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Big ideas, bold flavors, and unfiltered insights—welcome to Austin, where the future of CPG is being written in real time. At Taste Radio's Austin Meetup, we sat down with trailblazers and trendsetters redefining how brands are built and scaled. From Better Sour co-founder Bella Hughes to Torchy's Tacos founder Mike Rypka and Snaxshot's Andrea Hernández, these conversations explore what it really takes to innovate, connect with consumers, and lead with authenticity in a rapidly evolving industry. Show notes: 0:45: Buyers As Far As The Eye Can See. NNE FTW. Boiler Room. Caffeine, Protein & Pole-Caught Tuna. With BevNET Live just two weeks away, excitement is building as Casey's joins a strong lineup of participating retailers, including Stop & Shop, Whole Foods Market, Circle K, H-E-B, The Goods Mart, and Top Ten Liquors. John and Ray recap the recent Naturally New England Naturally Rising event, which spotlighted standout emerging brands, including Singing Pastures and Farmer Foodie. Mike and John revisit their tour of Athletic Brewing's HQ in Milford, CT, before the hosts riffed on consumer interest in dual-functionality products and a canned tuna brand grounded in sourcing transparency. 19:23: Interviews from Taste Radio's Austin Meetup – Mike Rypka, the visionary founder of Torchy's Tacos, shared his journey from launching a food trailer to building a nationally recognized franchise. Steven Santangelo of Matriarch Wealth Management discussed how his firm helps CPG founders navigate the complexities of financial planning, particularly during critical growth and exit stages. Bella Hughes, co-founder of Better Sour, reflected on building a culturally inspired candy brand and the challenges of innovation in a legacy category. Andrea Hernández, the sharp mind behind Snaxshot, delivered an unfiltered perspective on food and beverage trends, highlighting the importance of authenticity and emotional resonance in brand storytelling. And Michelle Breyer, CMO of the Texas-based accelerator SKU, shed light on how the organization nurtures early-stage consumer brands, emphasizing the pivotal role of founder mindset and market fit in driving long-term success. Brands in this episode: Better Sour, Torchy's Tacos, Farmer Foodie, Monsoon Kitchens, Inc., Granny Squibb's, TITIN, Fancypants Baking Co., Singing Pastures, Athletic Brewing, Lucky Saint, 5-hour Energy, Ascent, Pole & Line, Fly By Jing, Siete, Wildwonder, Bachan's, Daily Crunch, Leisure Hydration, BodyArmor, Vitaminwater, NoBull
Times of chaos and uncertainty do have an uncomfortable but necessary side effect of focusing one's mind both on what is important and what is within one's control. This is certainly true in the zoom rooms and boardrooms of any company in commerce. For our guest Colin Kaster, President of Strategy, Digital Advertising, and Operations at Equity Commerce, an e-commerce agency optimizing Amazon and omnichannel sales, much of the answers lie in understanding the real unit economics of every SKU you sell and then optimizing your business around where the opportunities for maximum profitability lie.
Most Amazon brand owners blame ads for shrinking profits—but the real killer might be hiding in your inventory. In this episode, I break down the silent profit leaks that sneak past your ad dashboard but impact your P&L: slow sell-through, poor inventory utilization, over-ordering, and mounting FBA storage fees. I'll give you a practical checklist to audit your inventory strategy, including how to catch flat TACoS with falling profit, calculate SKU-level break-even sell-through rates, and stop reordering out of fear. Plus, I kick things off with: Two Amazon Seller Central News updates you may have missed this week. A quick look inside some creative projects I'm working on for agency clients. If you're ready to plug holes in your Amazon Inventory Boat, this one's for you. ⛵️ Get your free Amazon Brand Audit at www.weavos.io
On the Glossy Podcast, senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and international reporter Zofia Zwieglinska break down some of the biggest fashion news of the week. This week, we discuss the state of the luxury business through the lens of three major luxury companies that reported earnings this week. Richemont's reliance on jewelry has put the company in a good position as the jewelry sector, despite headwinds, has managed to stay afloat. Meanwhile, Mytheresa, having completed its acquisition of Yoox Net-a-Porter, now has a much larger portfolio of retail companies to manage. So far, the company has been handling it well — CEO Michael Kliger said Mytheresa's positive earnings results made it an outlier in luxury. On the flipside, Chanel has seen a downturn for the first time in a long time. Chanel has over 38,000 employees, 10,000 of whom were hired in the last three years alone. But with profits plummeting 30% last year, Chanel has had layoffs and now a hiring freeze reflecting its slumping sales. Later in the episode, we lay out the tariff playbook, a collection of strategies and methods we've heard from fashion brands about how they're navigating tariff volatility. We lumped these strategies into three broad categories: raising prices, altering the supply chain, and shifting focus to other markets outside of the U.S. We've heard from dozens of brands about all the ways they're approaching these three tactics, including sharing cost increases with manufacturers, using bonded storage to avoid paying harsh duties, lowering SKU counts, moving production to new countries and pausing U.S. orders.
This is episode one of our "Four Pillars of Amazon" Mini-Series, hosted by Destaney Wishon and Gabi Viljoen, MBA.A main topic throughout this episode is Amazon's growth from “The Everything Store” to “The Everyday Store”. With both of them having long term experience working with Amazon, they discuss the multiple shifts that shaped Amazon's commitment to better consumer experiences, the impact of post-COVID shopping behaviors, the importance of optimizing your digital shelf and leveraging reviews, and what strategies are the most effective for managing assortment, pricing, and SKU differentiation. Focus of This Episode:Amazon's shift towards targeted, everyday consumer experiencesImpact of post-COVID consumer shopping behaviors on online retailImportance of optimizing your digital shelf and leveraging reviewsEffective strategies for managing assortment, pricing, and SKU differentiationConnect with Destaney on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/destaney-wishon/ Connect with Gabi on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/gabriellaviljoen/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this special Tier 11 lab episode, Ralph Burns and John Moran pull back the curtain on a powerful new Meta ad tactic: the CAPI import strategy. Learn how to eliminate costly data duplication, master new customer acquisition cost (NCAC) tracking by individual SKU, and scale your Advantage+ campaigns using a two-ad-set system that blends testing and scaling. If you're running Meta or Google Ads and want accurate reporting, optimized spend, and smarter campaign architecture, this is the episode to study.Whether you're a CMO managing complex eComm portfolios or a media buyer navigating messy data, this one's packed with Tier 11's real-time breakthroughs—tested with their own money before hitting client campaigns.Chapters:00:00:00 - Dive Into the Latest from Perpetual Traffic00:01:06 - Meet John Moran & the Game-Changing CAPI Import Shift00:02:19 - Killing Duplicate Data: The Key to Smarter Ad Spend00:04:09 - How Advantage+ and NAC Unlock Scalable Profits00:07:11 - Inside the Lab: Strategy Shakeups and Bold Rebrands00:09:22 - Real Ad Results: Behind-the-Scenes of a Meta Campaign Makeover00:22:04 - Breaking Down Meta's New Campaign Framework00:34:19 - Creative Testing: What's Actually Working Right Now00:34:57 - Perry Belcher's Email Playbook That Still Prints Money00:35:39 - The Secret Sauce: Layering Strategies for Maximum Impact00:36:00 - Your Weekly Traffic Fix + Hot Seat Q&A Begins00:37:30 - How to Capture Distressed Seller Leads (The Smart Way)00:41:54 - Unlocking the Power of the Feeder Strategy00:43:35 - Winning in High CPC Markets Without Burning Cash00:46:16 - How Small Brands Can Dominate with Feeder & Meta00:49:58 - YouTube Meets Demand Gen: The Feeder Funnel 2.000:58:51 - Cracking the Code on Standard Shopping Optimization01:02:18 - Wrap-Up: Big Takeaways & What's Coming NextLINKS AND RESOURCES:About deduplication for Meta Pixel and Conversions API eventsMatt Apps - Executive ProducerThe MAJOR Meta Advantage+ Changes You Must KnowThe Billionaires ClubTier 11 JobsPerpetual Traffic on YouTubeTiereleven.comMongoose MediaPerpetual Traffic SurveyPerpetual Traffic WebsiteFollow Perpetual Traffic on TwitterConnect with Lauren on Instagram and Connect with Ralph on LinkedInThanks so much for joining us...
In this exclusive episode of The Voice of Retail podcast, host Michael LeBlanc interviews Karl Haller, Partner at IBM Consulting and leader of their retail and consumer products center of competency, ahead of his highly anticipated keynote presentation at Retail Council of Canada's STORE2025 conference on June 3rd.With nearly 30 years of retail experience at brands including Brooks Brothers, Tommy Hilfiger, and Karl Lagerfeld, Haller brings unique insights at the intersection of retail business and technology to one of Canada's premier retail events.Haller, who will take the main stage following fellow keynote speaker Ira Kalish, positions AI as "the biggest transformation that any of us have seen in our careers," comparing its significance to the advent of computing in the 1970s. While acknowledging the hype surrounding AI, he maintains that we're in the early stages of a fundamental shift in how retail operates—a message he'll expand upon at the STORE2025 conference.When discussing strategy during uncertain times, Haller advises retailers to focus on action rather than extensive planning: "If you've got a million dollars to spend, spend a million dollars on 100 MVPs. Don't spend a million dollars on an AI strategy project because it's going to be out of date by the time you've done it." He recommends scenario planning with clear indicators that can guide decision-making in unpredictable environments.Looking at retail formats, Haller notes that success isn't determined by format alone but by how retailers innovate within their sector. He highlights Walmart's nimble approach to technology implementation, PepsiCo's management of their extensive logistics network, and innovative approaches from companies like Unilever and Kroger.The conversation culminates with Haller identifying four under-appreciated retail technology trends:Expanding AI beyond words, pictures, and code to work with numerical data like SKU forecasting, potentially reducing forecast error rates to low single digitsIntegrating AI with other technologies like computer vision, IoT devices, robotics, biometrics, electronic shelf labels, and retail mediaDeveloping an "operating system for AI" to manage the projected billion new applications by 2028Most critically, bringing people along on the technology journey through comprehensive training and continuous learningAttendees of STORE2025 can expect Haller to dive deeper into these insights during his keynote presentation, providing retail leaders with actionable strategies for navigating technological transformation while balancing innovation with practical implementatio Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career. Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada's Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael's cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.
As the second fastest growing category within the entire grocery store surpasses 50% household penetration…have attractive fragmentation opportunities now been unlocked within RTD protein beverages? BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR) is a portfolio that owns a collection of convenient nutrition brands like Premier Protein and Dymatize Nutrition, which was previously wholly-owned by Post Holdings. A fast-paced and busy lifestyle is pushing consumers to switch to quick and healthy meal options. This has resulted in above average categorical growth rates and increased household penetration of RTD protein shakes that promote active lifestyles. Additionally, powders are becoming more mainstream, and category proliferation has created an environment where more consumers are purchasing both every day and performance nutrition positioned protein products at grocery stores and mass retailers. Bellring Brands had a strong 2025 Q2 with net sales reaching $588 million, which was up 18.9% YoY. Premier Protein (~90% of BellRing Brands total revenue) grew 22% YoY, which came from mostly volume increases. Dymatize Nutrition was up 3% YoY, stemming from volume increases within international markets and new product introductions. In response to these elevated sports nutrition competitive threats, BellRing Brands has attempted to invest further into Dymatize brand marketing and restarting product innovation. Though, I'd say neither effort has resulted in meaningful success yet. Moreover, I provide three deep dives into the functional CPG portfolio's "hero SKU families" of Premier Protein RTD protein shakes and Premier Protein and Dymatize protein powders. But my latest first principles thinking content will examine two emerging product innovation concepts that are becoming more popular (both in terms of product launches and customer demand). The first is around a richer and creamier RTD protein beverage…Premier Protein is calling its version “Indulgence” and BellRing Brands leadership noted on the earnings call that this new subline has demonstrated impressive incrementality, bringing in a considerable number of consumers new to the brand and category. Similarly, Quest Nutrition is also recently launched its “more indulgent” RTD protein beverages subline…calling it “Protein Milkshake.” But what you'll also notice about the Quest Protein Milkshake is that the protein content is much higher than the “unwritten 30 grams of protein rule.” So, now you're seeing competitors, that have brand equity will outside the performance nutrition buyer segment, start to push the upper limits of protein content. And finally, on the flipside…competitors are also testing the lower limits and seeking to attach protein with other beverage categories like carbonated soft drinks and water. So, what does this all mean? And I think there's still A LOT of opportunity to innovate within RTD protein beverages market, which will open up the category to more buyers, different use occasions, and more day parts. Doss is the first Adaptive Resource Platform (ARP). Book a live demo here.
