On the show, we have David Czinn, co-founder and president of D'Vash. If you’re not already familiar, D’Vash’s makes a line of all-natural sweeteners which are derived from superfoods, like dates and sweet potatoes, (think “syrups" and "nectars”, except with 25% less sugar than regular honey).  While the idea of using dates to create a sweetener is pretty new in the US, date syrup has been around for a long time – as in, dating back to the biblical era. During a trip in the Middle East,...

On the show today, we have Chas Littlefield, VP of Marketing for one of the largest spirit brands in the world: Jägermeister. As a heavy hitter in the industry, Jägermeister is recognized across the globe, in just about every country. New product launches aside, brand awareness isn’t necessarily the main challenge at Jäger’s scale. the question instead becomes “how do you influence the way consumers think or feel about a brand they already  know,” or at least think they know. In our...

Joining us on this episode, we have Michael Keplinger, Director of Strategy at Smashbrand. Even if you’re not familiar with Michael’s agency, you’ve certainly seen their branding and packaging work on shelves, both at grocery stores or even in your own home. Smashbrand uses a research-forward process to stress-test brand strategy and packaging design, which helps them better understand what sways consumers in a given purchase decision. Smashbrand works with brands like Kool-Aid, Yucatan...

On the show today, we have Fred Hart, partner and creative director at Interact. Fred is a Food Marketing Nerds regular - he’s been on the podcast a handful of times, and he always brings new knowledge and a fresh perspective – which is why we keep inviting him back on.  Interact, is a world class branding and packaging design firm that specializes in CPG. They recently launched a really informative series called SprintToSuccess, which explains the branding and packaging design process. The...

We have an awesome interview lined up for you. Hayley Raymond, Associate Director of Brand Marketing at HelloFresh, joining us out of Brooklyn for today’s episode. HelloFresh has grown into the leader in the meal kit space, and as a direct to consumer company, they’ve built their portfolio of brands largely through performance marketing.  While branding and performance marketing have traditionally been somewhat at odds with one another, a big part of Hayley’s role is to break down silos and...

On the podcast today, we have Michael Sloan, CEO of Chloe’s Fruit. If you’re not familiar with the company, you are seriously missing out. Chloe’s makes several different varieties of clean ingredients, frozen treats that I can say from personal experience, are incredibly delicious and very quality.  Whether you’re a rising startup or the industry leader, product quality is critical to long term success. But, as you likely know as a listener of this podcast, there’s so much more than goes...

Luke Lahman, who is a long-time friend of mine and repeat guest on Food Marketing Nerds joins us on the show today out of Scottsdale, AZ. Luke is the Business Development Manager at E. & J. Gallo, the largest winery in the United States. Luke joined us back in Season 1 to discuss in-store marketing, which I’d strongly recommend if you’re interested in learning more about merchandising and influencing purchase decisions at the POS. It was one of our most downloaded episodes of last...

We’re chatting with Margaret Fortner, Head of Growth at the digitally savvy Hydration mix company, Hydrant. The company has thrived as a direct to consumer brand; so much so, they’ve recently expanded into the retail space. Hydrant is as data-driven as companies come, which has helped them dominate the world of e-commerce.  As Head of Growth, a big part of Margaret’s role is to help make sense of the company’s sales and marketing data, making sure important learnings are taken into account...

We’re chatting with David Klavsons, CEO of King Juice / Calypso. By volume, Calypso is the leader in bottled lemonade, and while the product has always been amazing, the company’s growth was a little stagnant. That is, until David entered the picture. Since assuming the role of CEO, David has staged a massive turnaround, helping Calypso in all areas from marketing and branding to sales and distribution. In his words, Calypso has focused on mastering the basics, and that approach is paying...

On the show today, we’re jumping into some do’s and don’ts of social media video. With how aggressively social platforms change and release new features, we brought on Matt Oesterle, manager of video production at our own Blue Bear Creative, to talk through the latest best practices relevant to food marketing in 2020. If you’re looking to up your content game on social, this episode offers plenty of practical insights on how to set your videos up for success. Let’s get after it.

Today’s episode goes out to all the Kombucha nerds in the audience. This interview is a little bit of a change in pace from our usual conversations around tactics and strategies within food and beverage marketing - instead, we're diving deeper into a category that's had a major impact on the food and beverage industry.  Today, we’re chatting with Hannah Crum, founder and president of Kombucha Brewers International. Hannah, otherwise known as the "Kombucha Momma", has a profound understanding...

Joining us on the show today, we’ve got Lucinda Wright, Co-Founder and CEO of Cask & Kettle. If you aren’t familiar, Cask & Kettle is a company that is truly in a category of one. They make the first and only spiked coffee K-Cups on the market, ranging from the more traditional Irish Coffee to their Hot Blonde Coffee with vodka, and even a Spiked Dry Cider. Lucinda has an incredible depth of expertise in CPG. She was VP of Marketing at Kelloggs, where she helped to build Raisin Bran...

