The Peppered Podcast brings seasoned talk for food and beverage marketing and brand professionals.
 
Whether you are a new emerging food or beverage brand or a well-established brand, this podcast will deliver useful, tangible, practical information and insights to you—game changing knowledge, that you can immediately be put into practice in the day-to-day marketing and management of your food or beverage brand.
 
If you’re looking for resources to grow your brand—subscribe to this podcast.
 
Follow Jamie Allebach on Twitter at @jamieallebach

#1 Welcome To The Peppered Podcast

This episode of the Peppered Podcast features Jeff Martin. Jeff is a senior-level executive in the food industry with nearly 40 years of experience.
 
He’s been on both the retail and brand side of sales and marketing, with positions as executive VP of Sales and Marketing for Utz Quality Foods and executive Vice President of Merchandising and Marketing for Ahold USA.
 
On this episode we discuss:
·      The biggest challenges facing CPG food brands today.
·      The consolidation of brands in the food and beverage space, with major food companies buying up all the small-mid size brands.
·      Is the ROI mindset in marketing helping or hurting brands?
·      How are brands able to fight the “trade program requirements?”
·      What are some food brands who are really doing it rights?
·      + much more

#2 How To Overcome The Biggest Challenges Facing CPG Food Brands Today with Jeff Martin

Bob Burke is an author, advisor, keynote speaker, board member for dozens of natural product brands, and one of the country’s leading experts and thought leaders in natural and organic products. He's helped hundreds of companies and brands bring natural and specialty products to market, and was named one of the "Top 25 Business Builders of the Natural Products Industry for the last 25 years" by Natural Foods Merchandiser Magazine.

In this episode we discuss:
· How to succeed in the natural, organic, “better-for-you” space
· Consumer demand for natural products
· What does innovation look like in this category?
· Who’s doing it right?
· Telling your “authentic” brand story
· What’s happening in “plant-based” foods?
· Why sourcing is important
· Emerging trend

Contact Bob Burke:
https://www.naturalconsulting.com

#3 Brand Success in Natural and Organic Products with Bob Burke

Nick Fuglestad is a director for MacGuffin Films in Manhattan, NYC. MacGuffin is the world’s premiere tabletop commercial production company for Food and Beverage marketing.

In this episode we discuss:
·      The art and science of appetite appeal
·      The artistry of food and beverage video
·      How to create effective film and video in advertising
·      Why appetite is so critical to food and beverage brands
·      How to use settings to create realistic, compelling video
·      Why quality matters

http://www.macguffin.com

#4 How To Create Appetite Appeal In Advertising with Nick Fuglestad (MacGuffin Films)

Mark Chudnoff is one of the industry’s leading experts in marketing research and president of Chudnoff Associates, a full-service marketing research firm, known for their expertise in food and beverage.

On this episode we discuss:
•	The diverse tools available for developing marketing insights
•	How to use research and insights to assure you have the right product, idea, campaign, etc.
•	Research for packaging design
•	Sensory research
•	Research for innovation
•	The right path for launching new products
•	The pros and cons of DYI research

#5 Reducing The Risk of Marketing Investments with Mark Chudnoff

Shelley Balanko is the Senior Vice President with the Hartman Group. The Hartman Group is a nationally recognized thought leader on demand-side trends for the food and beverage industry, and they work with some of the world’s largest food and beverage companies on issues of portfolio management, brand renovation, consumer insights, and innovation.
 
On this episode we discuss:
·      Growth in the premium products category
·      The “redefinition of quality by consumers.”
·      The state of “food culture”
·      Why brands need premium perspective
·      Aligning product offerings to fit “premium”

#6 The "Premium" Growth Strategy with Shelley Balanko (Hartman Group)

David Walsh is the Vice President of SNAC International. SNAC is the leading international trade association for the snack industry. They represent over 400 companies worldwide, including snack industry suppliers, marketers, and manufacturers.
 
On this episode we discuss:

- What’s hot in snacking
- The “New” snacking
- Where the new growth is coming from
- Innovation in snacking
- The new craze of plant-based snacks
- What millennials are looking for
- And much more

#7 The State of Snacking with David Walsh (SNAC International)

Jim Partner is president of The Partner Company and an adjunct professor at St. Joseph's University in their food marketing program. In this episode we talked about how to successfully launch a food or beverage product.

“Launch and Learn” is somewhat of an oxymoron—and it’s the exact opposite of what makes for a successful launch strategy in the food or beverage space.   

