Jean-Paul Jansen

Great time with Elanie and Kay from the Renegade Nutrition Podcast! Their content is always so timely related to changes in the science of nutrition, it's impact on our wellness, and how we can all be better at 'biohacking'. We discussed the importance of polyphenols in the diet for longevity, data from blue zones, and Goode Health. Give it a listen (if you have an hour or listen at 1.75x speed) and follow Renegade!

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When is it time for a brand to find a new home?... The potential sale of Oscar Mayer reflects a proactive approach to adapting to evolving consumer demands and market dynamics. Here are some thoughts that this WSJ article sparked in me. 1. Brands and companies at some point lose alignment. Brands can be very strong and consistently deliver a consumer promise. However, the brand promise may not be permanently in alignment with a company strategy. By prioritizing healthier product options and realigning its portfolio, Kraft Heinz shows a commitment to long-term growth. The focus on improving nutrition in its products reflects a broader industry trend towards addressing concerns over ultra-processed foods and health-related issues linked to diet. 2. The best decisions are grounded on the consumer. Kraft Heinz is considering selling Oscar Mayer to restructure its portfolio amidst growing consumer interest in health and nutrition. This move can help align with changing consumer preferences towards healthier options. 3. Stock performance and financial results matter. This strategic move is crucial for boosting the company's stock performance, which has been stagnant over the past five years. Kraft Heinz is facing challenges in its quarterly results due to cooling demand for some products and increased input prices. Profitable growth is about having the right portfolio for the long term. When brands lose alignment to the broader business strategy, they part ways with companies. In the end, it is about the consumer, what the consumer wants / expects and the competitive advantage of an organization to win with the consumer in a profitable way. What do you think? #marketing #branding #management #mentoring

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Costco Wholesale is launching an ad network built on its 74.5 million loyalty members' data. This move will position Costco as a significant player in the $166 billion retail #media market, leveraging targeted #advertising based on shopping habits. It doesn't stop here. Starting January 2025, Costco warehouses will sell #books primarily during the holiday season. This change reflects the evolution of the publishing industry, where more readers are shifting from physical to digital content. Read the original article by MediaPost for more data and details on this game-changing move from one of the most successful retail models on the planet. #futureoffood #futureofretail

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“LET THEM EAT CAKE” ... FRENCH QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE ADDRESSING THE PEASANTS. How stupid can a company CEO like Kellogg’s CEO Gary Pilnick get? The answer is … pretty stupid. Instead of commenting on CNBC and CNN that poor or cash-strapped families should eat cereal for dinner because it’s cheaper than a regular dinner, he should stick to his primary financial duties as CEO and leave consumer marketing and advertising in the hands of his CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) and advertising agencies. No parent is going to serve their kids Corn Flakes, Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, or Fruit Loops for dinner when they presumably just ate the same thing for breakfast that morning. Moreover, the nutritional value of most RTE breakfast cereals per se is next to ZERO. As an adult, I personally and occasionally eat a VERY BIG bowl of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes or General Mills' Cheerios for dinner because I really like them with whole milk, but that’s only when I want to eat a light meal at the end of a long, hard, and late day. Finally, as a CPG brand marketing expert, I’ll say … I can’t imagine a top-shelf company such as Kellogg ever running any significant consumer advertising with such a stupid and insulting message like this, i.e., “Let them eat cake”. 😎           https://lnkd.in/efcuZ8dg.  

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“Consumption occasions are... fundamentally important in liquor when understanding why our customers choose a category, brand and ultimately a product to purchase and consume”  National Liquor Retailer & Hotelier, 2023 Occasion led thinking is becoming increasingly more recognised and adopted as a way of thinking, planning and investing by liquor manufacturers, distributors and retailers. ​ To learn more about liquor consumption occasions and how to leverage them to grow your brand and sales, register for our "Unlocking Occasions" five-part report series.