Send us a textYou're scaling on TikTok Shop... GMV looks amazing... But somehow your profits are disappearing.In this episode, Jordan breaks down why TikTok Shop sellers are quietly bleeding cash—and how to plug the holes before it's too late. We walk through the real math behind a $100 order, the creator commission trap, fulfillment pitfalls, and platform fees that sneak up on even the most seasoned operators.This isn't just about sales volume. It's about contribution margin—the number that actually keeps the lights on.If you're on TikTok Shop or planning to scale, you can't afford to miss this one.
In just five years, The Finnish Long Drink has grown from a quirky imported concept to one of the fastest-scaling RTD brands in the U.S.—crossing 2.7 million 9L cases in 2024, up from just 33,000 cases in 2019.In this episode, Evan Burns, co-founder and CEO, shares the story of how he and three Finnish co-founders turned a legacy Finnish beverage — originally invented for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics — into a U.S. juggernaut. With 52,000 retail doors across 46 states, investors like Jay-Z's Marcy Ventures, and a growing fanbase that spans demographics, Long Drink has become one of the biggest breakout hits in spirits-based RTDs.In this episode, Evan shares:How The Finnish Long Drink grew 50%+ year-over-year through focused execution and simple, consistent brandingWhy “availability and awareness” are the two metrics that drive every business decision — and how the team measures cold box placement, displays, and social tags dailyWhy Long Drink keeps it SKU set small — and why Evan believes "flavor isn't innovation"The origin and impact of viral marketing moments — like the #PantsDrunk campaign during COVID and $5 Venmo bar activationsHow organic celebrity interest from actor Miles Teller, DJ Kygo, and golfer Ricky Fowler led to authentic, long-term brand ambassadorshipWhy Long Drink turned down multiple VC offers and focused on velocity-driven growth with strategic capital partnersHow the team grew to 110 employees, prioritizing on-the-ground brand ambassadors and salespeople over corporate hiresThe real reason Evan says they'll never make a pumpkin spice Long DrinkLast Call: This week, we explore the overlooked (and often underestimated) world of fruit wines — and why smart wineries should be paying close attention. States like Michigan, New York, Virginia, and North Carolina are growing incredible fruit beyond grapes, and making some pretty compelling fruit wines. Should they lean into it? We discuss.Don't miss our next episode, dropping on May 7.For the latest updates, follow us:Business of Drinks:LinkedInInstagram @bizofdrinksErica Duecy, co-host: Erica Duecy is founder and co-host of Business of Drinks and one of the drinks industry's most accomplished digital and content strategists. She runs the consultancy and advisory arm of Business of Drinks and has built publishing and marketing programs for Drizly, VinePair, SevenFifty, and other hospitality and drinks tech companies.LinkedInInstagram @ericaduecyScott Rosenbaum, co-host: Scott Rosenbaum is co-host of Business of Drinks and a veteran strategist and analyst with deep experience building drinks portfolios. He currently serves as Head of Search at Distill Ventures. He was formerly the Vice President of T. Edward Wines & Spirits, a New York-based importer and distributor.LinkedInCaroline Lamb, contributor: Caroline is a producer and on-air contributor at Business of Drinks and a key account sales and marketing specialist at AHD Vintners, a Michigan-based importer and distributor.LinkedInInstagram @borkalineSPONSOR: SWIG Partners is exclusively offering $100 off their supplier-distributor matchmaking fee when you mention the Business of Drinks podcast, or inquire via this link: https://www.swigpartners.com/businessofdrinksIf you enjoyed today's conversation, follow Business of Drinks wherever you're listening, and don't forget to rate and review us. Your support helps us reach new listeners passionate about the drinks industry. Thank you!
Mladostnika Hilde in Hans, ki živita v Berlinu, v zgodnjih 40. letih uživata sončna poletja s prijatelji. Oba pa sta tudi aktivna v odporniškem gibanju, povezanem s Sovjetsko zvezo, ki se bori proti nacističnemu režimu in vojni. Njihove akcije ju povežejo, zaljubita se in pričakujeta otroka, ko pride skupini na sled gestapo. Visoko noseča Hilde se znajde v zaporu ... Po resnični zgodbi posnet nemški celovečerec Z ljubeznijo, Hilde je režiral izkušen avtor Andreas Dresen, film pa je bil premierno prikazan v glavnem tekmovalnem programu lanskega Berlinala. Pripoved spretno kombinira več časovnih ravni; realistični prikaz »sivega« zaporniškega obdobja Hilde, ki v celici tudi rodi otroka, teče linearno, znotraj tega toka pa se znajdejo »barviti« retrospektivni odlomki, ki skačejo v bližnjo preteklost. Ti pasusi naslikajo nežen in negotov razvoj ljubezenske zveze med Hilde in Hansom, pa tudi notranjo dinamiko odporniške skupine, ki jo sestavljajo značajsko zelo različni pripadniki. Vzporedno z njuno zgodbo se pred nami spretno izriše freska nekega natančno določenega časa in prostora. Glavno igralsko težo filma suvereno nosi Liv Lisa Fries, znana iz serije Babylon Berlin, v vlogi Hilde, pri kateri razberemo cel spekter čustev v strahotnih psiholoških situacijah; odličen je tudi njen filmski partner, nekoliko neroden in zadržan Johannes Hegemann. Gotovo je ena od odlik dela portret njune silovite čustvene in telesno čutne zveze, ki sega prek kalvarije, ki sta ji oba izpostavljena. S tem v zvezi bi veljalo izpostaviti še eno markantno posebnost, ki kaže na scenaristično in režijsko globoko premišljeno odločitev: v filmu tako rekoč ne vidimo nasilja. Tudi zasliševalci in pazniki v obdobju, ko Hilde v zaporu rodi otroka in se sooča s kazenskim procesom zaradi izdaje, skušajo biti razumevajoči, človeški. Skušajo celo po svojih močeh pomagati ... In to je tisto grozljivo. Nacistični režim – ali pa katerikoli drug totalitarni režim – ni bil karikirana parada pošasti, ampak so ga sestavljali in omogočali najbolj navadni ljudje, s takimi in drugačnimi prepričanji, ki so tudi na vrhuncu vojne živeli svoja vsakdanja življenja, samo opravljali svoje službe in tudi v tem času so se ljudje zaljubljali in rojevali ... Menim, da je to močno podcenjena plat filma in da je njegovo skrito mojstrstvo prav v načinu, kako drsi pripoved v mirnem, počasnem ritmu kronike neke ljubezenske zgodbe proti tragediji, ki jo je možno slutiti že vnaprej. Celovečerec Z ljubeznijo, Hilde tako s svojo navidezno preprostostjo predstavlja resnično pretresljiv, brezčasen humanistični opomin.
Charlie Hoch is a former pro snowboarder turned cannabis entrepreneur, which makes him the perfect guest for 420 week. When I say pro snowboarder, while Charlie competed amongst the likes of Travis Rice and was on the podium at some big events, his snowboard career won't be what defines his existence; his success in the cannabis world will be. From developing the original ice bong to building his 100+ SKU empire today, Charlie could use snowboarding instead of having it the other way around, and on the podcast, we talk snowboarding, weed, and more. Charlie Hoch Show Notes: 4:00: His 420 plans, Wolf Creek, how smoking a bowl in the backcountry changed his life, going from handrails on his skateboard to big mountain lines 14:00: Fort Lewis, focusing on his sticker business and becoming a pro snowboarder, 20:00: Stanley: The brand that invented the category! Only the best for Powell Movement listeners. Check out Stanley1913.com Best Day Brewing: All of the flavor of your favorite IPA or Kolsch, without the alcohol, the calories or sugar. 22:00: Close calls, sponsorship, money, making a name for himself at comps, making it work with nothing, photo/video, contests, Alaska, and how does snowboarding end 37:00: Elan Skis: Over 75 years of innovation that makes you better. Outdoor Research: Click here for 25% off Outdoor Research products (not valid on sale items or pro products) 39:30: Founding the Eyce Brand, the weed business, selling his company and buying it back, the products and brands he's involved in, and who he's smoked weed with 51:00: Inappropriate Questions
Jared Smith is the CEO of PriceSmith, a consulting firm specializing in pricing strategies for distributors and light manufacturers. With a background in pricing systems from Vendavo and experience as an adjunct professor at Oklahoma State, Jared brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. He is passionate about helping companies optimize their pricing strategies to capture more value. In this episode, Jared shares his journey from Frito-Lay to leading pricing innovation in the B2B distribution space. Together, they explore the key distinctions between B2B and B2C pricing models, especially the negotiation-heavy and data-rich nature of distribution. Why you have to check out today's podcast: Learn about the differences between B2B and B2C pricing strategies. Understand the role of pricing systems in managing large SKU portfolios in distributorship. Discover how to effectively segment customers for better pricing strategies. “Invest in your master data and keep chipping away at it. Start with 80/20 of your products and get that right.” – Jared Smith Topics Covered: 01:42 - Jared shares how he got into pricing after his MBA and experiences at Frito-Lay and in B2B distribution. 02:57 - Discussion on the differences between B2C and B2B pricing, including transparency and data access. 06:06 - Challenges in understanding why customers buy and the limitations of data analytics. 12:55 - Jared explains his focus on distribution and the unique challenges it presents. 14:40 - Discussion on the relevance and limitations of cost-plus pricing in distribution. 19:17 - Exploration of how to implement good, better, best pricing in distribution. 25:28 - Discussion on whether distributors publish prices or rely on quotes for transactions. 26:33 - Jared shares insights from Uber experiences and how they relate to distribution pricing. 31:27 - The impact of customer loyalty on pricing strategies and potential risks. 32:55 - Jared's key piece of advice on investing in master data for better pricing strategies. 33:58 - Connect with Jared. Key Takeaways: “Distribution is an amazing thing. Obviously, it's worldwide. And the simple fact of it, it has two very unique aspects. The first one, a lot of SKUs. And then, the second one is that you have a lot of customers.” – Jared Smith People/Resources Mentioned: PriceSmith: https://www.pricesmith.com/ Vendavo: https://www.vendavo.com/ Oklahoma State University: https://www.okstate.edu/ Pepsi: https://www.pepsi.com/ Frito-Lay: https://www.fritolay.com/ Coca-Cola: https://www.coca-cola.com/ Apple: https://www.apple.com/ LG: https://www.lg.com/ Uber: https://www.uber.com/ Lyft: https://www.lyft.com/ Connect with Jared Smith: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredpaulsmith/ Email: jared@pricesmith.com Connect with Mark Stiving: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stiving/ Email: mark@impactpricing.com
In this episode, I sit down with Jason Bronstad, CEO of Malk Organics, and talk about the journey of not just leading a clean-label brand but rebuilding it from the inside out. Jason shares how a deeply personal career pivot led him to a mission-driven company that's transforming the plant-based milk category, one clean ingredient at a time. We get into the weeds from SKU rationalization and shelf life extension to the emotional lessons of transparent leadership and brand stewardship. What happens when your consumers call you out on social media? You listen, and you learn, and Jason shares exactly how his team responded and evolved.