We discussed:
•	Why most new product launches fail 
•	Why launching a food or beverage product is so different than other sector
•	The right research
•	Brand development
•	Your brand story
•	Gaining distribution
•	Consumer support
•	The retailers’ role in this process

#8 Launch and Learn with Jim Partner

David & Adam Jones are the founders of Peloton Cascara Tea. Cascara is the fruit that surrounds the coffee bean and has now been discovered as one of the newest superfoods. I think that the tea that these guys have developed is one of the most innovative drinks that I’ve seen in a while. It has all the makings of an up-and-coming brand.

On this episode we discuss:
•	What is Cascara Tea and why is it so beneficial
•	The story behind the brand
•	How it has impacted the Honduran farmers and local economy
•	The environmental and sustainability factors of this product
•	Hurdles they have encountered along the way
•	What’s next for the brand

#9 The Story of Peloton Cascara Tea with David and Adam Jones

Joe Sideranko works with Ipsos. Ipsos is a global leader in the area of market research, and one of the world’s largest providers of advertising testing services.
 
As I’ve worked with Ipsos over the years, I’ve found their products and process to be incredibly helpful in refining creative and ad work. Their approach is different than any other research firm that I’ve worked with when it comes to creative testing.
 
Ipsos offers a full range of concept, creative and advertising testing, and on this episode, we will be discussing their Early Stage Lab and ASI-Connect products.
 
On this episode we discuss:
·      Creative ad testing methodology
·      How qualitative and quantitative can work together—simultaneously
·      Instantaneous results can have profound impact on creative
·      Emotion trace technology
·      Transparency and collaboration in the creative process
·      How to get to Brand Breakthrough with your creative
·      The “Clutter real”

#10 Creative Testing with Joe Sideranko(Ipsos)

On this episode of the Peppered Podcast I’m speaking with Chris Kirby, founder of Ithaca Cold-Crafted, the first ever, cold-crafted hummus. This is not just another “me too” hummus. They use a cold pressure process instead of heat pasteurization, which keeps their ingredients raw, full of nutrients, and incredibly flavorful. 

On this episode we discuss:
•	The Ithaca Cold-Crafted brand story
•	How small brands can compete against category giants
•	Gaining distribution for emerging brands
•	Production scale-up challenges
•	Maintaining profit along the journey
•	The role of social media

#11 Ithaca Cold-Crafted Hummus with Founder Chris Kirby

On this episode of the Peppered Podcast I’m talking with Patrick Wells about online culture. Patrick is a social expert and the creative genius behind MoonPie’s incredible success on Twitter.
 
On this episode we discuss:
·      Relating to online culture
·      How to create a viral moment
·      What most brands are doing wrong on social media
·      Can social media really drive sales?
·      What’s next for brands on social media?
·      And much more

#12 The Story of MoonPie's Twitter and Landscape of Online Culture with Patrick Wells

In this episode of the Peppered Podcast, I’m having a conversation with Jim Low. Jim is the Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Schuman Cheese. He’s also worked at Enjoy Life Foods, a popular better-for-you snack brand and global food giant, Mondelez, where he worked on the Ritz Crackers, Wheat Thins, and Trident Gum brands.  

On this episode we discuss:
•	Working with a 4th generation family brand
•	Innovation within a mature category
•	Why creativity is so important for brands
•	The benefits of distinctive packaging
•	Gaining distribution for new products
•	Driving trial with consumers
•	And, a little shop-talk on some of the hottest brands

#13 CPG Brand Success with Jim Low

My guest on this episode of the Peppered Podcast is Jeff Metzger, President of Best-Met Publishing and publisher for Food World, Food Trade News, and the Mid-Atlantic Grocery Industry Directory.
 
Jeff has been a “go-to guy” for decades for manufacturers, brands, retail executives, buyers, brokers, or anyone who needs to be in the “know” for the grocery biz.
 
If you want to know what’s going on in food and beverage retail, tune in to this episode, where we discuss:
 
Adapting to how and what consumers are eating
Where they are purchasing
The new role of e-commerce
Meal kits and their impact on brands
What categories are growing
The Millennial and Gen Z effect on retail
How private label is affecting brands
Who are the hottest retailers?
And much more

#14 The Shifting Share of Stomach with Jeff Metzger

This episode of the Peppered Podcast focuses exclusively on digital marketing and features Nate Bachynski. It seems like everyone today is an “expert” in digital marketing. So many of the food and beverage brands that I come in contact with simply don’t have their digital and social strategies buttoned-up. 