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I had the distinct pleasure of sitting with Kantar BrandZ for an in-depth conversation about global brands through the lens of PepsiCo's iconic portfolio -- what makes a brand valuable, the role of brands, how to stay relevant, deploying distinctive assets in a consistent and connected way, how the best-of-the best do it and so much more. I believe brands have a bigger role to play than before and at PepsiCo we talk about Positive Brands. We want to inspire people to make better choices for them and the planet. We are developing programs that leverage the scale and power of our brand marketing to accelerate our sustainability journey and connect with consumers. And we recognized brands are only relevant to people to the degree that they connect to something meaningful in their lives; something bigger that connects to core human needs like community, security, control, connection, enjoyment, etc. When it comes to deploying distinctive assets, we have to be very humble as marketeers. Memory structures, distinctiveness, brand meaning is built over generations. As marketeers, we stand on the shoulders of the giants that went before us. I'm very humble to the generations of incredible marketeers who have built these brilliant brands. Thank you Kantar for recognizing PepsiCo in the BrandZ Top 100 Brands Global Report 2024. Check out the full conversation: https://lnkd.in/eE3mtGxZ #PepsiCoProud #BrandZ #Kantar

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Good insight from Walmart: Food and beverages companies are worried that weight loss medicine like Ozempic will reduce consumption, as consumers are becoming less hungry. What a brilliant marketing challenge for a brand manager - sell more to less hungry and thirsty user :) Ozempic Is Making People Buy Less Food, Walmart Says https://lnkd.in/dBvtFDi6

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Branded Produce: A trend that could reshape the grocery aisles? Any commodity can be upgraded to a brand. It is about the value consumers are willing to pay. This WSJ sparked these thoughts A Branding Shift: The traditional approach to selling produce is evolving as more farmers and companies adopt branding strategies typically seen in other product categories. From vibrant packaging to engaging backstories, fruits and vegetables are now competing not just on price and quality but also on unique branding elements that capture consumer attention. Consumer Appeal: With a growing focus on health, sustainability, and online shopping, consumers are increasingly looking for more than just fruits and vegetables. They seek products that reflect their lifestyles and values, even willing to pay a premium for brands that align with their preferences. This shift in consumer behavior is driving the rise of branded produce as a way to communicate consistency and quality in a crowded market. Challenges and Opportunities: While some branded produce ventures have seen success, others face challenges such as retailer restrictions on advertising in-store. Additionally, the fluctuating nature of crop yields poses a marketing challenge for brands making them adapt their strategies based on supply. Despite these obstacles, the trend of branded produce presents a significant opportunity for farmers and companies to differentiate their products and separate them from other commodities. What do you think? The opportunity to brand commodities and add value that consumers are willing to pay a premium for is endless. #marketing #branding #management #mentoring Nicholas Di Cuia George Minakakis Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

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Modernizing legacy brands for a new generation of consumers is no easy feat. Earlier in my career, I was fortunate to work on teams that accomplished that for two legacy Kraft Heinz brands: Jell-O and Crystal Light. Critical to those successes were the same lessons Gail Hollander discusses in this article: * how to successfully update a brand by understanding its role in the culture and category without walking too far away from the brand truth and its DNA * creating winning marketing strategies by leveraging the art (creative thinking) and the science (data-driven decisions); and * breaking down silos to align the entire organization around long-term brand building I took these lessons I learned and recently wrote an article about how integral they also are for building successful CX strategies: https://lnkd.in/ecPhFpMz

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NielsenIQ BASES (NIQ BASES) data reveals an interesting trend - 79% of consumers find the newly launched REESE'S JUMBO Cup more filling than both the Regular and Big Cup REESE'S. Will the new REESE'S JUMBO Cup surpass the impressive +$60 million achieved by the REESE'S Super King in the next few months? #NielsenIQ #ConsumerInsights #ChocolateTrends #NIQ #NIQbases #JumboCup #ReesesJumboCup #RegularReeses #BigCupReeses #SuperKingReeses #NielsenIQbases

