WE GROW CPG

Two We Grow CPG brands, sturdysauce and NARRA, were featured by New Hope Network in their article “7 Category-Crossing Trends to Know Now”—tracked straight from the show floor of Newtopia Now! Key trends like “Everything’s Coming Up Protein” and “Punchy Packaging” are exactly what our brands are excelling in and capitalizing on. We’re proud of this recognition, our partnership, and the staying power of these trends today and into the future! Natural Foods Merchandiser Winter 2024: https://lnkd.in/g3GJ6DUA #NewBrands #SturdySauce #Narra #Newtopia #CategoryDisruptors #Protein #Packaging #Asianflavors #CPG #Startup #WeGrowCPG #innovation

This month, we celebrate TWO YEARS of WE GROW CPG! When David Mesa and I embarked on this journey together, we knew three things for certain: first, we had the combined experience to empower CPG brands to succeed; second, we would make an incredible team; and third, we wanted to create and offer something the industry had never seen before. Looking back at what we've achieved, I am so proud that we were right! I’m motivated to keep pushing our brands forward and grateful for the growth of our team. Our goal is to truly innovate in this space—to offer a new kind of strategic sales partnership so brands can get the support they need to thrive. As we look to the future, I’m excited to make an even greater impact on the world of CPG. Here’s to many more years of growth ahead!

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: How to stay true to your brand while evolving for the future Siete, the fastest-growing Hispanic food brand in the United States, has reportedly sold to PepsiCo for $1.2 billion. Stories like this are inspiring and warrant a closer look at how the brand achieved such meteoric success. The brand’s original packaging focused on being nut-based, but once that was no longer a key differentiator, they pivoted. In the rebrand, they honored the seven members of the Garza family, who founded the company, with packaging that highlighted their heritage. "Before, the product told the story. After, the brand told the story." It's important to stay true to your brand identity and story while being open to evolving your packaging and positioning based on market trends and customer preferences. Here are a few tools that can help inform these changes. 1. Ask your Customers Collect direct feedback from your customers and ask them what they like or dislike about your current packaging. Ask them how it makes them feel about your product. 2. Look into the Competition Collect data on your competitors' performance and pair that with a visual analysis of their packaging designs. Identify industry trends, palettes, and fonts. 3. Test and Learn Test new packaging designs with a sample audience before a full rollout. Use data from these tests to understand which designs are more appealing. 4. Get Back to your Strategy Does your packaging reinforce your brand story? What does your current packaging convey about your brand? By leveraging these tools, you'll be equipped with the confidence to evolve and position your brand for success! https://lnkd.in/gKwMqJtq

FOOD FOR THOUGHT The season has officially changed from summer to fall, raising the question: how does seasonality impact your business? Does your product typically sell better during the colder months, or is it more popular in warmer weather? Is it best suited for home use, or is it more of an on-the-go item? Consumers are gearing up for fall. In August, “Cookie decoration kits increased in sales by 947%. Bread boxes, cooling racks, and muffin and cupcake makers also saw increases. Shoppers were also eager to embrace the autumnal vibes, purchasing candy apples (up 378%) and hot drink makers (up 89%)”. How can you capitalize on the changing seasons? There are numerous opportunities to engage and delight your customers, whether through limited-edition items or nostalgic flavors in your core product line. It's essential to develop strategic plans that invest in the right moments throughout the year. Start planning now to ensure your brand maximizes its potential in 2025. https://lnkd.in/gUGfTjQx

Where are we heading? The industry’s utopian quest for ingredient perfection continues. When it comes to fueling our bodies while also enjoying the experience, what do we truly want? Food often serves as a space for exploration. We seek novelty, comfort, and health. Meals and snacks have become a way of addressing the world's problems, or at least our own. Eating is an area where we feel like we have complete control—we choose what we buy, prepare, and order. We decide who we buy from and what goes into our mouths. With the rise in popularity of GLP-1 inducing ingredients, fiber, collagen, protein, and more, eating has turned into a form of biohacking. While we might miss our morning sauna session or cold plunge, consuming a bar with these ingredients might feel like more of a step closer to our ideal health than a bowl of cereal ever could. We see protein being added to and sugar being removed from many products on the market. Grains like quinoa and buckwheat, which are both nutritionally dense and environmentally sustainable, are gaining popularity. They are part of a $41 million market, according to SPINS data. Healthy ingredients like these, along with probiotics and prebiotics are being added to everything we eat, from our soda, to our waffles, and even our ice cream. “Ice cream maker Van Leeuwen has incorporated sustainable grains into their products. Their Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam ice cream uses buckwheat flour for the cookie crumble. This adds a sustainable and nutritious aspect to the ice cream.” Today's ingredient trends will shape what ends up on the shelves, and consumers will ultimately determine what stays there. The perennial question remains: can we have it all?