If you want to learn the basic framework for a digital strategy, on how to grow your brand, tune in to this episode where we discuss:

•	Consumer Acquisition—the path to purchase
•	Reach & Frequency
•	Consumer Targeting
•	Geographic
•	Lifestyle
•	Category
•	Micro-Targeting
•	Retargeting & Sequential Messaging
•	Performance Analysis
•	And much more

#15 A Digital Strategy to Grow Your Brand with Nate Bachynski

This episode of the Peppered Podcast is with Dan Follese, executive chef and founder of both Follese Consulting and the Food Trend Translator. In the food and beverage biz, innovation is a powerful influence with consumers and can be a strong driving force for brands. And, most innovation is driven by consumer trends. Knowing what the current trends are and hitting them at the right time, can make or break a food or beverage brand.

On this episode of the Peppered Podcast, we’re going to dig deep into food trends, discussing:

•	The differences between Macro & Micro trends 
•	Translating trends for CPG brands
•	How foodservice trends inspire retail 
•	How trends impact marketing professionals 
•	Current hot trends
•	And more

#16 Translating Food Trends with Dan Follese

This episode of the Peppered Podcast is with Loren Brill, founder of Sweet Loren’s. Sweet Loren’s is a fast-emerging brand of refrigerated cookie dough—self-described as a clean food company transforming what it means to be convenient and delicious.
 
I love the fact that Sweet Loren’s is extremely indulgent, deliciously sweet —and made with clean, simple ingredients. But more importantly, I love the story behind the brand.
 
When founder, Loren Brill, was diagnosed with Stage 2 Hodgkin’s lymphoma, along with her treatments, she also knew that she needed to change her eating habits. But the one thing she just couldn’t give up were SWEETS. This began her journey on how to satisfy that sweet tooth—with quality, better-for-you ingredients—but without comprising on taste; which ultimately resulted in Sweet Loren’s cookie dough.
 
On this episode of the Peppered Podcast, we’re going to dig deep into food trends, discussing:
 
- The story behind the brand
- The challenges of starting a new brand
- Scaling-up—quickly!
- Why core principles and values matter
- The importance of clean, simple ingredients
- Why consumers rally behind this brand
- And more

#17 A Sweet Story of Success with Loren Brill, Founder of Sweet Loren’s

Krishna Kaliannan is the founder of Catalina Crunch, a better-for-you cereal brand that could be equated to “healthy version” Cocoa Puffs.
 
Hailed as a breakthrough in cereal science, Catalina Crunch has that same “light and crunchy” texture and delicious sweet taste that we all grew to love in our favorite childhood cereals—but, with none of the bad ingredients—and it’s low in carbs. In addition to an exciting brand, Krishna also has an incredible story behind his product, including his health journey with Type 1 Diabetes.
 
On this episode of the podcast, we’ll be discussing:
 
- The story behind Catalina Crunch
- Functional foods that taste delicious
- Transitioning from online to retail
- Competing in a mega-category
- And more

#18 Catalina Crunch with Krishna Kaliannan

Tara-Ann Dugan is the Director of Consumer and Marketplace Insights for the National Pork Board and has more than 12 years of food marketing and research experience, spanning across McDonald’s Corporation, Nielsen, IRI, and Hammacher Schlemmer. She has some great insight not only in the protein category but eating occasions in general.
 
On today’s show we will be taking a deep dive into the wonderful world of pork, meat, and protein.
 
Join us as we discuss:
- Changing consumer needs
- 9 dinner occasions identified in the new Dinner at Home in America research
- Do Millennials and GenZ know how to cook meat?  
- Perceptions of pork and meat 
- The role of Retail POS
- How has “plant-based” impacted the pork category? 
- What’s new and innovative in the pork industry?
- Transparency

#19 Pork Inspiration with Tara-Ann Dugan (National Pork Board)

How Appetite Appeal Can Help Grow Your Brand
 
On this episode of the Peppered Podcast, we will be discussing Appetite Appeal. Not only is this one of my favorite topics in food and beverage marketing, but it’s a critical component in growing brands.
 
The LOVE of FOOD is one of the strongest human emotions.
 
Food fantasies—anticipating that special moment. How our imaginations can just run wild.
 
It doesn’t just happen.  Appetite appeal has two fundamental driving forces: Science and Art.
 
The Science: Our metabolic need to eat. We need food and liquids to fuel our bodies. Humans have powerful mood-altering neurotransmitters in our brains that activate these senses, which ultimately drives us to eat. To crave.
 
The Art: Unlike the science behind your appetite, the emotional aspect of eating is often driven by art and creativity. We eat with our eyes, ears, and imagination long before we actually taste anything. This is the artistry of creating appetite appeal.
 
Join me as we discuss:
The metabolic need to eat
How our brains create the impulse or desire to eat
Why most hunger and thirst is purely emotional
The dopamine effect
The artistry tapping into the emotions of appetite appeal
We eat with our eyes and imagination
Using words and imagery to mimic real-life eating experiences
And much more

Peppered: A Food and Beverage Marketing Podcast

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