If you’re the type of person who likes to geek out on paid social, sales funnels, or just all-around masterful digital marketing, then boy do I know the episode for you. I’m excited to introduce you to our guest, Yoon-Ji Nam, Head of Growth at the company transforming the cereal category: Magic Spoon.  And by cereal, I mean like breakfast cereal you eat with milk, not serial, as in the true-crime podcast with a bummer of a second season.  Magic Spoon is the healthy version of your favorite...

Hey folks, thanks for tuning in. On the show today, we have Blue Bear’s own Social Media Strategist, Emily Larsen. Emily has spent her career in social and digital marketing, and today, we’re discussing opportunities and watch-outs for Food & Beverage brands on social media.  In this episode, you’ll hear:  How platforms are catering to the rise in e-commerce What to keep in mind before investing in TikTok Why CPG brands shouldn’t sleep on Pinterest And plenty more. I should caveat...

On the show today, we’re chatting with Jeremy Gregory, co-founder and marketing director of Montucky Cold Snacks. If you haven’t already seen Montucky’s distinctive beer cans on shelves, you probably will soon. As of February of this year, Montucky became one of the fastest-growing brands in the category, second to only White Claw.  As a light lager, Montucky is up against stiff competition, and yet, their product continues to fly off the shelves. In today’s episode, you’ll hear: How the...

Today we’re sitting down with Rifle Hughes, Strategy and Innovation Business Partner at JPG Resources. Rifle has spent over 20 years helping companies build strong connections between brands and consumers. He’s worked with a range of companies within the industry, from start-ups to heavy hitters like Nestlé, Hormel, and Pepsi. Rifle and I discuss how COVID is influencing consumer behavior, and how both CPG and restaurant brands should adapt. In this episode, you’ll hear: What consumer...

On the show today, we have Vanessa Santana, Brand Experience Planner at General Mills. We’re discussing some of the most important issues the industry is wrestling with today, the lack of diversity and what leaders can do to play a role in making a positive change.  We invited Vanessa onto the show to talk through this from both a personal and business perspective. And looking forward, what actions we can take to build a more inclusive industry.  Recommended Reading: The Promise of a...

Howdy folks, today we’re chatting with Jim Lamancusa, founder and CEO of Cusa Tea and Coffee. Cusa is not your usual tea or coffee company. What started as a small line of innovative instant tea products soon grew into multiple product lines (including coffee), a handful of patents, and multiple global awards. Having worked at CPG start-ups that went from a million in revenue per year to over 100 million, Jim experienced the internal workings of a natural foods unicorn. He’s taken that...

On the show today, we’re talking with Michael Silverman, Managing Director of the Samantha Brands Group, or SBG for short. SBG is an investor group that helps promising consumer brands quickly scale and develop into enduring household names, and in talking with Michael, we get a glimpse into how SBG makes it happen.  Michael is a brilliant guy who knows the business of CPG as well as any guest we’ve ever interviewed. His firm has successfully scaled brands like Wild Made Snacks and Tres...

In this episode, we’re talking to Kristen Majdanics, VP of Marketing for Firehouse Subs. We were already huge fans of their sandwiches, but chatting with Kristen gave us a whole new appreciation for the brand and how they’ve managed to grow, in spite of intense competition.  Kristen started as a brand manager with Firehouse back when they had 300 locations and a marketing department of just two people. Well, the company grew quickly and so did Kristen’s role. She now leads the marketing...

Today we’re sitting down with Shauna Martin, the founder and CEO of Daily Greens. Shauna started her career in corporate law, and after being diagnosed with breast cancer in her early 30’s, she discovered her passion for green juice and plant-based nutrition. Her green juice recipes had a profound impact on her own well-being, and wanting to share that benefit with the world, she set up shop at her first farmer’s market. As you may have guessed by the fact that she’s on this podcast, those...

In this episode, we’ll be chatting with Tiffany Yang,  the CMO of Sweety Ice Cream. Tiffany is going to take us through how she and her cousins went from the corporate world to transforming their family’s 1970’s ice cream shop into a modern brand with national distribution. Tiffany has a background in strategy and consumer insights, and having been on the marketing teams for the likes of Vans, Barbie and Taco Bell, she’s built a knack for brand storytelling in a way that resonates with...

Today we’re sitting down with Kerry Carlson, Founder and President of not one, but two companies: Tundalya and Coconut Cloud. Kerry has been in the industry for a majority of her career, first founding Tundalaya in 2003, which manufactures dried goods and teas for private label and foodservice companies. With the infrastructure of Tundalaya and 15 years' worth of food experience, Kerry launched her own line of plant-based coffee creamers under the Coconut Cloud brand.  And while we focus...

We have Jourdan Samel, CEO of Evo Hemp, on the show today, and we’re talking about how he and his co-founder Ari built Evo Hemp from the ground up, managing to help underserved communities  in the process. Evo Hemp is a health and wellness brand that makes a number of Hemp & CBD products like nutrition bars, gummies and supplements. I guess it could certainly vary depending on where you’re listening to this from, but here in Colorado, Hemp and CBD have all but broken free from their...