Food Marketing Nerds Restaurant and CPG Marketing Podcast

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 know-how, along with his own scrappy mentality, to develop some really smart marketing initiatives that might leave you thinking, “hmm why didn’t I think of that?”.

After seeing the cost and conversion rates of his in-store demos, Jim was looking for a better way to grow his base of loyal customers. Cusa Tea and Coffee began refining its digital presence and hasn’t looked back since. Cusa’s approach to digital marketing is extremely savvy  and anyone looking to establish or build on an existing e-comm presence, especially in the wake of COVID, has so much to learn from today’s episode. 

In this show, you’ll learn:

• How to scale up your digital media budget
• Why breaking up with bad subscribers could generate more sales
• How to gauge the effectiveness of your in-store marketing

So, let’s get after it.

Recommended Resources:

Kick Further

Klayvio.com

BoldCommerce.com

GetRepeat.io

Find Cusa Tea & Coffee Online:

Cusa Tea Website

Facebook

Instagram

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 Latin Foods, maker of the Pupusas that are near and dear to my heart. We dive deep into some of the commonly shared notions around marketing and distribution strategy, and why much of what you’re hearing around making it big may actually be leading you down a slow, painful path of destruction.

This is only scratching the surface, but in today’s episode, you’ll learn

• What so many fledgling consumer brands get wrong about distribution strategy
• Why your brand-building efforts may not be adding value to the bottom line
• What marketing channels have the biggest impact on product turn
• And plenty more

Recommended Reading & Listening

• What Didn’t Kill You - Michael’s Podcast
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Find out more about the Samantha Brands Group and Associated Brands:

• SBG Website
• Natural Food Works 
• Tres Latin
• Wildmade Snacks

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 Latin Foods, maker of the Pupusas that are near and dear to my heart. We dive deep into some of the commonly shared notions around marketing and distribution strategy, and why much of what you’re hearing around making it big may actually be leading you down a slow, painful path of destruction.

This is only scratching the surface, but in today’s episode, you’ll learn

• What so many fledgling consumer brands get wrong about distribution strategy
• Why your brand-building efforts may not be adding value to the bottom line
• What marketing channels have the biggest impact on product turn
• And plenty more

Recommended Reading & Listening

• What Didn’t Kill You - Michael’s Podcast
• Atomic Habits by James Clear
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Find out more about the Samantha Brands Group and Associated Brands:

• SBG Website
• Natural Food Works 
• Tres Latin
• Wildmade Snacks

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 department of 17 people, with Firehouse clocking in at over 1,100 locations nationwide. She talked us through what’s driven the company’s growth, and learnings she’s picked up along the way. 

In today’s episode, you’ll hear:

• What leaders can do to build a more passionate team
• Why your company mission is crucial for growth
• How telling your customers every good thing about you isn’t working
• And so much more...

Kristen’s Recommended Podcast:

• Twenty Thousand Hertz

Learn More About Firehouse Subs:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter

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 initial batches sold pretty well, and Daily Greens became one of the companies to kick start the green juice movement. Fast forward to today, and you can find Daily Greens on the shelves of every major retailer across the country.

While dealing with everything from the ups and downs of the green juice category to competitors getting acquired by the Coca Cola’s of the world, Daily Greens has managed to stay independent and remain a key player in the industry.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to scale operations when your product goes national
• What characteristics you should look for in your next hires
• And how recipe content led to Daily Greens becoming a household name

Check out Daily Greens online and on social:

• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter

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 customers and buyers alike. She’s been putting those skills to work for Sweety, and in this episode, you’ll hear:

• How a brand video landed Sweety a 1500 store PO from Walmart
• Why grocery store shelves and Instagram have a lot in common
• And what the most popular brands do that keeps customers coming back for more...And plenty more...

Tiffany’s Recommended Read: Shoe Dogs by Phil Knight

Check out Sweety's website & Social:

• Sweety on Facebook
• Sweety on Instagram
• Sweety on Twitter

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 more on brand marketing in this particular episode, we’ll certainly touch on Kerry’s expertise in manufacturing because of the influence it had in her ability to rapidly scale Coconut Cloud. Kerry’s previous experience with Tundalya helped in building a successful food brand, but she encountered plenty of challenges unique to marketing a product line which we discuss, along with how she continues to tackle those (challenges) today.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to better leverage Amazon data to inform your innovation
• What signs indicate new products are gaining traction
• How to run for food brand with a remote workforce

And a lot more...

Kerry's recommended reads:

• Inc. Magazine
• Nosh Newsletter

Coconut Cloud Social Accounts:

• Instagram 
• Facebook
• Pinterest

Learn more about Coconut Cloud at https://coconutcloud.net/

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 negative stigma. Not quite the case back when Jourdan and his business partner Ari first started Evo Hemp - CBD and hemp weren’t just in the taboo category, but the laws were also much different, and as you’ll hear more about in a minute, Evo hemp didn’t just market around the regulations, they were on the front lines of helping shape the laws into what they are today.

Growing your business is tough as it is, but throw some extra red tape and regulation into the mix, and you have to get pretty innovative to accomplish what Jourdan and Ari have in Evo Hemp.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• What content makes the biggest impact in converting new customers
• How to navigate social media in a heavily regulated category 
• What it takes to scale your demo program

And plenty more...

Jourdan's Recommended Reads:

• The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek

Learn more about EVO Hemp at evohemp.com

Social Accounts:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Twitter
• LinkedIn

In this episode, we’re chatting with Simran Sablok, Global Marketing Director of the Meatless Farm Co. The Meatless Farm is based in the UK, and while they just entered the US market eight months ago, they have some big plans for expansion.

Simran’s expertise is in marketing products that warrant a change in consumer behavior or mindset, ergo plant-based meat substitute. It’s what she’s done for the majority of her career, including nine years with Yum Brands helping launch some of their game-changing products into untapped markets. You might say that Simran specializes in helping high potential brands maximize their upside. She’s now leading The Meatless Farm’s growth throughout the world, by tapping into the unique cultural nuances of each market.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why a traditional media strategy won’t be enough to build your brand
• What it takes to gain traction in a new market
• And how to break through when you can’t outspend the competition

Links from the Interview:

• Simran’s Recommended Reads
  • Pour Your Heart into It by Howard Schultz
  • The Content Formula by Michael Brenner & Liz Bedor

Connect with The Meatless Farm Co.:

• Website
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Twitter
• LinkedIn
• Pinterest

Season 2 is in full swing and we are kicking things off strong!

In today’s episode, we’re talking to Ariel Rubin,  Director of Communications for convenience store chain, Kum & Go. With 400 locations, they may not be the biggest player in the category, but you wouldn’t know that by the amount of clout they’ve built up as a brand. Ariel has certainly had a hand in that.  

Heading up communications for a company that services hundreds of thousands of customers is no small feat. Yet, Ariel is on the front lines of the Kum & Go’s Twitter, because of the upside the platform has for both PR & brand awareness.

• In today’s episode, we discuss the hurdles companies need to overcome to be authentic
• what it really takes to build momentum on social media
• And why sleeping on twitter is a huge mistake

Links mentioned in the episode:

Ariel's Book Recommendation: Anti-Social by Andrew Morantz

Kum & Go Social Pages:

• Twitter: @kumandgo
• Instagram: @kumandgo
• TikTok: @realkumandgo

Connect with Ariel on Twitter: @arieljrubin