In this episode of Omni Talk's Ask an Expert series, Chris Walton and Anne Mezzenga talk with Stipe Galic, VP of Business Development & Marketing at TGW, to demystify the complexities of returns in today's omnichannel retail world. From cost savings to faster reshelving, Stipe walks us through how automation, flexible software, and a unified DC setup are transforming how retailers like Urban Outfitters manage inventory and returns. Key Moments: 1:05 – Stipe's journey from mechanical engineer to automation leader at TGW 4:59 – Why returns are such a thorn in omnichannel fulfillment 7:00 – Real-time processing of returns with mixed-SKU totes 10:00 – How software decides between single-SKU and return stock 14:36 – Case study: High-end fashion retailer consolidating DC operations 19:56 – Cutting return costs nearly in half through automation 22:00 – “Bridge vs. Ferry” analogy on warehouse responsiveness 24:35 – Seamless integration > cutting-edge tech: the new mindset Music by hooksounds.com *Sponsored Content*
In this episode of Business of Drinks, we sit down with Harmon Skurnik, president of Skurnik Wines & Spirits, one of the most influential importers and distributors in the U.S. With more than $200 million in annual revenue, a wholesale presence in nine states, and import reach across the nation, Skurnik has grown into a powerhouse while holding tight to its roots as a family-run, quality-first business.Unlike many peers, the Skurnik team has never chased scale for scale's sake. Instead, their approach has been defined by thoughtful, organic growth — expanding only when the opportunity was right. From rescuing a struggling Ohio distributor to launching what would become their top-selling brand, The Pinot Project, Harmon shares how Skurnik's strategy has delivered both scale and staying power. In fact, Skurnik's sales were up in 2024, while much of the wine industry contracted — a testament to their effective operations and strategic growth path.In this episode, Harmon shares:How Skurnik Wines & Spirits grew from a two-man operation in NYC to a national player with 270+ employeesWhy they still personally taste every wine and interview every employee — even with operations in nine statesThe story behind The Pinot Project, now their #1 SKU, selling 65,000 cases and $6 million annuallyHow the team turned around a failing Ohio distributor into a thriving business in Ohio, Kentucky, and IndianaWhy the company avoids expansion for expansion's sake, and only grows where it can add true valueHow Skurnik positions itself as a marketing partner, not just a logistics provider, for its suppliersWhat makes a good distributor in today's market — and why asking "how many reps do you have?" misses the pointLast Call: We dig into a provocative piece by cocktail historian and author David Wondrich: “Why Is My Drink So Damn Weird?” (via Punch). Erica, Scott, and Caroline debate:
Hola, yo soy Arturo Salazar y esto es El Brieff, el podcast en el que te cuento lo más importante del mundo para que tomes mejores decisiones. Hoy vamos a hablar sobre la creciente tensión entre México y Estados Unidos por el agua, el jitomate y los autos. También nos vamos a asomar al frente comercial con China, la crisis en Ucrania, ataques en prisiones francesas, y un nuevo campeón del lujo.Este episodio es presentado por EVA Demand Planning de STRTGY. ¿Todavía haces tu planeación de demanda con hojas de cálculo y suposiciones? EVA es la analista virtual que transforma tus datos en decisiones confiables, usando inteligencia artificial para predecir con precisión qué, cuánto y cuándo vender. Pronósticos a nivel de SKU, cliente y ubicación, todo en un solo sistema. Menos quiebres de stock, más control. Conoce EVA en www.strtgy.ai. Suscríbete a Brieffy para acceder a estos y más contenidos de alto valor en un solo lugar. Si quieres hacerlo y recibir todos los beneficios de Brieffy, visita brieffy.comRecibe gratis nuestro newsletter con las noticias más importantes del día.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
What if your last Amazon purchase could be your next income stream? Most people use Amazon to buy. Neil Twa teaches how to use it to sell—and not as a hobby, but as a serious, profitable business. In this episode, he outlines how e-commerce, particularly using Amazon's FBA system, can become a long-term asset, not just side income. Neil explains how to think like a seller instead of a consumer, identifies key product opportunities hidden in everyday buying habits, and shares how his clients have built passive income and multimillion-dollar exits from simple product-based businesses. Whether you're new to e-commerce or looking to grow beyond the basics, this episode breaks down what it really takes to build a cash-flowing online business from scratch. [00:01 - 05:00] E-commerce is Not a Hobby What makes e-commerce a sustainable business model in today's economy Why Amazon's infrastructure helps new sellers scale without massive overhead The importance of treating e-commerce as a real business, not just a side hustle [05:01 - 10:57] What the Hell Do I Sell? How to identify product opportunities by studying your own buying habits What questions to ask about buyer behavior before launching a product The importance of shifting from consumer thinking to seller strategy [10:58 - 15:35] The $500 Toothache Rule Why people pay more for speed and ease, and how to serve that customer How to create products that solve urgent problems at higher price points The importance of targeting buyers who value quality over price [15:36 - 29:14] Profit Per Unit Over Volume How to earn more by selling fewer, higher-margin products Why expanding your SKU count is more effective than chasing volume The importance of understanding unit economics and realistic growth [29:15 - 27:04] Similarity + Familiarity = Trust How to leverage Amazon's brand trust to grow an unknown brand Why innovation matters more than invention in product development The importance of being similar to what's already selling—but slightly better Connect with Neil: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neiltwa/ Key Quotes: “Revenue is vanity. Profit is sanity. Cash flow is king.” - Neil Twa “You're already sitting on the products you could be selling—you just don't see them yet.” - Neil Twa Visit sponsorcloud.io/contact today and unlock $2,000 of free services exclusively for REI Rocks community members! Get automated syndication and investor relationship management tools to save time and money. Mention your part of the REI Rocks community for exclusive offers. Help make affordable, low-cost education summits possible. Check out Sponsor Cloud today! LEAVE A REVIEW + help someone who wants to explode their business growth by sharing this episode. Are you confused about where to start? Join our community and learn more about real estate investing.
Andrew leads Jay through the surprisingly complicated world of modular pistols—and what it can teach us about running a lean, efficient shop. What starts as a chat about concealed carry and SIG's infamous P365 series turns into a full-blown deep dive into systems thinking, SKU overload, and why bad product naming can crush your workflow.Andrew unpacks how chaos in the holster industry mirrors challenges in manufacturing. He also shares how his team is using AI and smart documentation to streamline customer service and reduce confusion—something every shop owner can learn from.
On this episode, we're joined by Carolyn Gahn who is the Senior Director of Mission & Advocacy at Applegate. Applegate has just announced that they've achieved their ambitious goal to source 100% of the beef in their beef hot dogs from certified regenerative grasslands. By implementing this change, Applegate is helping to transition 10.8 million acres of grasslands to certified regenerative. Carolyn leads Applegate's regenerative agriculture initiatives, and she joins us to share how the brand has gone from a single experimental product to transforming its entire hot dog portfolio to be certified regenerative. We explore what made Applegate double down on regen even when consumers didn't fully understand it, and how this shift reflects the brand's long-standing mission of “changing the meat we eat.” Carolyn gives us a transparent look at the supply chain complexity, the multiple certifications chosen, and how Applegate's position within Hormel is actually helping move regen efforts forward at scale. We also dig into Applegate's nutrient density testing and human health trials, their efforts to create true market signals for farmers, and how storytelling is evolving to make regen accessible and meaningful for everyday consumers. Episode Highlights:
Get ready for a jam-packed episode of the Meatgistics podcast! Jon and Austin dive into the colorful world of food dyes and their impact on our meals. They also explore the fascinating technology behind AI aging filters and how they can transform our photos. The team tastes and reviews delicious chicken brats, discusses the importance of SKU numbers for product tracking, and shares some cringe-worthy stories about finding hair in food. Plus, they uncover the thrilling news that dire wolves are no longer extinct and rank their favorite meats. Tune in for an episode full of surprises, tasty treats, and intriguing discussions!
Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupIn this episode of the DTC Podcast, we sit down with Andy Hoang, the founder of Aviron, a connected fitness company merging casual gaming with home exercise equipment. From bootstrapping with home equity lines to pivoting from B2B to DTC during COVID, Andy's journey is a case study in high-consideration product growth, investor navigation, and multi-channel marketing.Key Highlights:Why hardware/software hybrid brands require longer go-to-market timelinesThe real story behind getting into Y Combinator after years of rejectionWhy attribution doesn't work for $2K+ purchases—and what doesScaling creative production for UGC, influencer, and AppLovin performanceHow Aviron uses direct mail to connect with 45+ customersWhy expanding SKU options drives down CACIf you're scaling a complex DTC product or navigating the tricky world of funding, this episode is a goldmine of tactical lessons.Timestamps:00:00 – How Andy Hoang bootstrapped Aviron's early days02:45 – Pivoting from B2B to DTC during the pandemic05:10 – Getting into Y Combinator and what changed08:00 – Marketing a $2,000 fitness machine with no clear attribution10:30 – Why Aviron doubled down on gamified fitness13:00 – Competing with Peloton and building defensible software15:25 – Exploring direct mail, influencer, and app-based advertising18:00 – Aviron's 2025 roadmap: New products and price points20:30 – Real talk: Andy's advice for ambitious foundersHashtags:#DTCpodcast#AvironFitness#YCombinator#FounderStory#Bootstrapping#DirectToConsumer#FitnessTech#GamifiedFitness#EcommerceGrowth#StartupLife#PelotonCompetitor#MarketingStrategy#ConnectedFitness#SubscriptionBusiness#VentureCapital Subscribe to DTC Newsletter - https://dtcnews.link/signupAdvertise on DTC - https://dtcnews.link/advertiseWork with Pilothouse - https://dtcnews.link/pilothouseFollow us on Instagram & Twitter - @dtcnewsletterWatch this interview on YouTube - https://dtcnews.link/video
Jessie chats with Ruben Posthuma, Head of Sales & Marketing at Dr. Bugs Popcorn, a New Zealand-based brand shaking up the snack aisle with indulgent popcorn made for adults. Ruben shares how the business went from a lifestyle venture to a DTC powerhouse—scaling 10x in revenue—thanks to inventive flavors, smart ad strategies, and clever product development.We dive into the brand's monthly flavour drop strategy, UGC playbook, balancing DTC vs. retail, optimizing subscription boxes, and how Dr. Bugs manages to keep CACs low while fuelling consistent growth. This one is packed with gold for food brand operators and marketers alike. What we cover in this episode:How Ruben helped grow the brand 10x in 7 yearsThe strategy behind monthly limited-edition flavour dropsThe UGC-first paid ad engine that fuels Meta successHow they manage SKU creep without killing marginBalancing grocery pricing with DTC offers and bundlesSubscription product design: why less is sometimes moreThe difference between creators vs. influencers and how they use eachHow content energy > polish for ad performanceUsing product innovation to unlock new consumer “wallet buckets”Ruben's playbook for launching new products & driving retentionCRO strategies that actually moved the needleIf Ruben had to double revenue in 12 months, here's exactly what he'd doLinks & Resources: Dr. Bugs Popcorn Ruben on Twitter
En El Brieff de hoy, Arturo presenta las acciones de la Cámara de Diputados contra el INE, sanciones de EE. UU. al Cártel de Sinaloa, la cancelación de visas a “Los Alegres del Barranco”, y la aprobación récord de Sheinbaum. Además, Trump plantea un tercer mandato y un nuevo plan arancelario, Marine Le Pen es inhabilitada en Francia, y Myanmar enfrenta las secuelas de un terremoto devastador. Suscríbete a Brieffy para acceder a estos y más contenidos de alto valor en un solo lugar. Si quieres hacerlo y recibir todos los beneficios de Brieffy, visita brieffy.comPatrocinador del día: Este episodio es presentado por STRTGY Demand Forecasting, la plataforma de inteligencia artificial que ayuda a los equipos de planeación de la demanda a pronosticar con precisión en cualquier nivel de detalle. STRTGY unifica tus datos dispersos —históricos de ventas, información de clientes, inventarios, campañas de marketing— y aplica modelos de IA optimizados para predecir la demanda por SKU, cliente y ubicación. Menos quiebres de stock. Mejor nivel de servicio. Visita strtgy.ai para conocer más o escríbenos a arturo@strtgy.ai para agendar un demo.Recibe gratis nuestro newsletter con las noticias más importantes del día.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Amazon ads are getting more expensive, more competitive—and way more confusing. In this episode of Lunch With Norm, PPC strategist Elizabeth Greene breaks down what's really happening inside Amazon's ad console in 2024 and what you need to do to scale profitably in 2025. From catchall campaigns and B2B optimization to fractional DSP access and Amazon's new AI tools, Elizabeth shares advanced strategies that are working now. She also explains why most sellers are mismanaging ad spend, how to evaluate performance across massive catalogs, and why the key to growth isn't more money—it's smarter strategy. Whether you're a beginner or running a complex multi-SKU operation, this episode is your crash course in Amazon advertising that actually works. Want to know the EXACT ACoS to hit your profit goal? - https://junglr.com/growthbalanceequation/
Norėdami matyti visą podkastą spauskite čia: https://contribee.com/krepsinisnet 00:00 – muštynės ir naujas šūkis 05:20 – milijonas R.Jokubaičiui 13:48 – „Žalgirio“ pergalė Klaipėdoje 20:14 – „CBet“ nestabdo 24:22 – problemų neturėjęs „Rytas“ 26:55 – kovą davę „M Basket“ 32:11 – duobėje esanti „Wolves“ 37:47 – lemiamos rungtynės Eurolygoje 48:12 – geriausi kovo mėnesio žaidėjai 50:47 – nuvylę mėnesio krepšininkai Rėmėjų dalyje aptartos šios temos: 55:24 – žaidimas rėmėjams 58:00 – ar tikrai „Telšiai“ geriau už mažeikiškius 1:02:17 – kas bus su lažybininkais klubų pavadinimuose 1:05:00 – kovo mėnesio LKL klubų skaičiai 1:06:49 – „Nevėžio“ aktualijos 1:09:10 – G.Petrauskas „Neptūne“ 1:13:40 – „Šiauliai“ pasitaškė pinigais 1:16:24 – nuvylęs L.J.Thorpe‘as ir Ž.Skučo situacija 1:20:33 – ar M.Rubštavičius kelsis į „Žalgirį“ 1:27:13 – nepasiteisinę žaidėjai „CBet“ gretose 1:31:44 – kodėl nesipildo „Wolves“ ir ko pyksta T.Thurmanas 1:37:50 – (ne)pagrįsti V.Sirvydžio priekaištai dėl Deivido 1:43:00 – B.Manekas ir Ispanija 1:45:36 – kovo mėnesio geriausi ir nuvylę žaidėjai
Welcome to The Ecommerce Braintrust podcast, brought to you by Julie Spear, Head of Retail Marketplace Services, and Jordan Ripley, Director of Retail Operations. Today, we're excited to welcome back a familiar voice on the show—operations expert Armin Alispahic. Armin is here to bring us up to speed on a recent phenomenon in the Vendor space — the availability of true channel P&L analysis. We'll explore why this trend is only showing up now and what it means for how brands assess their business with Amazon. KEY TAKEAWAYS In this episode, Julie, Jordan, and Armin discuss: Understanding Vendor Profitability on Amazon: Two main metrics: Net PPM (Net Pure Profit Margin) and Internal Brand P&L. The hidden third factor—Amazon's internal costs (fulfillment, packaging, and shipping expenses). Why Profitability Analysis Is Becoming Crucial: Amazon is tightening vendor margins, requiring brands to have a clear view of their own and Amazon's profitability. Increase in CRaP (Can't Realize a Profit) items, making it essential to assess profitability at the SKU level. Technology Driving P&L Insights for Vendors: Amazon's 2023 API improvements have enabled better data access for vendor P&L analysis. New tools now provide automated, SKU-level profitability reports. Key Factors That Influence Vendor Profitability: Fixed Costs: Vendor terms (co-op, damage allowances, freight). Variable Costs: Chargebacks, shortages, advertising, and promotional spend. Operational Efficiency: Packaging, fulfillment optimization, and inventory management. How Brands Can Leverage P&L Insights: Smarter Assortment Decisions: Identifying SKUs that drive profitability vs. those that hurt margins. Optimizing Advertising Spend: Allocating budget toward high-margin products rather than just high-volume ones. Better Negotiations with Amazon: Using data to drive conversations in annual vendor negotiations (AVNs). Cross-Team Collaboration: Breaking down silos between marketing, finance, and operations.
