In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
Saying ‘No’ Can Be Your Biggest Advantage as a CPG Brand

What makes a brand story sexy? What gives the appearance of a healthy and strong business? What gives friends and family the impression that you are killing it? Distribution gains. Fast and furious. 

What causes you to lose sleep at night and wake up in cold sweats? Distribution gains. Fast and furious.

Let me be clear. Fast growth isn’t the enemy. That’s not what I’m saying at all. Growth that is intentional and smart is the name of the game. Know what you are getting into. Be intentional with your decisions. Run the numbers. With every opportunity, with every retailer. If the economics of the deal don’t show a path to making money with the new distribution, then you are looking at a fast lane to defeat.

Know when to say NO

Knowing when to say no is a super power in CPG. This understanding is the key to the kingdom. It comes down to being Nice versus being Kind. Being nice to your brand/business would be taking on all the new distribution and growing the brand as fast as possible. It’s sexy at parties. It feels good for people to see your product in more places, but it is …

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:

In our previous column, you learned how to successfully move inventory and the strategies you can use to optimize your placement. In this article, we’re diving deep into the world of advertising! We’ll break down the different types of advertising, why they’re important, and the secrets you need to know to get the attention of top retail buyers.

Let’s get started!

The importance of advertising

Advertising plays a crucial role in CPG marketing. This is highlighted in the fact that “roughly 23% of CPG companies’ budgets were devoted to marketing efforts in early 2023,” making it the highest share of ad expenditures among all U.S. industries.

Overall, advertising in any form serves three primary purposes:

Inform Persuade Remind

Advertising also works to serve several strategic functions because it:

Differentiates your product in a saturated market Builds brand recognition & loyalty  Drives sales & market share gains Educates others on your products’ benefits & uses Establishes and reinforces your brand image

When it comes to CPG marketing, advertising helps inform consumers and retail buyers about your brand and exists as a platform to educate people about the benefits it provides. It allows you to make a more intimate and emotional connection …

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Wholesale suppliers are your business partners. A great one will propel you to success and a bad one can shut you down.

Few manufacturers will sell direct so to find wholesalers contact a few of the leading manufacturers in your industry to learn the leading wholesale dealers. Ask them for a recommendation and then follow-up with your own research. Merchandise cost and shipping speed are essential things to look for.

In order to buy items wholesale, a wholesale license is required. Depending on the state where the business is located, the license can be called a seller’s permit, a resale ID, wholesale ID, retail ID or a resellers license.

The wholesale industry is large and about 50 of the largest wholesale distribution facilities generate 25% of industry revenue. Wholesalers serve retailers and other service businesses through a variety of distribution channels and supply chains. At the top of the chain are manufacturers which include importers or exclusive distributors who also sell to wholesalers. Next are wholesalers or regional distributors who distribute the goods locally and brokers or jobbers who deliver goods to local small businesses.

A wholesale purchase is almost always done in bulk. Because of that the wholesaler pays …

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4 Product Submissions, 4 Buyer Meetings, 4 Deals: How GearHaul Did it with RangeMe

One of the benefits of being a RangeMe Starter or Premium subscriber brand is the opportunity to submit products to buyers who have immediate, limited-time opportunities that take place throughout the year. During these campaigns, retailers, distributors and foodservice operators invite brands that meet specific criteria to submit their products to be considered for placement on the shelf or in a menu. 

The reason why this is such a great opportunity is a matter of timing. When one of these limited-time campaigns is held, it means the buyers are actually searching for a product in their category, and for brands with products in that category, there is no better time to have these products in front of them. Indeed, it’s the most proactive way for a brand to leverage the RangeMe platform.

GearHaul is a perfect example of this. The RangeMe Premium subscriber brand markets products – all manufactured in Kansas – that safely and securely transport outdoor equipment such as chainsaws, buckets, and assorted tools. It caters to a very niche market, and getting its products in front of the right retail buyers would be a daunting task if it had to do it all on its own. But …

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
10 Winning Traits of Disruptive Challenger Brands

I always have my eyes open for dark horses, the come-from-behind winners that no one expects. I cheer for them, marvel at their grit, and hope for their victory over stronger, better-known competitors. They have always inspired me, and they challenge how I see the world. They give me hope.

But why do dark horses win? 

They aren’t favored to win, often for good reasons. They usually don’t have big money invested in them. They have no history of winning, and not many people have heard of them. Yet they win anyway.

A few years back, I started interviewing smaller, purpose-driven companies that were winning despite their size. Dark horse companies frequently have limited financial coffers, little brand awareness, and none of the cushion that comes with historic success. Against all odds, they still win.

Gone are the days of big companies always outperforming the small. Today, most industries are being shaped by emerging smaller and disruptive organizations, many of which out-innovate competitors that are much larger and powerful (who often end up acquiring them to bring that innovation in-house). In fact, smaller brands account for more than 75 percent of all “Circana’s New Product Pacesetter” companies and 64 percent …

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In: Retailing Tips|Last Updated:
How Sarilla Turns Cold Leads Into Warm Leads with RangeMe

“RangeMe is not necessarily the place where you are going to close a deal, though it has happened for us. What it does is move a cold lead into a warm lead and starts to build that buyer relationship.”

With this statement, Sara Delaney, Founder & CEO of beverage brand Sarilla, concisely summarized how best-in-class RangeMe subscribers view the platform, and leverage it as a key part of their overall strategy of moving buyers into and through their sales funnel. And Delaney makes great use of the tools it provides to ensure optimal exposure for her brand and to gain the insights she needs to engage buyers once a dialogue begins. 

We’ll get into the “how” shortly, but first, a little about Sarilla.

Sarilla’s origin and introduction to RangeMe

Asheville, N.C.-based Sarilla sells a line of alcohol-free social beverages made with all-organic and mostly regeneratively-farmed ingredients sourced primarily from the brand’s small farm in the African country of Rwanda – with plans to soon be Regenerative Organic Certified. Delaney got her start as an importer selling loose leaf tea in bulk after falling in love  with the tea from that region, and started experimenting with various formulations to make her …

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