Andrea Theodore

Two things: 1) Helena Bottemiller Evich's Foodfix is an unbelievable source of great info on food policy and what's happening behind the scenes. The subscription is essential in my view for senior leaders across food. Such great journalism, and 2) Holy smokes this lightly/un-regulated compounding of GLP-1 drugs and resulting massive availability at very low prices to consumers is something most food leaders probably probably do not fully understand. Scary from both potential health impacts from dosing and/or quality issues, AND for the potential for much wider and faster adoption of the drugs, and implications for food industry volumes. The most common push-back from industry is that because the drugs are too expensive, they will spread slow and with limited food volume impact. Nope, now you can buy this stuff from hundreds of online sources that are compounding it very openly and as a result it has the potential to spread very fast and wide, and likely already is. Food volumes seem very stubbornly stuck across many categories. Just a coincidence? I do not know, but it sure seems like an interesting question to ask and get under.

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Reflecting on this monumental moment, I wanted to wait until the news was "official" before sharing my thoughts and feelings... Almost 7 years ago, a good friend now who started as a good client invited me to his new office in NJ to explore a plant-based protein company he was considering acquiring. That's when I first encountered OWYN. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of it initially. Plant-based, vegan protein drinks weren't in my usual "repertoire" of ideation and marketing. But after trying the product that day, I knew I wanted to be part of the journey. And what an incredible journey it has been! Throughout the last 7 years, in my capacity as a "strategic advisor," I've embraced a multitude of roles and responsibilities, working closely with a diverse array of talented leaders. From individuals who made significant contributions from the outset and have since moved on, to those who have ascended to leadership positions, such as CEO Mark O. and Chief Sales Officer Matt OConnell, as well as "more recent" additions like CMO Julia Perez, who came in and made an immediate and substantial impact, our collaboration has been characterized by passion, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Now, fast forward to today. After countless hours of strategic discussions, meetings, and partnerships, we've achieved something remarkable. We've taken a niche brand, crafted with the finest ingredients, and found the perfect successor in our recent acquisition. If you notice, even as a "consultant" I always will refer to it as we. When I work with brands, especially from day 1, I consider myself a true part of the team. Being part of a brand from inception to this pivotal moment is incredibly special. As a matter of fact, it's been a huge goal of mine since that fateful day 7 years ago. I'm eager to see what lies ahead for OWYN and hopeful that I can continue contributing to a product and brand that means so much to me and countless others, especially our consumers. #OWYN #PlantBased #Acquisition #Journey #Gratitude #Business #CPG #SimplyGood https://lnkd.in/emY6UT2g

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CPG Marketing Leaders,   When you’re passionate and driven to make something happen, it’s easy to get too close to it...in life, in politics, and in business.   And, in a performance and outcomes focused marketing world, you need to show clear, measurable results from your brand growth efforts.   But while we Type A leaders are equipped to read both data (looking backward) 📊 and tea leaves 🍵 (looking forward) we don’t change direction on a dime or take big decisions lightly… and we DEFINITELY don’t quit on things.   So, what can happen--and probably has happened to most of us —is 𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵, 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮, 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩… 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘞𝘈𝘕𝘛 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵! It can feel like parting with a favorite sweater that’s stretched out, tossing perfectly broken in sneakers 👟 that have lost all traction, or tossing the tube of lipstick 💄 you’ve been digging into with a Q-tip (maybe that’s just me).   I’m here to say I Get It…and to remind you of the 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙯𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡.   Between experience and lack of bias, an external leader can see the facts and data objectively 👀, ensure you and your team are effectively measuring 📏 the outcomes of your efforts, and pinpoint 📌 what needs improvement or reallocation.   And that’s all BEFORE considering the extra set of limbs and 🧠 cells an external partner brings to the table. Not only can you get more S—t done, you can divide➗ and conquer on the toughest questions or challenges.   This clearsighted approach can even make you look super smart to your senior leadership, who might also be overly vested in certain pet ideas. Do you relate to this? If so, tell me…𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲?  #consulting #brandstrategy #externalexpertise #insights I'm Elizabeth, and I help consumer marketing leaders harness strategic insights to fuel brand growth and market impact. DM me to learn more about the Trend, Strategy, and Innovation possibilities for your business.    

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Ending the week high on optimistic skepticism for the better-for-you CPG landscape. Big acquisition news leaves me optimistic that more money will start to flow back into BFY CPG companies, helping to further drive impact and food systems change. Anytime there is a big acquisition, investor FOMO reaches an all-time high. Skeptical though since the reality is that most of the money that will flow back into CPG because of this will come with similar exit and growth expectations. I truly believe that if we are going to make lasting, meaningful changes within our food system, then we need more independent companies invested in impact-centered long-term growth, and we need more investors willing to invest in companies like these. Creating further consolidation within a food system that has so much already is not the path to meaningful change. Creating a system in which Big Food gets bigger and uses acquisition to bandage over their core business that is destroying consumer health and planetary health is not the path to meaningful change. Creating short-term wins for shareholders while ignoring the impact that independent, evergreen, mission-driven companies can have on the world as they scale is not the path to meaningful change.   I get it. There’s an allure to big numbers– big returns. Money has allure, it has status, it has power. We love money. We praise it. We’re driven by it. But all of that money, status, power, ego, and praise really arent going to mean much if we continue to invest in short-term gains and shareholder value at the expense of investing in a better future. There are many ways to invest in mission-driven companies in which return is not predicated on an exit and companies can stay truly independent and impact-focused to drive long-term change. For the sake of our food future– we need more of those investors. Always happy to chat about those investment models for those curious.

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Carbonara does not belong in a can… I love food innovation because I get to create experiences that create moments for consumers. I also love really good Italian food, particularly spaghetti carbonara. This doesn't appear to be either. Here’s how you avoid things like this when innovating. Ask yourself: Who am I trying to delight? What specific problem am I trying to solve? Can I solve that problem? Do I want to solve that problem? Can I make money solving that problem in a way that is authentic and delights my people? Ask yourselves these and be honest. Great ideas need great execution. I could be wrong but I won't be trying this to find out. Would you?? Where does this go wrong for you, if anywhere?.. #cpg #innovation #brandmarketing #consumerpackagedgoods

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The hydration market, now valued at $156 billion, is experiencing significant growth as nearly half of U.S. consumers turn to hydration beverages for issues like headaches and fatigue. This trend underscores the rise of functional beverages that support overall health and energy management.    Dive into the latest insights from Circana in FoodNavigator USA's article, “Magnesium, Multi-Functional Hydration Claims Rise as Consumers Seek to Improve Wellness, Circana Reports.” 

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General Mills spoke recently at a Barclays investor event and used the platform to reassure investors of its plans to return to growth. While it has been a difficult stretch for major CPGs as consumers' wallets are tighter than in years past the company did highlight some indicators suggesting near-term growth. But beyond that General Mills emphasized a need to create a new competitive playbook. They highlighted misses on innovation, pricing movements, and packaging sizes, as areas of concern. Identifying the problem is always the first step, but how do they correct course? Immediate levers to pull like boosting media and trade spending, will improve top lines in the short term, but a commitment to consistent consumer and competitive research is needed to help realize efficiency gains on the bottom line. #Fletcher #CPG #CompetitiveIntelligence https://lnkd.in/gxMcbGDU

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