Show Notes "If you talk to people that have been doing Terraform for many years, they're going to tell you that, "Terraform is the law and Terraform is the way to go." But like you said, there's different tools, I would say, or languages that you can use for infrastructure as code. And it really depends what you want to do, what your developers are used to or are comfortable with and what works with your organization as it should be with any tool in software development. You got to grab the one or use the one that is more appropriate for your use case, your scenario, your organization"— Sam Gomez Welcome friends to The Modern .NET Show; the premier .NET podcast, focusing entirely on the knowledge, tools, and frameworks that all .NET developers should have in their toolbox. We are the go-to podcast for .NET developers worldwide, and I am your host: Jamie "GaProgMan" Taylor. In this episode, Sam Gomez joined us to talk about Infrastructure as Code, why you might want to think about using something like Terraform and Bicep, and how they can help you to automate your deployments to the public cloud. Sam also talks about best practises for CI/CD and ways to test your Infrastructure as Code ahead of running it--something that we've all felt the pain of in the past, I'm sure. "Terraform has what's called validation for your parameters. So like I said, you can set up a validation that says, "the only values for the SKU for a SQL server are basic," for example. And if somebody tries to give a different value to that particular parameter, it'll stop automatically and say, "okay, this validation has failed. You know, the value allowed is this one." You can do the same thing with Bicep. So that's another added layer of protection against making these kind of mistakes and adding or configuring the wrong values in your deployments"— Sam Gomez Anyway, without further ado, let's sit back, open up a terminal, type in `dotnet new podcast` and we'll dive into the core of Modern .NET. Podcasthon 2025! One last thing before we start the episode: we're super happy to participate in the 3rd edition of Podcasthon For one week, more than a thousand podcasts will highlight a charity of their choice. And today, I have the pleasure of welcoming Andy's Man Club to the show. Throughout this episode, I'll interrupt the conversation a few times to talk about the importance of mental fitness. The reason that I've picked Andy's Man Club is because mental health support is very important to me. I've used their groups for almost two years and have had the honour of being asked to step up and help run one of those groups. If you'll forgive the name for now, Andy's Man Club is a UK-based charity which organises weekly, informal, peer-to-peer talking groups for anyone over the age of 18 who identifies as male. I'll talk more about Andy's Man Club later in the episode. Supporting the Show If you find this episode useful in any way, please consider supporting the show by either leaving a review (check our review page for ways to do that), sharing the episode with a friend or colleague, buying the host a coffee, or considering becoming a Patron of the show. Full Show Notes The full show notes, including links to some of the things we discussed and a full transcription of this episode, can be found at: https://dotnetcore.show/season-7/deploying-with-confidence-sam-gomez-on-terraform-bicep-and-infrastructure-as-code/ Music Used In This Episode This contains some copyright free music during the interstitials. Each of the pieces of music (linked below) were created by YouTube user HoobeZa, and we thank them for making their work free to use. If you liked the music we used, check out links to the pieces below: "Lounge" "Mellow" "Golden" "Release" Podcasthon 2025 This episode of the podcast contains support for both Podcasthon, Andy's Man Club, and Capes on the Couch. Please feel free to check out both projects at the links below. Podcasthon! Andy's Man Club Capes on the Couch And please remember to check in on your own mental fitness from time to time. Useful Links Sam on LinkedIn Dad's in Tech The bus factor Terraform Registry Azure Verified Modules Bicep for VS Code Terraform extension for VS Code Terraform CNCF Hashicorp Developer Website Sam's MVP profile Sam on X Sam on BlueSky Supporting the show: Leave a rating or review Buy the show a coffee Become a patron Getting in Touch: Via the contact page Joining the Discord Remember to rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, Podchaser, or wherever you find your podcasts, this will help the show's audience grow. Or you can just share the show with a friend. And don't forget to reach out via our Contact page. We're very interested in your opinion of the show, so please get in touch. You can support the show by making a monthly donation on the show's Patreon page at: https://www.patreon.com/TheDotNetCorePodcast. Music created by Mono Memory Music, licensed to RJJ Software for use in The Modern .NET Show
En este episodio de El Brieff, conducido por Arturo Salazar, exploramos la decisión de Estados Unidos de designar a seis cárteles mexicanos como organizaciones terroristas, el comentario de Elon Musk sobre ataques con drones, y la reducción de la previsión de crecimiento de Banxico para 2025. Revisamos la reforma a la Ley de Amparo en México y tensiones globales: Trump vs. Zelensky, nuevas sanciones de la UE a Rusia, planes para Gaza y cambios en la industria tecnológica. Cerramos con el libro “Insanely Simple” y una invitación para suscribirte a Brieffy.Patrocinado por STRTGY: STRTGY y su solución EVA, especialista en AI Demand Forecasting. Su tecnología aplica modelos de inteligencia artificial a datos como historial de pedidos, campañas de marketing y pronósticos del clima para generar previsiones de demanda a nivel SKU, cliente y ubicación. Conoce más en www.strtgy.ai o escríbenos a arturo@strtgy.aiApoya este podcast convirtiéndote en donante de El Brieff entrando a este link.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
En este episodio de El Brieff exploramos la polémica sobre drones estadounidenses en México y el impulso a la marca “Hecho en México”. Hablamos de la inversión millonaria de Banco Santander, luego profundizamos en el acercamiento diplomático entre Rusia y Estados Unidos, las nuevas medidas contra la diversidad en EE. UU., la crisis humanitaria en Sudán y las tensiones en las Islas Cook. Además, comentamos la salud del Papa Francisco y el récord de Santiago Giménez en la Champions. Cerramos con “Scaling Up” como libro del día.Patrocinado por STRTGY: STRTGY y su solución EVA, especialista en AI Demand Forecasting. Su tecnología aplica modelos de inteligencia artificial a datos como historial de pedidos, campañas de marketing y pronósticos del clima para generar previsiones de demanda a nivel SKU, cliente y ubicación. Conoce más en www.strtgy.ai o escríbenos a arturo@strtgy.aiApoya este podcast convirtiéndote en donante de El Brieff entrando a este link.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week on The Whiskey Trip, Big Chief visits Frankfort, Kentucky, to sit down with Jeff and Cam Mattingly of J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery and Bourbon 30—where tradition is honored, craftsmanship is respected, and every bottle carries a legacy. For nearly two centuries, the Mattingly family has played a vital role in shaping the bourbon industry, their expertise spanning nine whiskey operations and countless collaborations with some of the most respected names in the business. Jeff and his son Cam continue that tradition, refining the single barrel selection process into something truly remarkable. But their work extends beyond whiskey—they are committed to giving back, donating $10 from every bottle sold to veteran organizations across the country. Their dedication to honoring those who have served is a testament to their values and the deeper meaning behind their craft. Big Chief begins the show with Bourbon 30 at 100 proof—a pour that carries rich, nutty character with a warm rye spice that lingers on the palate. He then moves to their core SKU at 116 proof, a whiskey layered with deep, dark fruit sweetness, balanced by a spice that stays with you long after the last sip. The second half of the show is a tribute to those who have sacrificed for our nation. The 82nd Airborne expression, bottled at 128 proof, is bold and unwavering—much like the paratroopers it represents. Its spice and tobacco notes command respect, a reflection of the courage and grit required to serve in one of the most demanding units in the military. To close out, Big Chief raises a glass to another military tribute—The Combat Infantry Badge, Batch 6. At 135 proof, this light whiskey is powerful yet refined, with buttery richness, seasoned oak, honey, and a touch of smoke. The finish is long and meaningful, much like the service and dedication of those it honors. This episode is more than just a whiskey tasting—it is a moment to recognize and respect the sacrifices made by our servicemen and women. As a veteran, I extend my gratitude to the Mattingly family for their commitment to both bourbon and the brave individuals who defend our freedoms. So pour a glass, take a moment to reflect, and join us for another meaningful journey on The Whiskey Trip. Cheers!
En este episodio de El Brieff, Arturo Salazar aborda la creciente deuda pública que heredó Claudia Sheinbaum, las masivas protestas de personal de salud, la incierta negociación con Donald Trump por posibles aranceles y el lamentable fallecimiento de Paquita la del Barrio. Además, se revisa la caída del empleo manufacturero y se presenta un panorama internacional detallado: tensiones en Ucrania, un incidente aéreo en Toronto, la situación en Medio Oriente, el uso de IA en Asia, el escándalo cripto en Argentina y los resultados de los BAFTA.Patrocinado por STRTGY: STRTGY y su solución EVA, especialista en AI Demand Forecasting. Su tecnología aplica modelos de inteligencia artificial a datos como historial de pedidos, campañas de marketing y pronósticos del clima para generar previsiones de demanda a nivel SKU, cliente y ubicación. Conoce más en www.strtgy.ai o escríbenos a arturo@strtgy.aiApoya este podcast convirtiéndote en donante de El Brieff entrando a este link.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If there was a Super Bowl for convenient nutrition brands…Premier Protein would be considered the Kansas City Chiefs of the functional CPG category. BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR) is a portfolio that owns a collection of convenient nutrition brands like Premier Protein and Dymatize Nutrition, which was previously wholly-owned by Post Holdings. A fast-paced and busy lifestyle is pushing consumers to switch to quick and healthy meal options. This has resulted in above average categorical growth rates and increased household penetration of RTD protein shakes that promote active lifestyles. Additionally, powders are becoming more mainstream, and category proliferation has created an environment where more consumers are purchasing both every day and performance nutrition positioned protein products at grocery stores and mass retailers. Bellring Brands had a strong 2025 Q1 with net sales reaching $532.9 million, which was up 23.8% YoY. Premier Protein (~90% of BellRing Brands total revenue) grew 26.3% YoY, which came from mostly volume increases. Dymatize Nutrition was up 12.6% YoY, stemming from volume increases within international markets. In response to these elevated sports nutrition competitive threats, BellRing Brands has attempted to invest further into Dymatize brand marketing (i.e. utilization with NFL star running back Christian McCaffrey) and restarting product innovation (i.e. pre-workout energy powder and RTD protein beverages leveraging Pebbles cereal). Moreover, I provide three deep dives into the functional CPG portfolio's "hero SKU families" of Premier Protein RTD protein shakes and Premier Protein and Dymatize protein powders. But my latest first principles thinking content will explain my usage of that specific NFL analogy in the introductory statement. And while the most obvious connection would be that BellRing Brands corporate headquarters is located within St. Louis, Missouri (and the Rams relocating almost a decade ago it makes the Kansas City Chiefs the “local team"), a more hidden connection would be that both brands have dominated their respective “sports” of late…and much like the Kansas City Chiefs are attempting to win their third Super Bowl in a row, BellRing Brands (because of primarily Premier Protein) is hoping to reach its own version of a three-peat. And if analyzing the trailing twelve months BellRing Brands net sales activity, the brand portfolio has now successfully reached the $2 billion milestone (and is well on its way to reaching $3 billion in net sales). So, why do I believe the Premier Protein “three-peat” is almost guaranteed at this point?