A big welcome to Drew Dickey who is joining the We Grow CPG family as our Chief of Sales! If you haven’t had the pleasure of working alongside Drew, here’s a little bit about him - Drew’s interest in the CPG space was born from his passion for natural foods, wellness, and body optimization. This passion led him to the CPG start-up world as a principal at Taos Bakes. For over 10 years, he has built and scaled sales across various categories, from marketing and manufacturing to national retail distribution. He’s obsessed with analytics and leverages data to drive business growth—whether it’s forecasting, trade spend allocation, or brand performance. Beyond the numbers, he is dedicated to building relationships and empowering others to succeed. Let’s innovate and grow together!

What a whirlwind experience and rewarding time at Newtopia 2024! To be honest, we were completely blown away by the presence of brands, partners, and buyers at the show. Newtopia felt like how shows are supposed to. We had meaningful conversations and interactions with people across the industry—the very individuals who make this industry what it is. We are more invigorated and inspired than ever as we move into the remainder of the year! See you in 2025, Newtopia! New Hope Network Kyle Koehler David Mesa Drew Dickey Miggy Reyes Victoria Reyes Rhett Barney Tyler Angel Wildway NARRA sturdysauce

Where in the world does Alyssa Vescio, Whole Foods’ SVP of merchandising, look for new and exciting products to bring into their stores? In the same trusted places we all do. She visits farmers' markets and local co-ops, gets recommendations from friends, and even browses Instagram and TikTok. This highlights how critical it is to make an impact in your local community and the power of authentic and relevant marketing across social media. You never know who could be looking for your brand! INNOVATION Beyond meeting Whole Foods’ stringent quality standards, she also looks for brands that bring “meaningful innovation”. Here are some questions she asks when reviewing new products: “What is the open space within that category?? Is this innovation bringing something completely new to the category?? Is it disrupting or waking up the category?? Will our customers be excited about it?” PURPOSE She also notes that Whole Foods is a “purpose-driven company; a platform for positive impact.” Here are the purpose-related questions she asks when reviewing new products: “What is their reason to be? What is their why? is it aligned with our overall mission?” LONGEVITY BEYOND THE “YES” For her, getting on the shelf is “really just the starting line, because then as a brand, you have to do the work to get it into customers’ hands, and you have to ensure that it’s so great, they’re going to continue to come back.” This highlights the importance of paying close attention to how well your company functions and how that impacts retailers. She notes that it is critical to stay on top of manufacturing, in-stocks, taste, pricing and promotions. It is crucial to the success of your brand to take the time to review how your products stack up to the competition when it comes to innovation, purpose and longevity on shelf. As a champion of emerging, innovative brands, going beyond these standards is what we do at We Grow CPG. It is our bread and butter ;) https://lnkd.in/gFkKbGyG

Where in the world does Alyssa Vescio, Whole Foods’ SVP of merchandising, look for new and exciting products to bring into their stores? In the same trusted places we all do. She visits farmers' markets and local co-ops, gets recommendations from friends, and even browses Instagram and TikTok. This highlights how critical it is to make an impact in your local community and the power of authentic and relevant marketing across social media. You never know who could be looking for your brand! INNOVATION Beyond meeting Whole Foods’ stringent quality standards, she also looks for brands that bring “meaningful innovation”. Here are some questions she asks when reviewing new products: “What is the open space within that category?? Is this innovation bringing something completely new to the category?? Is it disrupting or waking up the category?? Will our customers be excited about it?” PURPOSE She also notes that Whole Foods is a “purpose-driven company; a platform for positive impact.” Here are the purpose-related questions she asks when reviewing new products: “What is their reason to be? What is their why? is it aligned with our overall mission?” LONGEVITY BEYOND THE “YES” For her, getting on the shelf is “really just the starting line, because then as a brand, you have to do the work to get it into customers’ hands, and you have to ensure that it’s so great, they’re going to continue to come back.” This highlights the importance of paying close attention to how well your company functions and how that impacts retailers. She notes that it is critical to stay on top of manufacturing, in-stocks, taste, pricing and promotions. It is crucial to the success of your brand to take the time to review how your products stack up to the competition when it comes to innovation, purpose and longevity on shelf. As a champion of emerging, innovative brands, going beyond these standards is what we do at We Grow CPG. It is our bread and butter ;) https://lnkd.in/gFkKbGyG

Tip #8: Find a partner who prioritizes excellent communication and transparency. Whether you are collaborating with a broker, a sales agency, or your internal team, it is crucial to emphasize clarity in discussing goals, strategy and progress. Engage in discussions about challenging problems, develop creative solutions, and stay aligned every step of the way. This is the only way to guarantee that your company is intentionally and effectively built. This wraps up our Advice to New Founders series. We hope you have enjoyed it! Stay tuned for our next series!