Andy Kurtts’ Post

Here are some ‘strategies’ + takeaways from my second year at the Natural Products Expo... 1) 𝐔𝐆𝐂 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐭: Various brands were projecting UGC at their booths. Shoutout to one of my favorite brands: TruFru, you were the first brand to catch my attention with this one. I was excited to see this as we’ve focused on building out UGC at the agency over the last year.  2) 𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝: Platforms such as Aisle, Ibotta, Inc., & Vizer were all present this year at Expo. Brands were intrigued to learn more, and we were seeking out brands who have maybe not had success on these platforms, specifically on aisle, as the partner who could come in and help them achieve success.  3) 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞: Outside of the immensely successful complementary collab with Chobani x La Colombe there were brand: brand collabs such as Girl Scouts x Chameleon + Harvest Snaps x Heretic Beer, and happy hours with brands such as Milton’s x Fly By Jing where Fly By Jing was being served as a topping for Milton’s pizza! I’m so grateful to be a part of this team and to have been able to attend my second Expo alongside Adam Brown, Sara Lerner, Wyatt Davis, Irma Bosch, Marlie Fisher, and Molly O'Donnell❤️ What else did you take away from #Expo? #expowest #expowest2024 #socialmediaagency #cpg

So lately, I’ve been following the buzz surrounding Keith Lee and I think there’s a lot we can learn from his Atlanta experience. For those who don’t know him, he is a social media influencer who visits restaurants and provides his review. My biggest takeaway from Keith Lee’s Atlanta tour is how customer service impacts your brand. As marketers, it’s easy to focus on how customers perceive your brand but not how they are experiencing your brand and this is indicative of that. Furthermore, the restaurant owners’ responses demonstrates how poor leadership and improper training also impacts your brand. Instead of trying to discredit his claims, a better way to protect your brand is to address his claims head on and figure out how you can better support your team in providing a better customer experience then inviting him and his relatives back to your restaurant to document their experience. #branding #customerexperience #keithlee

Sip on some history with us! Dive into the fascinating story of how a humble beverage became a global icon. #CocaCola's journey is a masterclass in branding – one we're excited to share! Let #MarketingSamadhan unlock the potential of your brand's story. 🚀📖 📞 8817995204 | 💌 [email protected] | 🔗 www.marketingsamadhan.com #marketinglessons  #brandstory  #CocaColaHistory #digitalmarketing #storytellingforbusiness #brandbuilding  #MarketingSamadhan #MarketingStrategy #businessgrowth #iconicbrands  #marketingtips #digitalstrategy #contentmarketing #linkedinlearning

As we head into another Expo West, I wanted to share a story about being truthful and hopefully some perspective as you speak to founders and sample products. Several years ago I was at Expo East and one of my long-time friends introduced me to a new founder that was starting a company. It was a beverage company and they had branding and samples but were not yet launched. Unfortunately, the name was clunky and the samples were even worse. Now, human empathy would normally guide us not to hurt their feelings and make up a "white lie" that the products were good. However, I did exactly the opposite -- I was brutally honest both about the name and the product. Why? Because that is what I would want people to do for me. Few people are honest with founders. Whether their family, friends or acquaintances, none of them want to hurt feelings and so few are being honest about ideas and products. To succeed in food and beverage CPG, you need a lot of things to go right but at a minimum you need: -- Meaningful Differentiation (the reason people try the product) -- Amazing taste (why they come back) -- Strong economics (how you pay for growth) By being truly honest, you can help the founder get to key decisions sooner. Maybe they need to iterate the product, change the name, redesign the packaging, or shut the business and try something else. By telling a "white lie" to avoid offense, you kick the can down the road and potentially waste a lot of that founder's time -- the one thing we can never get back. So back to the story at hand. I was brutally honest. I said I thought the idea was good, but the name was terrible and the product was not good. It was hard and I could see the founder welling up to tears in front of me. It was brutal, but we talked and I said you need to go back to the drawing board and find a better name and improve the taste. Well a year ago at last year's Expo West, I saw that Founder and he had taken my advice to heart, he had a great new brand name and I tried the new beverage which tasted great. I just saw a post from this founder that they are now the fastest growing functional beverage brand in SPINS and I could not be more proud of them. The moral of the story here is to be honest as you walk around Expo West sampling product. Help the founders out. Sometimes it could result in better taste or differentiation and other times it might result in a shutdown, but either way you are saving them the most valuable asset they have --- time!! #expowest2024 #expowest #naturalproducts Manna Tree, Steve Young, Eric Schnell

A funny thing happened on the way to the car park... So another Food & Drink Expo finishes, with some stand out products and a good vibe even on the afternoon of the last day. Obviously, I got distracted by the huge Coffee Fire Engine brought by MY COFFEE STATION LIMITED - who wouldn't! Back to that car park..... So on the long, long, long, very long way back to the EV car park myself and a large herd of expo escapees found themselves behind a slow moving, group of retail buyers (no names to protect the innocent) and here's a couple of things they said, very loudly to be heard by all and sundry (before I'm accused of listening in to private conversations).... 1) Category Disrupters 'Every new entrant in my category I met today said they were category disputers but couldn't explain what that meant' You can have a strong product offering but if you can't spell out what you're going to bring to the category in addition or exception of the current incumbents then why should someone else spend their time working out what that is. Do your homework - you're presenting yourself as knowledgeable about the category, know your market and your competitors 2) Product 'The packaging was unfinished...' Sounds like a bad 'Apprentice' episode but if you're spending money at an important show then make sure the potential customer can walk away from that stand with a market ready product. Good market testing with potential customers is a great way to solve this one, people can give the best, sometimes painful but useful feedback. DISCLAIMER - I too, may or may not have been guilty of the points made above in the past 😬 #FoodandDrinkExpo #NECBirmingham #PlantBased #Vegan #Food #categorydisruptors #brandedpackaging #disruptor #categoryexpert #daleyhub #daley

