Integral CPG

Continuing a monthly series we initiated last year, this week we are spotlighting another of the many partners we’ve been fortunate enough to get to know and work with at Integral - one who we feel does a tremendous job for their clients, while also being great human beings with which to collaborate. To kick off our Partner Spotlight series in 2025, we've chosen to put our friends Katie Waterson and Maggie Garner, and their great team at Waterson Garner on center stage.?For over a decade(!) now, Waterson Garner has served as an impactful strategy and innovation partner for CPG brand leaders, enabling them to unlock a powerful vision of what’s possible, in order to build brands with lasting relevance and meaning. One of the things we appreciate about Katie and Maggie’s vision in creating Waterson Garner is how their work is focused on the confluence of three different forms of deep insight - consumer, cultural and commercial – in a model they refer to as the "Three C's."?? Using this integrated, multi-faceted perspective, they help clients to shape brand strategy, experience, expression and even product portfolio, translating the deep insights they uncover into real, lasting competitive advantage. Just as important, their work and findings don’t exist in a vacuum – as seasoned industry participants, Waterson Garner can ‘connect the dots’ between insights and implications for the broader business and strategy.?This practical application really brings their work to life for clients and (importantly) makes it truly actionable. And what we’ve always enjoyed about Katie and Maggie, as well as their broader team, is the experience of the journey itself. Through their personalities, backgrounds and working style, as well as those of the diverse and multi-disciplinary group they’ve brought together, there is a tangible passion for consumers and the various opportunities they can present to brands.? They have spent their careers working around consumers and the products that power their lives and happiness, and this passion not only leads to great results, but brings joy to the ‘getting there’. Clearly, based on the now over 10 years’ worth of thrilled clients from across the CPG sphere that Waterson Garner has accumulated, we’re not the only ones who feel this way.?And we’re excited to have more opportunities for shared journeys with them, not to mention connecting them with new brands for whom we know they can work magic. If you have a brand that could use a transformation, or a business with a hunger for better understanding the consumer and market to find the best opportunities for ‘what’s next’, then reaching out to Waterson Garner needs to be on your ‘To Do’ list. And once you do, it won’t take too long to understand why.??? #ambitiousinnovation #cpggrowth #insights #brand ?? #ambitiousinnovation #cpggrowth #insights?#brand

Our co-founder Rifle Hughes kicked off 2025 by exploring the Specialty Food Association's Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas. Once again, the event proved to be an effective opportunity for the global food & beverage industry to connect, share product portfolios, and catch up on plans for the new year. Perhaps the biggest news from the show is that SFA is moving things back to California, with 2026 in San Diego and a return to San Francisco in 2027. We’re excited for this!

A new year represents new opportunity, including another chance to remind the world of our core philosophy for ambitious innovation! At Integral, we believe in the power of better ambitious innovation to unlock growth, and we feel this unlocking comes through three core pillars of thinking and approach: Think Beyond the Product – Unleash the full potential of the opportunity by actively considering all of the key elements of the business that will drive success Translate Ambition to Criteria – Clarify the original ask and supplement it with critical context to frame the opportunity in terms that will support creative design and flexibility while staying true to original intent Prioritize Release Over Launch – View go-to-market as a series of ‘releases’, where smaller, strategic placements can capture initial feedback to fuel focused iteration, evolving the solution for later releases that feature increased sophistication and reach The ‘slider’ of images gives a bit more context on how to get beyond the limitations of traditional innovation efforts, especially when ambition is higher and the need for growth is greater. #ambitiousinnovation #foodanbeverageinnovation #disruptiveinnovation

When we asked our in-house graphics team (otherwise known as our cofounder’s 10-year-old daughter) if she could create an image that we could use for our 2024 Happy Holidays post, she provided us her own interpretation of our company logo, aka ‘the Integral Cube’, seen below. But as we looked at her work further, we came to believe that it actually serves better as a representation of what we’d hope to see in 2025 – more connectivity, more unity and maybe even a little more beauty as a result. We’re guessing we’re not the only ones who feel that way. So, here’s to a coming year that lives up to that promise and hope, leaving us all in a better place than where we started.