En este episodio de El Brieff, abordamos cómo México encara la amenaza de aranceles de Donald Trump, el cierre de filas entre Gobierno y empresarios, y la propuesta de revocación de mandato en Sinaloa. Revisamos además las declaraciones de Trump sobre Gaza, la respuesta de China con aranceles y la absorción de USAID por el Departamento de Estado. Discutimos el tiroteo en Suecia, los 25 años de Los Sims, la visión del nuevo Presidente sirio, el auge de Palantir en Bolsa y la iniciativa de Keir Starmer con la Unión Europea.Patrocinado por STRTGY: EVA predice la demanda con precisión por SKU, consolida datos críticos y genera reportes estratégicos. Sus algoritmos avanzados mejoran la planeación operativa y el desempeño comercial. Visita ahora www.strtgy.ai o escribe a arturo@strtgy.ai para conocer más información.Apoya este podcast convirtiéndote en donante de El Brieff entrando a este link.Si te interesa una mención en El Brieff, escríbenos a arturo@brieffy.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
On this episode, we have Sara Delaney who is the Founder and CEO at Sarilla. Sarilla is supporting regenerative agriculture with its lineup of ready-to-drink spritzers that are all made with organic and regenerative ingredients. Sarilla sources the majority of its ingredients via direct trade relationships with farmer cooperatives in Rwanda that are USDA Organic and Fair Trade Certified and pursuing regenerative certification. In this episode, Sara shares how she was inspired to launch the brand to further her work supporting the people of Rwanda in their ongoing recovery from the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, and she shares how Sarilla has grown over time to find the right name, SKUs, and product positioning. Sara's personal story is one of resiliency, empathy, and community and is definitely very alive in the Sarilla brand. She subscribes to the Rwandan wisdom that “to be alone is to die” - which underpins Sarilla's social impact mission and should serve as good advice for all of looking to increase collaborative efforts in regeneration. Episode Highlights:
In this episode, host Chris Maffeo speaks to Michael Ballantyne, founder of Storywood, who joins the Maffeo Drinks Podcast to reveal how he created the first single malt whisky barrel–aged tequila—a bold step intended to convert whisky aficionados into agave enthusiasts. By deliberately pivoting from tequila-focused venues to whisky bars and events like the Glasgow Whisky Show, he discovered a more receptive audience who understood the language of oak, toast, and char. While stoking consumer curiosity with a cask-forward narrative, Michael stresses the importance of selective distribution, building momentum in key markets before spreading too thin. He explains how a multi-SKU strategy caters to varied palates—from lighter, cocktail-friendly expressions to richer, extended-aged variants—yet unifies under the “tequila meets scotch” identity. Throughout his journey, Michael has worked bottom-up—sampling events, personal brand ambassador work, and direct outreach—to forge loyal trade and consumer relationships. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview 00:29 Guest Introduction and Product Overview 00:50 The Story Behind Storywood Tequila 03:47 Challenges and Strategies in the Tequila Market 07:37 Innovative Marketing and Consumer Engagement 18:17 Global Market Expansion and Distribution 22:28 Personal Reflections and Advice for Entrepreneurs 28:46 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Etsy POD Youtuber HeatherXStudio is joining us today to discuss the top tips for Print on Demand Etsy sellers in 2025. Whether you're new to Etsy or been at it for a while now, she's sharing the insights that are helping her students hit new levels of success in the current market. **“How to Sell Your Stuff on Etsy” is not affiliated with or endorsed by Etsy.com STUFF I MENTIONED: ➡️ AI PNG and Tumbler Wrap Workshop: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/ai-png-workshop Save $50 with code SAVE50 Heather's course—Print on Demand Academy 3.0: https://lizziesmiley--heatherxstudio.thrivecart.com/printondemandacademy3/ FREE—POD Crash Course: https://studio.heatherxstudio.com/etsypodcrashcourse Heather on Social: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsheatherstudio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsheatherstudio/ Book we mentioned--- Atomic Habits by James Clear: https://amzn.to/42ju8gG Printify is the Print on Demand company we recommend: https://try.printify.com/g4zrs2pimjug Get Printify Premium FREE for 30 Days with the code: LIZZIESMILEY And save 20% on their products. ---------------------- Learn from Lizzie LOW TICKET: ➡️NEW Beginner Course: Six Figure Secrets to Getting Starting on Etsy: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/six-figure-secrets Use code SAVE50 to save $50 ➡️Trendspotting Membership: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/offers/JxNYgLnw Use code KEEP20 to save $20 on your first month Get weekly emails with current trends + 5 product opportunities (POD/Digital) ➡️ AI PNG and Tumbler Wrap Workshop: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/ai-png-workshop Save $50 with code SAVE50 ---------------------- FIND LIZZIE: Find me on Instagram and TikTok @HowtoSellYourStuff HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF WEBSITE: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/ HOW TO SELL YOUR STUFF SHOWNOTES: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/blog/165 THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY: AI PNG and Tumbler Wrap Workshop: Learn how to build a digital product Etsy shop using art created in Midjourney. Save $50 with the code SAVE50 at checkout. See more: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/ai-png-workshop Simply Listed by Cassiy Johnson: Save time with this Bulk Mockup and SKU automation tool. Get a 14 day free trial when you try Simply Listed today: https://simplylisted.io?via=lizzie *Some of the links above are affiliate links which means I'll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. You can see my affiliate disclosure here: https://www.howtosellyourstuff.com/affiliate-disclosure
digital kompakt | Business & Digitalisierung von Startup bis Corporate
C-LEVEL INTERVIEW | Von der Preisgestaltung bis hin zum Konsumentenverhalten - der Food-Markt ist kaputt gewirtschaftet! Joel Kaczmarek begrüßt Jan Bredack, Gründer von Veganz, und Josef Brunner von NutriUnited als seine Gäste. Die 3 geben einen tiefen Einblick in die Schwächen und Chancen des Lebensmittelhandels. Wie sieht die Zukunft der Branche aus? Warum setzen Händler verstärkt auf Eigenmarken, und wie beeinflussen Influencer unser Kaufverhalten? Außerdem teilt Jan seine Vision, wie Indoorfarming mit OrbiFarm nachhaltige Lösungen bieten könnte. Du erfährst... …eine aktuelle Bestandsaufnahme der Lebensmittelindustrie …wie Lidl seine Wertschöpfung immer mehr vertikalisiert …warum Lebensmittelhändler in Zukunft nur noch auf Eigenmarken setzen …wie Influencer den Lebensmittelhandel beeinflussen …mit welchen Tricks die Lebensmittelindustrie ihre Kunden hinters Licht führt …weshalb Jan Bredack mit Veganz und OrbiFarm in Zukunft auf Indoorfarming setzt …wie Nachhaltigkeit und Profitabilität im Lebensmittelhandel vereint werden können …welche Rolle datengetriebene Entscheidungen in der Modernisierung des Lebensmittelmarkts spielen Du verstehst nur Bahnhof? Zu viel Fachchinesisch? Unser Lexikon hilft dir dabei, die wichtigsten Fachbegriffe zu verstehen:Lebensmitteleinzelhandel (LEH) - Der Lebensmitteleinzelhandel (LEH) bezieht sich auf den Verkauf von Nahrungsmitteln an Endverbraucher über Supermärkte, Discounter und andere Einzelhändler.Veganz - Ein Unternehmen, das sich zunächst auf den Verkauf veganer Produkte spezialisiert hat.Asset-Light - Ein Geschäftsmodell, das durch geringe Anlagegüter und niedrige Kapitalbindung gekennzeichnet ist. Unternehmen konzentrieren sich oft auf die Bereiche Marke und Vertrieb anstatt auf Produktion.Oligopol - Marktform, bei der der Markt von einer kleinen Anzahl von Anbietern dominiert wird, die den dominanten Marktanteil halten.Differenzierung - Marketingstrategie, bei der ein Unternehmen seine Produkte von den Wettbewerbern unterscheidet, um ein Alleinstellungsmerkmal zu schaffen.SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) - Eine eindeutige Kennzeichnung für ein Produkt zur Bestandsführung. Jedes Produkt hat eine spezifische SKU, um Bestände zu identifizieren und zu verwalten. Diese Episode dreht sich schwerpunktmäßig um Unternehmertum: Denn getreu dem digital kompakt Motto "Lerne von den Besten" trifft sich Joel in freudiger Regelmäßigkeit mit den erfolgreichsten Unternehmer:innen aus der Startup- und Digitalwirtschaft. Egal ob Scale-up, Soonicorn, Unicorn oder erfolgreicher Mittelständler – in unseren Episoden zu Unternehmertum lassen dich die Besten hinter ihre Kulissen blicken und nehmen dich mit auf eine Reise zur Strategie, Entstehung und Entwicklung ihrer Firmen.
Show Notes: In this episode of Unleashed, Will Bachman interviews Bart Sayer, an expert on the beauty industry. Bart worked for nine years at the Estée Lauder Companies, most recently as the International General Manager for one of its largest brands, Clinique, managing the $1B P&L. Previously, Bart was a partner at Booz & Company (now Strategy&, part of PwC), focused on strategy and commercial transformation in the Consumer & Retail sectors. The conversation focuses on understanding the structure of the beauty market and the main drivers of value creation. The Beauty Industry Explained Bart explains that the beauty industry is divided into four main categories: skincare, makeup, hair, care, and body. The market is divided into luxury and mass segments, with luxury beauty expected to grow between six and 8% in the foreseeable future. Taking the example of the United States, mass brands are more likely to be found in drugstores, such as Walgreens and CVs. Premium brands are more available in department stores or specialty multi, such as Sephora and Ulta, and a third channel being direct to consumer. At Estee Lauder they believed that distribution defines your equity, so prestige brands are careful about where they appear, hence the careful consideration and strict conditions associated with entering a channel like Amazon. Looking beyond the NA market, Travel Retail has been an important growth vehicle for luxury beauty brands over the past decade, though this growth has tempered in the past few years. Future growth of the beauty industry will remain defined by its two largest markets, the United States and China, while up-and-coming middle market countries will also represent attractive opportunities (e.g., India, Mexico, Brazil). Manufacturing, Testing and Ingredients The ingredients in mass and prestige products can differ in terms of the scarcity or rarity of the actives, including use of proprietary ingredients and formulations. Formulation philosophies vary widely across different entities. Many brands, for example, put extra protections in place to ensure product safety for sensitive skin and/or to conduct rigorous allergy testing. Bart discusses the importance of clinical testing in product and research development, highlighting that it is a high barrier to entry for indie brands. He also discusses the evolution of more nimble production models, including the prevalence of contract manufacturers that can manufacture the latest ingredients and bespoke formulations in quicker and more cost-effective ways than many of the brands themselves. This approach is not binary, as L'Oreal has over 40 different manufacturing facilities worldwide. Before leaving the manufacturing discussion, Bart quickly hit upon another topic, that of the evolution to more earned media-led marketing models, whereby companies seize organic market buzz before amplifying these messages with paid media. Local vs. Global Adaptation The concept of local versus global adaptation is crucial in the beauty industry. Brands must find a locally relevant articulation of their brand essence. Large media companies often have global ambassadors who can speak for the brand, but if a local face is not available, the brand may not get the traction needed. To succeed, brands must be more reactive to local market trends, deploying local influencers, tailored messaging and selecting locally relevant forums for generating PR, both online and offline. Indie and Newer Brands The conversation turned to the shift towards indie and newer brands in the beauty retail industry. The reasons behind the growth of the indies include lower barriers to entry on social media channels, an agile marketing model, the wide availability of contract manufacturers, and channel partners like Sephora that are focused on curating exclusive collections of the next “it” beauty brands. Often for these indie brands, the problem is not the launch itself (recruitment), but the stickiness (retention). Many of these companies struggle with repeat purchases, which are the key to success. Sales and Distribution in the Beauty Industry Bart discussed several high growth channels, including Sephora, a leading premium beauty retailer owned by the LVMH group, travel retailer and beauty e-tailers such as Zalando and Notino. Traditional points of distribution, such as department stores and perfumeries, have seen slower growth, especially in the West (and far less so in the East). Whatever the channel, the importance of constructing good “self-navigating experience” for prestige consumers is key. Across many of these newer retailers, clean beauty is a key theme, as is green and sustainable, free of parabens, sulfates, certain ingredients and fragrances. This raises the bar for brands to prove their bona fides in terms of ingredient publishing and sourcing. The conversation then pivoted to challenges in the supply chain, including shelf life of products (especially for consumers in the East) and SKU proliferation. Demand Forecasting Robust demand forecasting is crucial for brands to succeed to avoid out-of-stock situations and, conversely, the proliferation of excess. This can be particularly problematic when trying to create buzz and excitement with limited edition collections such as those sold over the holidays. Given profit, brand equity and sustainability concerns, rands have increasingly tried to err on the side of caution in their forecasts (FOMO). SKU periphery proliferation is another issue that brands are constantly fighting, seeking a balance between getting new out there while staying consistent and building out their portfolio. Store Design and Staffing Models In department stores, cosmetics brands often have significant control over the design of their stores, including all signage, key visuals and other elements of visual merchandising (e.g., gondola design, planogram setup). Done correctly, these can be huge differentiators. Unsurprisingly, prestige beauty brands have armies of store design, visual merchandising and staff (beauty advisor) education teams. Cost sharing with retail partners – CAPEX, staffing, promo – vary by channel and partner, thus representing a critical point in commercial negotiations (along with other topics like trade margin). The Lucrative Nature of the Beauty Industry The cosmetics industry is a highly lucrative business with operating profits ranging from 10 to 25%. Gross margins can be 65% or more, depending on the brand and the type of product. Highest gross margin categories include skincare and luxury fragrances. However, there is no room for complacency, with many waging a constant war to lower the cost of goods through a combination of gross to net improvements, price increases, mix optimization, promo efficiencies and, of course, manufacturing savings. A hero-product focus is needed to get scale, thus providing ballast for marketing investments. Premiumization trade trends are continuing across categories and subcategories, with no sign of these trends abating. Timestamps: 03:30: Structure of the Cosmetics Industry and Market Segments 05:26: Specialty Channels and Distribution Strategies 07:58: Differences Between Mass and Prestige Brands 10:06: Analyzing the Cosmetics Industry: Product and Research Development 13:44: Marketing and Consumer Insights 18:33: Sales and Distribution Channels 22:49: Operations and Supply Chain 31:57: Gross Margin Analysis and Financial Performance Website Links: #1, Beauty Market Outlook: https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/consumer-packaged-goods/our-insights/the-beauty-boom-and-beyond-can-the-industry-maintain-its-growth #2, FDA Regulations of Cosmetics: https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-science-research/product-testing-cosmetics #3, Risk of Indie Beauty Brands: https://cosmeticsbusiness.com/how-indie-beauty-brands-can-break-america#:~:text=Indie%20brands%20are%20greatly%20influencing,and%20most%20likely%20through%202025. #4, Beauty and Travel Retail: https://wwd.com/beauty-industry-news/beauty-features/tackling-beautys-travel-retail-conundrum-estee-lauder-loreal-clarins-bulgari-dfs-heinemann-1236682262/ #5, Green Beauty: https://www.forbes.com/sites/meimeifox/2023/12/22/green-glamour-12-clean-beauty-brands-leading-the-eco-revolution/ #6, Beauty & Supply Chain Challenges: https://www.voguebusiness.com/beauty/new-ingredients-higher-prices-reformulating-beauty-in-the-supply-crisis #7, QVC and Beauty: https://entm.ag/1wEfOci #8, Love, Indus (company referenced by Will and I during the discussion): https://loveindus.com/collections/shop?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAkJO8BhCGARIsAMkswyiVNdA36DRltbku4DqHeLj-dAbZxAfsVOWmkyEP6Ah9bsxaNi3L4g4aAqP4EALw_wcB Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.
