Premier Protein…I’m feeling super left out! BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR) is a portfolio that owns a collection of convenient nutrition brands like Premier Protein and Dymatize Nutrition, which was previously wholly-own...

Whether it’s the Gold Rush of yesteryear or today’s Wellness Rush…it’s hard to argue against the infallible nature of that famous “picks and shovels” proverb! This current “health optimization” period will undoubtedly be dramatized and romanticized…because the growing insanity of the Wellness Rush is no exaggeration. So, how do you get rich in today’s Wellness Rush then? Yes, there’s obviously out...

Molson Coors is the pettiest beverage company on earth…and it’s hilarious. Several years ago, class action lawsuits alleged that Molson Coors “pixie dusted nutrients” into Vizzy Hard Seltzer and utilized various marketing strategies (with the intent) of profiting consumers’ increasing desire to consume healthier food and drink. But who says an alcoholic beverage, that includes a potent antioxidant...

Maybe you can relate to this…but as an introvert, I only have a limited amount of social energy, and my preference is to spend it in ways that really count. In fact, avoiding “small talk” at business events has become one of my superpowers…and not because I dislike socializing (or people), but due to instead enjoying deep dives into topics and exploring ideas on a meaningful level. And while some...

Let's talk about how the most intriguing “active nutrition” brand portfolio isn’t controlled by some legacy supplement company. Instead, in just two short years, Keurig Dr Pepper (NASDAQ: KDP) went from getting its categorical butt kicked in the “three-headed monster” of active nutrition beverages (aka energy drinks, sports drinks, and protein shakes) to now controlling the most intriguing “ac...

If I were to mention “branding,” what would be one of the first things that pops into your head? Since many of you are likely CPG industry stakeholders…I’d assume packaging design topped the list. And that makes sense because the right packaging is crucial for CPG products…as you can’t sell what the consumer doesn’t notice from a distance (especially within today’s age of the endless aisle). But w...

Move over custom hand-crafted gold plated thousand dollar 5-Hour Energy cufflinks from last year…because we have a new “chompion” within the absurd world of CPG branded luxury fashion accessories. So, on the most-watched red carpet event of the season…a night when million-dollar jewels adorn celebrities and fashion makes its boldest statements, 1800 Tequila claimed its place as the Met Gala's...

So, I’m not sure if this is a slightly “hot take” or not, but regardless…I’m totally fine stating on the record that I believe the Flintstones and Hulk Hogan provided (historically) two of the most impactful positive inflection points involving the children’s health supplements market. Initially, children’s chewable vitamin tablets were generic in shape…but the game changed forever in 1968 when Mi...

It’s the middle of another week…and as Chris Williamson just discussed recently, I’m feeling that “productivity debt” weighing on me. Yet, I’m still sitting here quite certain that I can predict what’s next for Neutonic...the productivity CPG brand that he's building with James Smith (and Shan Hanif). But that “vague sense of falling behind” can come in many shapes and sizes. In fact, I’m feel...

I’ve been seeing a ton of passionate GHOST energy drink fans making videos about the switch from textured sleeves to printed cans. And that level of feedback must’ve gotten really loud when both founders posted the same day (but separately) on social media providing customers with an explanation regarding the packaging change. Though, as an industry strategist, with deep domain expertise in functi...

Have you ever heard the saying that goes something like “when you get older…don’t meet the people you looked up to when younger because they’ll surely disappoint”? Well…way back (about two decades ago at this point) when I was working towards my undergraduate and MBA degrees, professors would obviously cite contemporary business events to clearly connect academic lessons with real world applicatio...

There’s a double-edged sword aspect that doesn’t get talked about enough in today’s low barriers-to-entry CPG business landscape. A piece of information (about your CPG product or brand) can rapidly spread across the Internet, reaching wide audiences, and becoming popular in an instant. But “going viral” isn’t a strategy. In fact, it’s oftentimes second- and third-order effects from virality that...

What’s the biggest flop in the U.S. energy drinks market over the last 5-7 years? I’m sure many will yell out “Coca-Cola Energy,” which could very well be the correct answer…mostly because The Coca-Cola Company bastardized its single most important brand asset. But what about Mountain Dew Rise Energy? For me, it’s hard not imagining what “could have been” if the startup RTD coffee brand RISE Brewi...

It’s very likely that you’ve noticed “high protein claims” penetrating more diverse food and beverage categories. But what about an adjacent product strategy that’s sneaking caffeine into anything and everything that’s quick, easy, and accessible? So, beyond the ubiquitous availability of coffee, energy drinks, caffeinated carbonated soft drinks, and tea…you can now purchase items such as caffeina...

To eat…or to be eaten, that is again the question for the Simply Good Foods Company! In this latest episode, I'll utilize the Q3 2025 Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ: SMPL) financial statements, earnings call, and supplemental presentations for my expanded strategic commentary around convenient nutrition market dynamics and trends. In fiscal Q3 2025, Atkins Nutritionals brand dragged down th...

With protein becoming a kind of "holy water" that instantly anoints any food or beverage with a health halo…it was only a matter of time before it converged with carbonated soft drinks, right? But what if I told you that I’ve been trying to make protein soda a “billion-dollar idea” since 2016? Originally approached by the patent holder almost a decade ago, my attempts at influencing larg...

Consumers are no longer quietly adapting to market conditions…they’re actively reshaping the grocery industry. By rewriting the rules of how, where, and why they shop…it has created a grocery reality that demands a smarter, faster, and more flexible strategic approach. But the message to grocery retailers is clear…keep up or get left behind. And the need for customer-centric strategies is arguably...

Is it healthy to dwell in the past? Before the turn of the last century, nostalgia was still considered by some mental health professionals as a psychological disorder. So then…why have numerous storied food and beverage CPG brands more recently leaned on their decades of history to redesign packaging with elements of their past? Obviously, the understanding of nostalgia evolved over time…now bein...

Is society really shifting away from the “original functional drink?” And if so, which alternative is best suited to emerge as the next beverage industry winner? About two months ago, there was a Bloomberg article that noted “alcohol consumption has gone into possibly permanent decline.” And let me tell you…within the world of beverage industry pundits, that excerpt caused quite the tizzy. Yet, I’...

And for tonight’s Final Jeopardy question in the category of alcoholic beverages, the clue is this…which U.S. government official would ultimately be responsible for nutrition labeling rules involving alcohol producers? If you answered, “what is the Treasury Secretary,” you’d be correct! And that’s because oddly enough…the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau sits under the Department of the T...

Functional ingredients, protein-ification, healthy aging, personalized nutrition, weight management, gut health…and you probably think I’m just rattling off numerous powerful trends driving the CPG industry, which I am, but this time, not involving my typical contextual vantagepoint. Did you know that just over half of pet owners not only consider their pets to be a part of their family…but say th...

Anyone remember those “Chicken Soup for the Soul” books that were crazy popular in the 90s? Well…this conversation, just two Youngstown (Ohio) boys talking about protein beverages, entrepreneurship, and life, was my version of those heartwarming, motivating, and relatable stories included within those books. And that’s because…I’ve always greatly respected (and been inspired by) Christopher Hunter...