As we come to the close of the first calendar year in Integral CPG company history, it’s a great time to step back and take stock of our (still early) journey.? It’s been a year of change, firsts, uncertainty, celebration, anxiety, hard work, teamwork and – sometimes – plain old ‘make it work’.? But even with the unpredictability that is starting a new business, we are fortunate to be ending the year in a great place, and one that is (surprisingly?) fairly consistent with what we envisioned when we launched Integral. This first and foremost comes down to the great people – clients, team members and friends and family (both literal and figurative) – that surround, support and work with us each day. They are not only what has enabled our journey, but what’s made it worthwhile. We’ve also been privileged to work on exciting growth and innovation opportunities for great brands in interesting spaces of our industry, and are looking forward to continuing this work in the New Year. But for now, we will happily take a 2024 that saw us: ?? Launch Integral CPG in May, including choosing a name and designing a logo and (initial) website ?? Celebrate with a number of our good industry friends at our Chicago Launch Party in June ?? Work alongside 5+ new clients? ??♂? ?Engage on 10+ projects of varying scopes across a number of food and beverage categories and channels ?? ?? Collaborate with 13 team members and partners to refine our Integral methodology and deliver impactful work ???Attend shows like Fancy Food Summer, Newtopia, PLMA, SKU and other great industry events around the country (with more on the schedule for 2025) ?? ?Travel to wonderful places like Austin, Boulder, Chicago, Denver, Grand Rapids, New York City and – wait for it – Kalamazoo, Michigan??? We know these are still just the baby steps of what will hopefully be a long and fulfilling journey, but we’re grateful to get to take them.?And we can’t wait to see where they lead us in 2025. Happy Holidays! Glenn & Rifle

Each month, we shine a light on one of our valued industry partners who play a pivotal role in helping brands grow and thrive. This month, we’re thrilled to feature?Fred Hart, a seasoned designer and branding expert with a passion for assembling bespoke, right-fit creative teams to solve design-centric growth challenges for brands. The odds are high you already know Fred, but on the off chance you don’t, he’s the sharp-dressed guy in immaculate sneakers blocking the aisle as he’s taking hundreds of photos of interesting new beverages with his young daughter strapped to his chest before dominating the competition in a pickup game of basketball. Fred has been a driving force in the design world for years, especially in packaging. His career path is a who’s-who of design agencies before building and leading Interact Brands?as Creative Director and Partner for over 9 years. A powerhouse firm renowned for its innovative work in consumer goods and beyond Fred led the creative team at Interact and created a string of business-impacting design solutions for clients like Dogfish Head, HotPockets, Boulder Canyon Chips, SmartyPants Vitamins, Country Archer Meat Snacks, GoodPops, Bobo’s Oat Bars and others. This past May, Fred ventured out on his own as a branding and design consultant. Inspired by the capabilities of the growing hybrid working culture and his vast network of creative talent and brand leaders, he is matching brands with vetted creative designers or agencies best suited to their unique challenges and ambitions. Once the right match is made, he acts as an expert project advisor to ensure the brand is getting the best out of the creative partner. With all parties working as a tight team with effective communication, Fred’s already making a major impact with over a dozen brands. He’s a great follow here on LinkedIn where he does a tremendous job sharing his knowledge and perspectives on how design can impact business and shape culture. Similarly, keep an eye out for his writing at?Dieline, where he most commonly covers food & beverage and other CPG shows with his keen eye for great design. If you’re looking for a trusted guide to help you navigate your next design challenge or need someone to curate the ideal creative team for your project, Fred Hart is your go-to. His mix of creativity, industry savvy, and deep knowledge of the brands consumers can’t live without is unmatched. Reach out to Fred to discover how he can help your brand thrive through impactful design either via LinkedIn or his website at https://www.fredhart.com #integralpartnerspotlight #packagingdesign #foodandbeveragedesign #designconsigliere

Thanks to Commercial Baking for working with our co-founder Glenn Pappalardo to share four points on how companies should approach use competitive intelligence. 1) Know why you want to know what you want to know 2) Open the aperture on how you define competition 3) You are also the competition 4) Information is what you gather; intelligence is what you distill Follow the link for a quick read to dive deeper on these four lessons.