Send us a textAmazon sellers often face cash flow nightmares with debt and inventory challenges. Learn practical tips to manage credit lines, reduce SKU chaos, and maximize profitability.#AmazonSellers #EcommerceTips #InventoryManagement #DebtManagement Struggling with PPC campaigns? Download our Free PPC Guide and take control of your advertising strategy today! https://bit.ly/3DLhywdWatch these next:Understand and Avoid Sneaky Fees https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxlnBeDsMJQ&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_b5s-jb7KgPe-aPWP47jZIL&index=2Is Amazon's Classification System Costing You Money? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9yWfSU8wXE&list=PLDkvNlz8yl_b5s-jb7KgPe-aPWP47jZIL&index=4------------------------------------------------------Looking to grow your brand with expert help? Get a personalized quote from My Amazon Guy and let us manage your Amazon journey. http://bit.ly/3OsA7YlWant to know how your ASIN can perform better? Get a FREE video review of your ASIN from our experts. http://bit.ly/3B2qkoGTimestamps00:00 - Debt Dilemma00:34 - Managing Cash Flow While Operating on Credit01:15 - Impact of Amazon's Reserve on Businesses02:28 - Streamlining SKU Management for Better Profits04:00 - Challenges of Scaling and Introducing New Products05:10 - Leveraging Existing Customers for Old Products06:42 - Stats on New vs. Returning Customers-------------------------------------------------------Follow Us:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28605816/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpopemag/Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/myamazonguys/Twitter: https://twitter.com/myamazonguySubscribe to the My Amazon Guy podcast: https://podcast.myamazonguy.comApple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/my-amazon-guy/id1501974229Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4A5ASHGGfr6s4wWNQIqyVwSupport the show
I'd like to thank the Austin Business Journal for carrying on this decade-long tradition of sporadically mentioning Nutrabolt IPO rumors after each new major business milestone has been reached. The first IPO rumors showed up in an August 2014 PricePlow blog post…after it noticed a spike in search traffic related to Nutrabolt receiving a significant minority investment from private equity firm, MidOcean Partners. Then, at the end of 2022…I predicted Nutrabolt would go public within the next year after receiving an $863 million investment from Keurig Dr Pepper. But what major business milestone did Nutrabolt recently reach that restarted this IPO rumors heading into 2025? Nutrabolt just exceeded one billion dollars in trailing twelve months retail sales data. And you might be wondering…how elusive is that feat? Within the ingestible CPG categories of food, beverage, and supplements…there's only about 80 total brands that currently exceed one billion dollars in annual retail sales. In 2002, Nutrabolt (legally known as Woodbolt Distribution) was founded with the launch of the sports nutrition brand Cellucor. And then nine years later, Cellucor launched the C4 pre-workout product, which is currently (and has been for much of the last decade) the leading pre-workout brand globally. In early-2017, Nutabolt acquired Scivation, the maker of the top-selling post-workout recovery brand Xtend. But it was a year later when Nutrabolt made the single-most important decision in the company history to-date by launching carbonated C4 Energy drinks, which as I just mentioned essentially forced that hero SKU of Cellucor to be spun off into its own platform brand. Additionally, Nutrabolt acquired a significant minority stake in Bloom Nutrition last January…having the strategic foresight to allocate a portion of that KDP capital beyond simply fueling the energy drinks segment growth. And by all accounts a year later that strategic investment decision has paid off mightily…especially after Nutrabolt helped Bloom successfully launch its own energy drink about six months ago. And as I predicted…with KDP being impressed by the standout launch Bloom energy drinks had at Target last summer, it decided in October to sign a national sales and distribution deal with the female-forward positioned brand that began officially this month. But while Bloom might've been the first significant minority (but strategic) investment…I don't see it being the last. And that's because since that Nutrabolt and KDP deal content…I've been forthcoming on my belief that the executive leadership team is strategically focused on building a health and wellness focused version of Unilever. But while some portfolio expansion might come from internal brand (and product) development, I believe most will happen from accretive deal making that extends Nutrabolt into more key consumer-driven wellness platforms. So, my latest first principles thinking content will start by stating assumptions of the Nutrabolt investment criteria...but then explain which brands I believe could be potential fits for Nutrabolt within the attractive consumer-driven wellness platforms of healthy longevity need states like brain/cognitive health and gut health, but also protein and hydration. Potential Targets mention include: LMNT, Seed Health, Timeline Longevity, Thorne Healthtech, Neutonic, and Legendary Foods FOLLOW ME ON MY SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS LINKEDIN YOUTUBE TWITTER INSTAGRAM FACEBOOK
The Pet Shop Girls from Pet Product News with Sherry (Odyssey Pets) and Carly (House of Paws)
This week, join us to pull back the curtain on the challenges indie retailers face when working with brands. From MAP policy nightmares to SKU overload, we're laying it all out there - but don't worry, we've got solutions too! Join us as we give brands a peek behind the scenes and show them how to better support the lifeblood of the pet industry. Connect with the Pet Shop Girls! Find us everywhere: https://linktr.ee/petshopgirls Connect with Carly (House of Paws): https://www.instagram.com/houseofpawsboutique https://www.tiktok.com/@houseofpawsboutique https://www.facebook.com/houseofpawsboutique Connect with Sherry (Odyssey Pets): https://www.facebook.com/odysseypets https://www.instagram.com/odysseypets https://linktr.ee/odysseypetsdallas Connect with Pet Product News: https://www.petproductnews.com/ https://www.facebook.com/PetProductNews
In this episode of 5 Insightful Minutes, Todd Barentine, President of the Club Division at The Barcode Group, offers a behind-the-scenes look at Costco's 2025 initiatives and what it means for suppliers and customers. Todd discusses Costco's renewed focus on SKU management, treasure hunt shopping experiences, and its global expansion goals with plans to scale warehouses internationally. Key Moments: (0:30) Why 2025 is about returning to Costco's core strengths (1:50) What brands need to know about working with Costco (3:20) Insights into Costco's treasure hunt and regional buying strategy (4:50) Plans for international growth and supplier opportunities (5:50) The competitive advantage of Costco's global approach #costco #retailstrategy #globalexpansion #treasurehunt #retailinsights #retailtrends Music by hooksounds.com Sponsored Content
Aaron Biner, he originally started off selling footwear on Amazon in 2008. Eventually he pivoted to private label and is a current 7 figure seller on the platform. He currently runs his own agency Marketplace Nerd that is focused on helping sellers with consulting and managing PPC. Highlight Bullets> Here's a glimpse of what you would learn…. PPC (Pay-Per-Click) strategies for Amazon sellersConversion rate optimization techniquesImportance of understanding key metrics like TACoS and ACoSBalancing advertising budgets with profitabilityStrategies for optimizing PPC spend and traffic qualityDay parting and timing for ad campaignsPrice adjustments and their impact on salesSeasonal trends and inventory managementData-driven decision-making for performance trackingBuilding strong supplier relationships for better sourcing and pricing In this episode of the Ecomm Breakthrough Podcast, host Josh Hadley interviews Aaron Biner, CEO of Marketplace Nerd, to discuss advanced PPC strategies and conversion rate optimization for Amazon sellers. Aaron emphasizes the importance of understanding key metrics like TACoS and ACoS to make informed decisions. He shares actionable insights on balancing PPC budgets, optimizing ad spend, and leveraging data-driven strategies to enhance profitability. The discussion also covers effective pricing tactics, the significance of building strong supplier relationships, and the necessity of continuous product launching. This episode is a must-listen for Amazon sellers aiming to scale their businesses amidst rising competition and costs.Here are the 3 action items that Josh identified from this episode:Action Item #1: Understand Your Numbers: Utilize tools for SKU-level profitability to make data-driven decisions.Action Item #2: Test Different Strategies: Experiment with various approaches and analyze the results to find what works best for your products.Action Item #3: Build Supplier Relationships: Meet suppliers in person to negotiate better pricing and ensure product quality.Resources mentioned in this episode:Scale InsightsPower BISellerboardHelium 10Jungle ScoutData DiveData RoverProphecyChatGPTSeller SessionsSreenath Reddy on LinkedInStephen Silcock on LinkedInRitu Java on LinkedInSpecial Mention(s):Adam “Heist” Runquist on LinkedInKevin King on LinkedInMichael E. Gerber on LinkedInRelated Episode(s):“Cracking the Amazon Code: Learn From Adam Heist's Brand Scaling Secrets” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast“Kevin King's Wicked-Smart Tips for Building an Audience of Raving Fans” on the eComm Breakthrough Podcast“Unlocking Entrepreneurial Greatness | Insider Secrets With E-myth Author Michael Gerber” on the eComm Breakthrough PodcastEpisode SponsorThis episode is brought to you by eComm Breakthrough Consulting where I help seven-figure e-commerce owners grow to eight figures. I started my business in 2015 and grew it to an eight-figure brand in seven years.I made mistakes along the way that made the path to eight figures longer. At times I doubted whether our business could even survive and become a real brand. I wish I would have had a guide to help me grow faster and avoid the stumbling blocks.If you've hit a plateau and want to know the next steps to take your business to the next level, then email me at josh@ecommbreakthrough.com and in your subject line say “strategy audit” for the chance to win a $10,000 comprehensive business strategy audit at no cost!Transcript AreaJosh Hadley 00:00:00 Welcome to the Ecomm Breakthrough podcast. I'm your host, Josh Hadley, where I interview the top business leaders in e-commerce. Past guests include Kevin King, Aaron Cordova's and Michael Gerber, author of the E-myth. Today, I'm speaking with Aaron Biner, who is the CEO of Marketplace Nerd, and we're going to be talking a lot about PPC conversion rate optimization strategies that can help you survive the increased competition and fees on Amazon. This episode is brought to you by Ecomm Breakthrough, where I specialize in investing in and scaling seven figure e-commerce companies to eight figures and beyond. If you're an ambitious e-commerce entrepreneur looking for a partner who can help take your busines...
