The author’s full interview with Pauline and Johnny Paterson of Dr.PAWPAW on location at an ECRM Beauty session

Dr. PAWPAW is a RangeMe Premium Verified beauty brand based in Bromley, UK. It was founded in 2013 by husband and wife power couple Johnny & Pauline Paterson as an alternative natural solution to help soothe their young daughter’s eczema. The company launched with its Dr.PAWPAW Original Balm – a soothing multi-tasking clear balm that can be used on lips, skin and hair. The soothing and nourishing properties from our Dr.PAWPAW balm formula that consists of PAWPAW (Papaya Fruit), Castor Oil, Aloe Vera and Olive Oil. The overwhelming success of this product led to a line extension with Dr.PAWPAW Tinted Balms and then to hand creams, hair care, and more innovative lip products. 

All of the brand’s plastics are post consumer-recycled and its cardboard is already 70% recycled. It uses water soluble ink on all cardboard packaging, eco tape on all orders big and small and whenever needed use eco alternatives such as Eco Foil used on Dr.PAWPAW X Teenage Cancer Trust Shimmer Balm.

In addition to giving back to the planet with its sustainable packaging, the company also gives back to …

Why EDI Compliance is Important for Retailer Onboarding

As an entrepreneur selling a product, odds are you are dreaming big in terms of distribution. Your path may have started by selling hyper-local in mom-and-pop shops, or on a website or two, but now you feel ready to take that next step and sell through a major retailer. 

Before making connections with retailers through RangeMe and ECRM, take a step back and make sure you are fluent in your target retailer’s supplier guidelines. Don’t lose sight of the fact that you need to successfully sell yourself and your product to the retailer first before leveraging their platform to sell to consumers. But you will also need to demonstrate that the business is credible and that you’re fully capable of fulfilling orders. Do you have the right knowledge to talk the talk with your future retail partners?

Here’s how decoding a few supply chain best practices can boost your ability to scale.

Understanding the landscape

When your goal is to leverage a retailer’s platform, you’re going to have to play by the retailer’s rules. A basic requirement of selling anywhere, outside of maybe your local farmer’s market, is to properly and uniquely identify your products. 

To do that, sellers are …

How to Create Your Own Basic Product Photography Studio

If you’re part of a scrappy CPG startup, there’s one thing you know very well – you’re required to wear a lot of hats. And one of those hats is that of a product photographer. In the fast-paced world of food and consumer packaged goods, captivating imagery is a non-negotiable aspect of your brand’s success, particularly if you have an ecommerce site or a RangeMe profile.

However, building an in-house photography studio can be a daunting endeavor. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll unveil the secrets to crafting an efficient and cost-effective photography studio built for food and product photography. (Just a quick note: while I specialize in food photography, the tips and examples here also apply to all CPG products).

Keep reading to discover how you can transform your CPG brand’s visual identity and drive unmatched growth by leveraging a lean photography studio.

It starts with the camera (a real camera!)

The first thing you’ll need in your studio is, of course, the basic photography equipment. With today’s advancements in smartphone cameras, it may be tempting to reach in your pocket for your iPhone or Android device rather than your wallet to purchase a DSLR camera. However, while phone cameras …

The Latest Consumer Buzz About Sports Nutrition Products

The sports nutrition market is rapidly expanding. Driving this trend is a growing awareness of the benefits of proper nutrition on athletic performance. Sports nutrition products have become integral to an athlete’s diet and training regimen. These products aim to improve performance, aid recovery after intense workouts, and reduce muscle soreness. 

Today, sports nutrition products are consumed by athletes and non-athletes alike as part of a healthy lifestyle. As consumers continue to demand more from sports nutrition brands, companies must find new ways of staying ahead of trends. Using Evergi Social Listening data, let’s explore the sports nutrition ingredients and products that got consumers talking on social media over 2022.

Sports nutrition products getting the most buzz

In 2022, consumers continued to actively discuss sports nutrition products online. We observed a particular focus on protein powders, post-workout/recovery drinks, and sports drinks. Of all recorded sports nutrition products, mentions of sports gummies and jelly beans saw the highest growth rate. The category experienced a 343% increase in conversations between the first half of 2022 and the latter half of the year. 

The sudden growth of this market may reflect the increasing popularity of easy-to-carry, hyper-portable products. We see gummies becoming more …

In this exclusive Q&A, ECRM/RangeMe SVP of Retail Wayne Bennett speaks with Walgreens GVP & General Merchandise Manager Robert Tompkins about how the retailer is driving “innovative convenience,” reimagining local healthcare and delivering elevated assortments that focus on the unmet needs of consumers.

Tompkins also discusses how ECRM and RangeMe play a role in boosting the efficiency of its category planning and product discovery, and how Walgreens is a great launch partner for new and emerging brands. He wraps up with some advice for brands looking to get on their shelves or ecommerce platform. 

Watch the full video interview here

Bennett: How is Walgreens becoming more digitally centric?

Tompkins: We’re really focused on what we call innovative convenience. You may have seen some of the new capabilities that we’ve launched over the last two years, and have refined really well over the last year, including buy online, pickup in store,  at every single store in the country. And even more impressively is same day delivery, where we can have the product to you in an hour or less – some have even quoted numbers like 15 minutes. And so our 24 hour stores give us the ability to give mom …

How to Influence Retail Buyers with ‘CPG Marketing Magic’

Calling all entrepreneurs, business owners, and product innovators! In an uber-competitive market, standing out is more crucial than ever for the success of your consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand.

In this first in what will be a series of blogs, we will be taking you on a step-by-step journey on how to leverage the power of strategic branding, marketing, and advertising to influence retail buyers.

We will cover topics like understanding what makes the audience tick and developing strategic branding that digs deeper than just logos and packaging. We are also going to break down the core differences between the various types of strategies you need to implement and then, of course, walk you through all the ways you can reach your target audience through advertising.

This blog will serve as a 101 crash course, and each of the following will dig deeper into brand strategy topic-by-topic. So keep an eye out for more CPG marketing magic…. 

Ready to get started? Ok, whether you’re launching a new product or looking for new and innovative ways to drive results for your already-established brand, let’s dive into the core elements of marketing to help you swim in the right direction. 

Understand the