Attending PLMA - Private Label Manufacturers Association show in Chicago next week? Our co-founder, Rifle Hughes will be walking the floor Monday, November 18. Reach out if you'd like to connect and catch up at the show!

???Happy Halloween, everyone!??? As we embrace the spooky season, let’s take a moment to enjoy the fun and creativity that comes with it. Whether you’re dressing up in your favorite costume, carving pumpkins, or just indulging in some sweet treats, we hope you have a fantastic time! Halloween is a great reminder to let our imaginations run wild and to connect with our inner child. It’s also a perfect opportunity to share some light-hearted moments with colleagues, friends, and family. And special thanks to Clare Pappalardo, our in-house Creative for this spirit-filled drawing! Wishing you all a safe, fun, and spook-tacular Halloween! ????? #HappyHalloween #SpookySeason #FunTimes

If you’ve ever spent time in a dentist’s office or yoga studio, or watched any kind of retrospective graduation video, you’ve probably heard the music of 1990s global new-age sensation Enya. But would you know Enya’s more…unusual contemporary, Virtuous Amoeba? Now that’s a different question. Susan Olviolo, the founder of Virtuous Amoeba, has a guess: “Absolutely not.” Olviolo was at UC Santa Cruz in the early 90s as Enya first blossomed on the US music scene. Helping to pay tuition through a part-time job as scheduler at a cosmetology practice, she was among the first Americans to get exposure to the Irish singer, and it struck a chord for Olviolo, a music major and vocalist herself. “I was sitting in this office 30+ hours a week, with dim, natural lighting and smelling constantly of eucalyptus and peyote, and this disorienting, almost mystical, music just bludgeoned its way into my psyche.” Olviolo recalled, “And I thought, ‘Well, sh*t, I can do?that.” The name Virtuous Amoeba came to Olviolo during a fever dream produced by tainted half-price sushi from a local Santa Cruz dive bar. “I wanted something that would be as ambiguous and spineless as the music I envisioned, but still kind of…positive, you know?” she explained. Discussing the idea with classmates in the music program, it didn’t take long to gather talented potential bandmates. However, Olviolo decided she wouldn’t have a set band, but rather would employ a rotating cast of supporting musicians and vocalists. While such an approach wasn’t unheard of, her method for choosing who to work with…was.? Thumb wrestling. “I come from a big family of thumbies,” Olviolo explained. “My mother was actually a two-time state champ back in Iowa before she came west, so it was just how we settled things at home.” This unconventional method not only forged a unique band culture but led to an atypical collection of instruments used. “Musicians with stronger finger muscles wrestled me best, so they got the gigs.??Piano, keyboard, some woodwinds…these are the folks with good thumbwork, so that’s who we had.” This created Virtuous Amoeba’s unmistakable sound, a synthesizer-oboe foundation with Olviolo’s raspy vocals providing an air of mystery and…something else. “People often ask me if I’ve got a cold, which is nice, because it means they care, I think”, Olviolo shares. This sinus-led tone aligned well with the name of Amoeba’s third – and biggest - album, ‘Climatic Pressures’, which soared to #57 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Variety called Pressures, ‘confusing’ and ‘disconcerting’, while Billboard went further, labelling it a ‘haunting triumph – for all the wrong reasons’. Despite the critical reception, Amoeba has continued making music and playing shows at malls, corporate events and wellness retreats around the US for nearly three decades. Asked about the secret to the band’s longevity, Olviolo offers a simple answer: “I’ve got a paying day job.” #bandnamegame #corporatehumor