In this episode, we dive into the transformative world of hospital supply management with Roy Malkin, CEO of Assured Med Supply (AMS). Discover how AMS is leveraging AI to streamline hospital procurement processes, ensuring that hospitals can efficiently manage supplies and avoid costly shortages. Highlights include…The AMS AI Solution: How AMSAI is optimizing hospital supply chains, acting as an AI co-pilot to navigate complex purchasing decisions. [00:13.23]Addressing Hospital Pain Points: Tackling the challenges of managing vast SKU counts and navigating supply shortages, which can cost hospitals billions in procedural delays and inflated supply costs. [01:36.176]Vendor Relationships and Integration: How AMS facilitates better supply chain decisions, providing hospitals with alternatives during critical shortages. [07:23.126]Future Expansion and Impact: Plans for extending AMS's AI capabilities beyond hospital procurement to other sectors, potentially influencing government efficiency and saving lives during critical shortages. [28:05.932]
In this episode, our expert guest answers your Amazon PPC questions. Learn how a seller scaled from $200K to $4M during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Get actionable tips to optimize holiday sales and achieve remarkable growth! In this episode, our expert guest answers your Amazon PPC questions. Learn how a seller scaled from $200K to $4M during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Get actionable tips to optimize holiday sales and achieve remarkable growth! ► Instagram: instagram.com/serioussellerspodcast ► Free Amazon Seller Chrome Extension: https://h10.me/extension ► Sign Up For Helium 10: https://h10.me/signup (Use SSP10 To Save 10% For Life) ► Learn How To Sell on Amazon: https://h10.me/ft ► Watch The Podcasts On YouTube: youtube.com/@Helium10/videos What if you could transform your holiday sales from hundreds of thousands to millions? Destaney Wishon of BTR Media, our expert guest, reveals the art of crafting your own demand and skyrocketing sales with strategic off-platform investments, such as TV and video ads. We dissect the tactics that took one brand from $200,000 to a whopping $4 million, focusing on differentiating branded and non-branded sponsored product campaigns, and structuring these campaigns based on search intent to maximize their impact. We also break down Amazon advertising strategies for those looking to boost performance and profitability. Discover how to make the most of tools like the Search Query Performance report and Amazon Marketing Cloud for comprehensive insights into conversion rates. Learn to balance profitability with traffic through dual campaigns, explore the potential of DSP for bigger budgets, and navigate the nuances of keyword targeting. With Destiny's insights, you'll be equipped to optimize your strategies using metrics like TACoS and tools like Helium 10 Adtomic for periodic assessments. As we explore the intricacies of Amazon PPC campaign optimization, we cover everything from keyword volumes to match types. Learn how to effectively manage budgets with keyword volume, and understand the importance of automatic and manual campaigns, especially for new product launches. We also touch on the importance of influencer collaborations and product targeting to improve conversion rates in high window-shopping categories. Join us as we conclude with a special Q&A, where Destiny continues to share her expertise and engage with our community. In episode 625 of the Serious Sellers Podcast, Carrie and Destaney discuss: 00:00 - Strategies for Amazon Holiday Sales Success 00:35 - Welcome to TACoS Tuesday 06:17 - Optimizing for New Product Launch Strategies 10:26 - Optimizing Amazon PPC Campaigns for Higher Sales 16:56 - Amazon PPC Campaign Optimization Strategies 17:57 - Optimizing Keyword Match Types in Campaigns 21:14 - Influencers and Organic Sales on Amazon 27:02 - More Q&A and Follow-Up Questions Transcript Carrie Miller: In this week's episode of the Serious Sellers podcast, we have expert Destaney Wishon with us and she's answering all of your questions, and we're going to be talking a little bit about Black Friday and Cyber Monday and how one of her clients actually went from $200,000 to $4 million this holiday season. This and so much more on today's episode of the Serious Sellers podcast. Bradley Sutton: How cool is that? Pretty cool, I think, think. Hello everybody, and welcome to another episode of the Serious Sellers podcast by Helium 10. I'm your host, Bradley Sutton, and this is the show. Well, that's a completely BS-free, unscripted and unrehearsed organic conversation about serious strategies for serious sellers of any level in the e-commerce world, and this episode is our monthly live TACoS Tuesday show, where we talk about anything and everything Amazon and Walmart PPC and advertising related with different guests, and today's host is going to be Carrie Miller. So, Carrie, take it away. Carrie Miller: Hello everyone, Welcome to TACoS Tuesday. We have our expert guest here, Destaney Wishon. Thanks so much for joining us, Destaney. Destaney: Happy to be here. Very excited. I mean the chaos of the holidays Black Friday, Cyber Monday, what better time to get all your questions in? Carrie Miller: Yeah, exactly. Destaney: On our end, almost across the board, we saw Amazon's extending this holiday period, you know, taking some pressure off of their shipping for two days. So for the first time ever. You know, if we're just comparing Black Friday to Black Friday, year over year, this Black Friday was a little bit lower, but the overall holiday period was up. I don't know if consumer sentiment around shopping is higher, but sales were almost incredible and I would say our ROAS was pretty in line. We had one brand go from $200,000 to $4 million in sales month over month. It's obviously a giftable item, but it was pretty crazy to see that. So it's been really strong now. Carrie Miller: Oh, that's amazing. Destaney: Didn't run deals whatsoever. You did nothing for lead-in CPCs are up and your sales weren't that much stronger. But for the brands who leaned in, they did fantastic. Carrie Miller: That's amazing, was there a specific strategy you think that they changed, because that's a pretty substantial jump. Destaney: They did a fantastic job. And this is kind of the new topic I've been coining in my training is when you list on Amazon, you're just capturing the demand. Amazon's doing all the work. They're driving the people that are searching for your product. You're just, you know, you got a little bucket and you're capturing it. Carrie Miller: Yeah Destaney: What they did incredible was they created their own demand, so they went off platform, they invested in TV and video and they educated their customer based on why they need to buy their product. So when Black Friday, Cyber Monday came along and they typed in their search term, they stood out in the page because the customers were already familiar with their products. Carrie Miller: Wow, that's, that's pretty incredible. Yeah. Destaney: Yeah, it was insane to watch. Carrie Miller: I was. I've been curious about the tv ads and how. You know how those are going for people, so that's sounds like they. You can do a really good job with them, depending on- Destaney: 100%. We're seeing a lot of success. It's also just like rewiring your brain. I think a lot of brands are spoiled because sponsor products are so successful. But I'm like, of course they're successful, a customer's already planning on buying you. You didn't do any work, you just fit on a keyword. Like Amazon did the work of bringing people on the platform. Carrie Miller: Very true, so would you like to get on and start answering some of the questions from the audience? Destaney: Let's do it. I mean, typically these run over, so we might as well start strong. Carrie Miller: Well, yeah, okay, this is from Spencer, and he says What is considered best practice for branded sponsored product campaigns. Do you make a separate campaign for each SKU or do you make one campaign and put all the SKUs in it? Destaney: It kind of depends. Your branded searches aren't always the same, right, if someone's typing in Coca-Cola Diet Coke versus regular Coca-Cola, you can change your strategy. So we segment based off search intents. We almost always separate branded versus non-branded, like that is table stakes. You have to separate branded versus non-branded campaigns. But when it comes to lining up your SKUs, we depend on search intent. But also from a reporting perspective, it's sometimes nice to break out into single SKU campaigns because then you can look at your TACoS per brand and you can say you know SKU A is doing really well. Maybe I should increase my branded search investment on this SKU and increase my budget on that campaign while pulling back on my branded investment for SKU number two. Breaking out into single SKU campaigns as a whole just makes it really easy to control your budget distribution if you have good naming and good organized campaign structure. Carrie Miller: Daniel says afternoon. Is there a I think it's morning for me, but afternoon probably for you guys Is there a golden ratio of CTR to CVR for measuring effectiveness of ad campaigns? Destaney: I'm not going to give a golden ratio per se because it's really dependent on category. Click-through rate's also really difficult because it depends on things like pricing and reviews. So your advertising is going to be influenced by that. Same for your conversion rate, but your conversion rate. You can figure out what your category is converting on really easy using tools in Adtomic or using the search query performance report and clearly see using brand metrics. Hey, my category is converting at 20%. You should be converting better than category average, like that's kind of the standard. If you're going to increase your ad investment, you need to be converting better than category average. That being said, again, it's also dependent on search intent. Probiotics is going to be a lot more expensive than probiotics for kids back to school, right? So you can't just blanket look at your conversion rate across the board. You have to understand intent. Carrie Miller: Awesome. Okay, let's go to Joshua. He says if you came to Helium 10 from an agency and had hundreds of their old campaigns in your account, what is the best practice? Should I delete all of the non-performing campaigns and start over? I am not sure how to proceed. Destaney: Great question. No matter what software you're transitioning to or an agency you're transitioning to, we don't ever recommend just pausing everything and hard stop. It's really bad for relevancy and it's difficult for the transition. What we do recommend doing is pulling your search term report for the last 60 days. Pull out all of your keywords that are successful and build them out into the new structure that you want to move forward with using the new software and then slowly rolling those out at the same time. As your new campaigns pick up traction, you can slowly pause out your old campaigns that are maybe a bad structure or maybe they're a weird single keyword structure that you don't want to move forward with. You slowly transition them over. First thing pull all your good keywords. Second thing pause all your bad keywords. Third thing slowly launch and transition your budgets over from old to new. Carrie Miller: What are the best practices for 2025 for new product launches. What's changed? I mean, I don't know if that's in regards to that's what I would put it, as I think. Destaney: I mean I don't know if that's in regards to me, but I would put it as yeah, I think quite a few things have changed. In terms of product launches, I would say driving external traffic is still doing really, really well and something that I think needs to be leaned into. A lot of brands cannot afford the CPCs in the category on a product that has zero reviews, so any way you can use external traffic that's maybe a bit cheaper to get your reviews up before leaning really heavy into Amazon advertising is a little bit more profitable. I would also say we're seeing this transition to creative matters so much more. So, making sure your click rate and conversion rate is good with your main image, but on the Amazon advertising side, really focusing on your sponsor brands, your sponsor brands video, your headline search ads, anything that makes you stand out on the Amazon advertising side. Really focusing on your sponsor brands, your sponsor brands video, your headline search ads, anything that makes you stand out on the page, because when you're launching, you don't stand out on the review perspective, so find unique ways to stand out within the search results. Carrie Miller: My product launched in October and I'm struggling to get sales. I've been using auto and manual campaigns, spending between 30 to 50 per day on a $20 product. I've launched the product in another territory where it's selling well. So feel confident with the product and listing. Any suggestions? Destaney: Yeah, so I would say the first thing is to look at the keywords and really make sure they're the right keywords. Type them into Amazon. Do you see similar products? Once you see similar products, are those products priced at the same as you or are they cheaper than you? Do those products have a lot more reviews than you? Figure out the competitive advantage that they may have over you and improve your listing in that way. On the advertising side, it's really as simple as again looking at the keywords and trying to expand the keywords in which you have that competitive advantage and then optimizing your bids to make sure you can be profitable. The biggest thing, though, I would say, is understanding that competitive advantage. When you type in your main keyword, what do your competitors look like? What's the price? What's the reviews? Is the main image different? Carrie Miller: And the next question is from an Elite member of ours. Hi, Andrew. For SB product collection campaigns we find basically all our sales come from top of search. Is that common? Also, is it worth spending time bidding on other placements for those campaigns? Great question. Destaney: In general, I would say it is common. If you think about how the search results are set up on desktop and mobile, what is the biggest ad on the page? It's the sponsored brand top of search ad. The headline ads, the sponsored brand ads on the product detail page are typically video. It's not typically product collection, it's sometimes store spotlight and video. The only other sponsored brands that show up on page one are way down in the middle of search, sometimes the bottom of search. So this is very typical, not surprising. You can bid on the other placements. It's not going to drive a huge difference. Just know that the majority of your traffic and visibility comes from top of search because that's where all of the customers are clicking and viewing before they scroll down the page. Carrie Miller: All right. The next one is from Keith. He says my BSR is improving and my PPC is converting. However, the organic ranking for my main keywords are not improving much. Any advice on how to improve rank? Destaney: Yeah, the two biggest factors that you can then break down is sales velocity or conversion rate. So again, figure out your category conversion rate. That's super easy with brand metrics, insights and planning or Helium 10 Adtomic, it's Amazon given data, it's first party data. So look at brand metrics. If you're converting lower than your category, you're going to need to drive a lot more traffic to your category, so you're probably going to need to spend more in order to improve that organic rank. On the flip side, let's say that you are spending more than the category or driving more in the category. Then it comes down to again like improving that conversion rate. It's traffic or conversion. Those are the two levers you really need to consider. So again, traffic the easiest thing to do is spend more it's not always the best answer or improve your listing and convert better, so that way you can easily spend a little bit more. Bradley Sutton: Did you know that just because you have a keyword in your listing, that does not mean that you are automatically guaranteed to be searchable or, as we say, indexed for that keyword? Well, how can you know what you are indexed for and not? You can actually use Helium 10's index checker to check any keywords you want. For more information, go to h10.me/indexchecker. More information go to h10.me/indexchecker. Carrie Miller: Hello, 80 to 90% of my PPC campaigns coming from SBV. I see the CPC and SBV a lot lower than sponsored. I am thinking to double down on I'm assuming that's sponsored brand video and let the SP sponsored on the second plan. Would that be