Are you a name-brand grocery buyer or do you take a chance on lesser-known/store brands? Regardless of your preference, many buyers are clearly moving towards the latter. In fact, the private-label Food & Beverage Market is projected to increase by $43.9 billion at a CAGR of 6.43% by 2028. This is in part due to a global cost of living crisis, along with the fact that private-label options have substantially improved in quality in recent years. While in the past, it was hard to find quality products without the recognizable label, more and more store brands are emerging with comparable levels of quality. With hundreds of suppliers offering an extensive range of food and beverage products, White Label World Expo New York is tipped to provide opportunities to help your business expand its delicious range of products as well as being a pivotal location for developing relationships to conquer new markets. Here’s just some of our food & drink exhibitors setting up at this year's show: Lone Oak Coffee Co. New Haven Tea Yo Mama's Foods ® 🎟 Register for your tickets now! https://shorturl.at/irBT5 #WhiteLabelWorld #WhiteLabelExpoNY #PrivateLabel #foodanddrink #USBusiness #ecommerce #Retail #entrepreneur

When I worked for a national food retailer, one of the most fun experiences was going to the Fancy Food Show. I loved seeing new products, finding interesting trends, and meeting new people. It was always overwhelming (like most trade shows!) and everyone had their own strategy for attending. My advice for smaller, independent brands: go with a purpose and a focus. If you don't have a booth and you are there to explore, that's great. See what others are doing and what experts are talking about. Be clear on what you're doing there. Buyers often have their calendars set and have specific items they are seeking. If you can get meetings on the calendar, all the better. For those who are responsible for buying or bringing in products, I hope you'll leave time for those who may not be able to attend large shows. And finally, wear comfortable shoes and drink a lot of water. Have a good show! #fancyfoodshow #fancyfoodshow2024 #makeroom #specialtyfoodassociation #tradeshowstrategy #tradeshowlife #favoritedaughterfavoritethings #favoritedaughter

Yesterday I spent the day eating and drinking my way around Birmingham’s Food & Drink Expo. Such a diverse array of exciting brands all under one roof — a huge thanks to everyone exhibiting, you all smashed it! A quick snapshot of my observations: ✴ It’s all about the experience. Today’s consumers want more than just a product — they’re seeking brands that deliver a unique, emotional experience. ✴ Clear differentiation. Having the tastiest product isn’t enough — consumers need to know immediately what makes you different (and why they should care). ✴ What’s the story? Brands that know their audience and present an effective story attract far more attention. It’s all starts with the story… TIP: If you’re planning to go today, skip breakfast and don’t make plans for dinner… you won’t go hungry at this one! 🥐 🍰 🍫 #foodanddrinkexpo

As of Dec 2023, some of the biggest trade shows in the country may include: 1. Consumer Electronics Show (CES): One of the largest tech trade shows held annually in Las Vegas, Nevada. 2. National Retail Federation (NRF) Big Show: A premier event for retailers and industry professionals held in New York City. 3. SEMA Show: A trade-only event focused on automotive specialty products held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 4. National Restaurant Association (NRA) Show: A leading event for the restaurant and foodservice industry held in Chicago, Illinois. 5. International Home + Housewares Show: A trade show showcasing the latest trends and innovations in home products held in Chicago, Illinois. 6. Natural Products Expo West: An expo for natural, organic, and healthy products held in Anaheim, California. 7. National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show: A trade show for the broadcast and media industry held in Las Vegas, Nevada. 8. Outdoor Retailer Winter Market: A trade show for outdoor and winter sports gear and equipment held in various locations across the country. 9. National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Show: A trade show for the convenience store industry held in various locations across the country. 10. International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS): A premier event for the manufacturing industry held in Chicago, Illinois. Please note that this list is subject to change, and there may be other regional or industry-specific trade shows that could be significant depending on your specific area of interest or industry.

Here is your dose of 20/CENT Retail Headlines.  In this instalment I present you ⁃ SILMO Showroom: a clever new way to engage with a community without doing the usual conference or press event, ⁃ Also, I tell you about my visit of the Wonderfood event last weekend and why I came back with mixed feelings about it and a lot of unanswered questions.  ⁃ Finally, I point out a few items to note in your retail agenda. And yes indeed. Some of you loyal followers noticed something: I skipped the Headlines last week. Well, let’s not forget that 20/CENT Retail is not a news website compiling press releases for its audience and shouting breaking news every day. Also, I realised two things: First, I wasn’t motivated to write about bankruptcies, loss of jobs or e-commerce fraud. Secondly, as Monday is often taken in my agenda by event visits, I decided to move the publication of Headlines to the middle of the week. Well, enjoy the read ;-) #retail #headlines #wonderfood #event #insights SILMO Paris Emeline SEGURA Roel Dekelver Karima Ghozzi Delhaize Belgium Promosalons Tribe Agency We Are C https://lnkd.in/ee3PY5Rb