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Ok When anyone asks me which business book I recommend to an early stage entrepreneur, my go-go is always “Raving Fans” by Ken Blanchard. What gets lost in the numbers so often, is how to quantify the “Stickiness” of your cusotmer relationships. 👉For CPG brands: How many of your customers are just buying your product because nothing better has come along yet? 👉For Retailers: How many of your customers are shopping your stores because they WANT to, not because they NEED to buy food? How many of them IDENTIFY with your stores in the way Trader Joe's or Stew Leonard's Farm Fresh Food or Erewhon customers do? When I joined the cult of Whole Foods Market out of college in 2001, this intangible mission-driven identity is what brought me there, along with so many others. This is something we’ve put a lot of thought into at Pod Foods over the past year. It’s very easy for us to find CPG brands and retailers who are completely fed up with the incumbent duopoly, and want to explore something different. We do this about 5 times per day. It’s much harder to actually build “Raving Fan” relationships with these stakeholders. 👉What is crystal clear to us after a year of LISTENING, is that people want MORE out of a distribution relationship. 👉What you will see from us in the months to come is our response to this. We’ve laid out an end-to-end Ecosystem which spans from “Inception to Escape Velocity” for emerging brands, and gives retailers access to the differentiation they need to thrive. Instead of having 10,000 “Customers” our goal is to have 2,000 “Raving Fans” who drink the Innovation Kool Aid right with us. Stay Tuned. We aren’t going to be satisfied by moving boxes from point A to point B. Jack Sinclair Lee Robinson Jonathan Lawrence Vito Antoci Chris Robb Shawn Berg Caroline Grace Trei Campbell Clint Chao #ravingfans Flowspace Total Quality Logistics Wayne Bennett Peter Kang

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McDonald's stirred up a little bit of controversy and a whole lot of publicity with its mysterious Grandma McFlurry” flavor. In an age where consumers are looking for more and more transparency and collaboration McDonald’s zagged big time and literally made something out of nothing. It would have been very easy to do a co-branded collaboration with a classic nostalgic candy like Werther’s (etc) but instead they went with the “secret” recipe. What isn’t secret is that it has over 500 calories and more than 50 grams of sugar, like all of the other flavors. So here is the question: McFlurry’s aside, when DOES it make sense to keep your ingredients “secret”? Is there an ethical way to tap into the TikTok food fad zeitgeist with GOOD products, but stirring up some buzz around what the “mystery flavors” are coming from? In theory there could be some cool seasonal/LTO collaborations with “Flavor Reveal” events like a “gender reveal” party that actually do this right. Pod Foods #cpg #mcflurry #grandmamcflurry Flowspace Total Quality Logistics https://lnkd.in/ea_GErzn

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Are refills a non-starter in the consumer packaged goods market. @thegrocer reports that Freshways has radically overhauled Milk & More since acquiring the business last November, with a shift towards more mainstream brands and the removal of most products in its much-vaunted refill offering (Source: The Grocer 'Freshways dismantles ‘farm shop on wheels’ in value push' https://lnkd.in/e3iWk2rs). Some of the challenges of refill (albeit looking at the luxury sector) are explored in this article: https://lnkd.in/ehDdG62W

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Do well by doing good. As leaders in business, we're constantly seeking the ROI on virtually everything. But here's the real question: Are we measuring the right things on our initiatives? .......... Too often, businesses fall into the trap of assuming a zero-sum game with spending and returns. .......... But the truth is, compounded impact is on our side when we do the right thing: ☑ Investing time, effort, and resources in people leads to fulfillment, motivation, and impact on the team. ☑ Investing in creating community with your brand results in loyalty, retention, and virality for your solution. ☑ Investing focus, prioritization, and resources in your mission creates a future state of the world that you, your stakeholders, and consumers want. ......... I've seen this firsthand. From Nuun Hydration, to Caldrea, to Kashi Company, and to SC Johnson. In every case, we did really well by doing good for the world. ......... How are you compounding your goodness as a team? #cultureFIRSTleadership PS: The facts support this hypothesis, see below 👇

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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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As we close Alcohol Responsibility Month, I sat down with Stacey D. Stewart, MBA CEO of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), for a fireside chat with the Diageo community to discuss the importance of partnerships to address the harmful consumption of alcohol.   In February, we joined forces with MADD to support their mission to end impaired driving, which has helped save nearly 400,000 lives and served nearly 1 million victims in the last 43 years. We were also honored to become the inaugural member of the MADD Network.   As part of this partnership, MADD joined Diageo’s Multicultural Consortium for Responsible Drinking, a working group established with influential members of the Black, Latino and Native American communities to explore a new approach that helps reach distinct demographic groups in the U.S. with resources and education.   Reflecting on our shared mission, I’d like to share two key takeaways from my conversation with Stacey: It’s not just what you communicate, it’s how you communicate it. An important part of MADD’s work is ensuring its message and mission to end impaired driving is broadcasted widely and part of the public discourse, so partnerships like those with Diageo North America, National Football League (NFL) and other corporations help expand their reach. There is a role for everyone to play to help end impaired driving. We discussed the importance of more individuals and organizations joining us in the MADD Network to help end this public health crisis. Interested people can learn more at https://lnkd.in/ekk8CR7Y. It was a real honor to exchange ideas with Stacey on the opportunities ahead. With our combined expertise, networks and educational resources, we are stronger together to raise awareness and help save lives. Watch this clip from our conversation:

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How will our industry change when “cord cutting” and consolidation culls the herd of subscription services in CPG? This BuzzFeed article outlines 50 different subscription box companies of all shapes and sizes which have two things in common: 1. They are a great entry point for early stage brands to reach a targeted consumer base. 2. Just like meal kit companies 7-10 years ago, they are competing in a very crowded “red ocean”, some with very challenging unit economics. In this fundraising environment, it’s safe to say that many of these 50+ boxes won’t survive the CPG Mass Extinction event of the the next two years. That isn’t to say that these boxes don’t sometimes provide early adopters with GREAT access to awesome products. I’ve been a loyal customer of Bokksu for years and as a Japan-Phile it’s a much cheaper hobby than regular tickets to Tokyo. Food for thought: 👉Which of these boxes make sense to merge together, pool resources, and share customer bases? 👉What if they just shipped out of the same warehouse and used the same packaging suppliers to reduce costs? 👉Would consumers be more willing to pay for a “bundle” of boxes instead of 5+ niche recurring subscriptions? 👉What if the subscription boxes piggybacked onto the perishable CSA supply chain and gave those early adopters more of what they want? 👉If consumers could get a single curated “box of innovation” which included all sorts of innovative products rotating from 50+ different box services, how much would they pay for it?” 👉How much would retailers pay for this consumer data, to know which innovative items they should add to their stores, and where? 👉What if there was a cool vending machine(s) in the grocery store, just like Farmer's Fridge but which could dispense innovative emerging CPG across all categories, and tapped into real time data for drop ship replenishment? Pod Foods Simon Huntley Danny Taing Ashley Nickelsen Clint Chao Flowspace Total Quality Logistics #cordcutting #innovation #cpgbrands https://lnkd.in/eSmEvG4G

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Why do Duopolies tend to dominate in so many aspects of modern business and what does this mean for emerging CPG? The news last week was that The Walt Disney Company and HBO are teaming up to offer a massive streaming bundle to complete with Netflix. It seems like a very predictable cycle unfolded here…After a few years of disruptive innovation, investors started to lose patience with negative EBITDA, which results in waves of consolidation until we have a De Facto Duopoly in streaming media. Nilesh Sharma wrote an interesting article on how this is common across many industries(link in comments)…there are so many examples: Coke/Pepsi, Apple/Android, and in national retail grocery distribution UNFI/KeHE is obvious. If not for antitrust regulations, these duopolies would more often than not eventually merge into monopolies until some disruptive force comes along to change the paradigm. 👉CPG brands: take a look at national market share in the subcategory you operate in. There is a good chance that it is dominated by two brands, and if not, there is at least trend toward this outcome. 👉Is your product different ENOUGH, to break this cycle? 👉Retailers, in any given metro market, who are the dominant two mainline grocery chains in your market by total share? 👉Are you differentiated ENOUGH from them to compel consumers to change their habits? We all have one thing in common as innovators: we’re trying to break the cycle and acquire market share from what tends to be the natural order of things. In order for us to disrupt, we need to think outside the box. Slightly better versions of what already exists won’t get it done. Pod Foods has been able to take so much national share in the past few years, BECAUSE it is so radically different from the inbumbent model…the same thing is true for ANY disruptive brand. I’ll be at Sweets & Snacks Expo this week and looking forward to seeing a lot of you there. What I’ll be looking for is the product that is the MOST different from the status quo and how we can reach early adopters with it. #disruptiveinnovation #Disneymaxbundle #emergingcpg #podfoods Flowspace Total Quality Logistics Green Spoon Sales Melissa Pashko Caroline Grace https://lnkd.in/d7dYis2C

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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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