a good way of going? Destaney: This is. I'm not going to say this is wrong, but this is really really unusual to see because on page one there's one sponsor brand video ad, so it's very limited in terms of advertising inventory. On page one there's 15 to 20 different sponsor product camp placements, so almost actually across the board. As an agency with over $100 million in spend, 70% of sales almost always come from sponsored products because they have more real estate and inventory on the page than anything else. Very unusual. Also, sponsored brands view can get competitive really fast because since there's only one placement on page one, when everyone starts increasing bids for that placement, you can kind of lose control as CPCs go up and you're going to lose a lot of your sales velocity. So I love sponsored brands video. It's a great format, but it's very, very limited in terms of advertising inventory and you should be investing more in sponsored products. That is, across the board, the highest sales driving tactic because there's so many more sponsored product placements than anything else. Carrie Miller: Keith says or asks what is the best way to check my conversion rate versus competitors on keywords? Destaney: I would say your search query performance report is probably like one of the easiest ways as a whole to look at search query performance. It's not specifically related to advertising. When you're specifically looking at advertising, you can't compare directly on the keyword level. You can look at it at the subcategory level but you cannot see directly on the keyword level. You have to use SQP and then overlay it with the rest of your data. Carrie Miller: How can you measure the effects of having a loss leader to help bring in additional traffic into your brand or variation listing? Destaney: Great question. I would probably dive into AMC for a lot of that. AMC is going to help you understand if someone clicks on one product, do they then end up buying another product? That's the easiest way. Without that, you could probably use depending on where you're advertising the sponsor product to advertise product report to see if people are clicking on one and then buying another. That's a really easy way to justify. It's just limited to only your advertising data where, if you use the appropriate AMC report, then you're gonna be able to see all of your organic data and that's gonna help you understand much better. Carrie Miller: My sponsor campaigns are doing well when I have a lower bid. Whenever I raise my bid to try and get more juice out of them, my budget gets blown and they become unprofitable. Do you know what I should do in order to make this work for me? Destaney: There's really no perfect answer here. I mean is the balance that is Amazon advertising. One of the things that we do to help this is we'll create two campaigns with the same keywords. One of our campaign will be lower bid, focused on profitability, and the other campaign will be higher bid, with focus on sales, and we'll shift our budget back and forth. You know, 70% of our budget is going to go to profitability, 30% of our budget is going to go to the high traffic. That way we're not having to constantly fluctuate our bids. This kind of allows us to move the budget from both to maximize profitability and then, when we're done with that, it's okay, we can shift more and turn on higher sales. It's just easier budget distribution. The other things that you could look at is your bid management strategy. Maybe there's a better middle ground. Are you optimizing for placements? Are you moving broad phrase and exact? Sometimes your long tail keywords are going to be a little bit cheaper from a CPC perspective, so you're going to be able to drive more profitability from your long tail keywords. All of those additional measures are going to be hugely beneficial for the strategy. Carrie Miller: The next question is what's your take on DSP and data from AMC? Destaney: I'm going to start with data from AMC, because it is now available for everyone. Brian Lee asked later on in the chat who can use AMC. Helium 10 has actually rolled it out, so you first need to request your instance being set up, but you do not need to run DSP ads to get access to AMC now. AMC is basically analytics and audience platform that just gives you a ton of insights into your Amazon advertising data. If you're not incredibly familiar with Amazon ads, it's gonna be probably a shiny object syndrome and I don't recommend you dive into it just yet. But if you understand sponsor brands and sponsor display. The second part of this question is what's my take on DSP? DSP has a bad reputation in the space because agencies and or Amazon managed services haven't been running it well, but DSP as a tool is incredible. It's one of the most powerful Amazon advertising tools out there, I would say, if used appropriately. You do need to be spending at least $10,000 on DSP a month for it to make sense, but DSP is incredibly, incredibly powerful for brands that are ready for it. Carrie Miller: What do you recommend for Ad campaigns when you have separate listing variations. Do you recommend to merge or manage in each campaign?? Destaney: Again, it depends on search intent. In my opinion, if I have a black t-shirt versus a red t-shirt, and that's how they're variated, I like to separate out my campaigns so I can create search terms based off the variations. So I can create search terms based off the variations. If my only variation difference is size. No, not size price $20 variation, $10 variation I may not segment them. I would typically put my lowest price first because that's going to have the highest click-through rate and then lead customers to my other variations. If it's flavor variations, weight variation, something with different search intent, I recommend segmenting campaigns so you can curate your keyword experience. Carrie Miller: What is a good way to determine keywords that you are ranking for, then comparing them to PPC campaigns to determine which keywords you may not be advertising for? Any quick way to do this. Destaney: Quick way is the fun part of this question. So the biggest thing I would say is to 100% 80-28. We kind of look at if we're ranked in the top four. We're going to pull back on sponsored product spend and move budgets to our sponsored brand, so we're winning the top of search and showcasing our brand. That's our overall strategy. You can use TACoS correlation to do this. If you have a TACoS objective, you'll see that when you spend on a sponsored product ad that you're ranked for, your TACoS is going to increase because you're cannibalizing your organic sales. So you can almost use TACoS as a lever to push and pull. It's not a perfect solution but it will help. The second thing to do would be to dive into you know, using Helium 10 and on a monthly, quarterly basis, pulling probably those terms, that on average you're above number four, number eight on, and then we create segmented campaigns for ranking that we can turn on and off as needed. So I don't want to turn off that keyword as a whole, I just want to lower the bids. So I'll shift my budget for my ranking campaigns to my profitability campaign. So I'm still running, but I'm not showing up in the top four sponsored ad placements. Carrie Miller: Jason says what is an optimal amount of keywords per exact campaign. I started with 15 or so, but as keyword harvesting creates new targets, the list has grown quite a bit. Break them into new campaigns question. Destaney: Absolutely I personally don't love harvesting new keywords into an old campaign because it's going change the performance of your old campaign right. If you have 10 new keywords that aren't proven, then your overall campaign may stop, start performing worse. So 15 is a great number. This is one of those fun like depending on what influencer you follow in the space, you're going to get a different number. It's really dependent on your budget. You know we've had brands that are spending a million dollars a month and they're able to have 100 keywords in a campaign because their campaigns had a thousand dollar budget. So we could afford from a budget perspective to drive traffic to every keyword. If you don't have that budget and you're only at $100 a month or a day, then you're going to need a lot smaller group of keywords to make sure you're collecting data on those keywords. So start with 15, maybe go to 20 to 30, depending on how high you want your budget to be, but then always break them out to new campaigns past that point. Carrie Miller: Are exact keywords generally expensive than broad? What, according to you, is the right mix of keywords, match type within a campaign and how many can should be added? Destaney: This is a fun one. There's a ton of misconceptions around this. In my opinion it just depends, because it's an auction model. If someone is bidding more on their exact match term than they are their phrase match, then maybe your exact match keywords are more expensive because your competitor is bidding more. We test all three match types across the board. They all three run in a very similar ACoS or ROAS because we control the bids to what's converting best at that certain point in time. I think for us, phrase match is one of our highest selling match types right now because broad sometimes goes too broad and doesn't convert as well. Exact match typically converts the best but can be the most expensive. If we're in a category where our competitors are bidding a lot more on exact, highly recommend running all three. Later on, someone asks can you put them all in the same campaign? You can. It's not necessarily going to hurt. We break ours up most of the time. There's instances where we won't, just so I can control again where my budget's going. But we continue to test every single keyword and every single match type and then just negate and or pause or lower bids depending on the performance in the CBCs. Carrie Miller: I recently launched, about two weeks ago. I'm running an automatic and manual campaign. Is there any other campaigns I should be running? Destaney: No, I'd say that's fine unless you have a really high budget and look at maybe video or sponsored brands. Those are going to do really well for you. It's unique advertising inventory but considering it's only been two weeks, I think an auto and a manual is good. An auto is going to be used for keyword research and data collection for you. Use your manual campaign to really control where your traffic's going and then just continue adding those automatic keywords you're finding into your manual campaign. Carrie Miller: Mike says, I'm in a category where there's a lot of window shopping, so my advertising spend is high as lots of clicks, no and low sales. Long tail keywords have low traffic and the keywords with higher search volume are very general, expensive and saturated by competitors. Any other strategies to consider? Destaney: Yeah, I would say, like the home decor, apparel, puzzles those categories can be really difficult because of the window shopping. So you got to think how do you stop someone from window shopping? Video does really really well because then you're educating them on why your product's better and why they're interested. And the good thing with sponsor brands video is if they're just watching the video you don't get charged. You only get charged if they clicked, and if they click they're interested. But again, I'd put this back on you to ask why are people clicking on your listing but not buying? Like even in high window shopping categories, you need to have a competitive advantage. The second thing I would say is product targeting, sponsor product product targeting, sponsor display product targeting can do really well. Target all of the competitors who have lower reviews than you, a higher price point than you, worse reviews than you. These do really well in window shopping categories because, as you mentioned, people are looking at competitors and then clicking on other listings and other listings. So this is a good opportunity to kind of take advantage of that mentality. Carrie Miller: Would you also say influencers are probably really the best way for those particular categories. Destaney: Yeah, I think influencers do really well because they're again, it's the same as the video concept. You don't want to just capture the demand and be compared to every other product in your category by price or reviews, which is what Amazon's known for. How do you educate a customer on why they need your product before they even click? Influencers, video ads, off-platform traffic does that job. Carrie Miller: Do you think Amazon rewards or gives more ranked juice for organic sales more than PPC sales, or do they treat them the same? Destaney: I would probably say more to organic sales. This is why your big retail brands your Johnson and Johnson's, your Pepsi or Coke's can get away with having listings that maybe aren't as fantastic because their organic conversion rate is so much higher, right? Even before they were spending a ton like seven years ago when I got started in this space those brands did so well because their conversion rate was higher. Customers were searching for their brand name and buying right, so their organic is already inflated and doing much better. Nowadays, PPC of course plays a role, but Amazon knows that they're going to max out on how much PPC opportunity they can have within the search results, so I think organic is weighted a little bit heavier in terms of conversion rate and click-through rate. Carrie Miller: Do you ever increase budget on a PPC campaign, even if it isn't maxing out? Destaney: It doesn't hurt. I don't think it necessarily helps. It can. I've seen a few people kind of make statements like I ran a campaign at $50 a day budget and it did nothing. When I increased it to $500 a day it did something. I've never really seen that, but it doesn't hurt anything. Carrie Miller: Joshua says wait. So I thought it was best practice to segment campaigns, as in keywords and such, to determine the performance. So is it best practice to clump keywords together for campaigns in groups of 10 to 15? Destaney: It doesn't really matter. Single keyword campaigns are okay, they don't hurt, but they're a pain to scale. We have brands that have 500 keywords doing well, so I'm not going to create 500 campaigns when it doesn't drive that much added value. We do 10 to 15 because it's controllable, it's easy to scale, it's easy for us to build out. Because it's controllable, it's easy to scale, it's easy for us to build out. In an absolutely perfect world, single keyword campaigns could be the best solution, the most value added, because you can do your placements at the same time, but they're not scalable for most people. Most people don't have the operations to run it appropriately and the software's out there that are recommending single keyword campaigns have a really terrible bid management strategy that doesn't make sense for them. So I would say if you're a small brand, only have one product, go ahead and run single keyword campaigns if you want. Just make sure you have a good system for naming and structuring. Carrie Miller: This is a good question. If you're new to Helium 10 Adtomic, what's the best place to start? I feel overwhelmed by the complexity of the system. Destaney: I would start by saying that that is the nature of Amazon and Amazon probably going to feel overwhelmed. So the biggest thing is to actually go through, like the videos that are directly within Adtomic. Like that's what I would say one of your best bets and start learning each piece individually. That's something that I kind of got overwhelmed with, like in the beginning. Keyword research and bid management that should be our core focus when it comes to advertising. So go through those segmented videos and help yourself understand the system that way. Do you have anything else, Carrie? Carrie Miller: Yeah, I mean we do have kind of a PPC Academy. If you are a paid subscriber to Helium 10, you can go into that course. But Bradley also has done some. He did some masterclasses on Adtomic and then there's also kind of learn videos, like you were saying, just like watch those little videos for each different thing within the actual tools. There's kind of little training videos. I would suggest doing that. We also have it in our academy. We have videos in our academy that show you how to use Adtomic. Destaney: General, it just takes time and, to not get overwhelmed, you have to hop in and you have to test and learn. By the time you learn something Amazon will change some button or some switch. So don't get overwhelmed by like. We have incredible comments and questions that are being asked that I would say are pretty advanced here. So, like, don't get overwhelmed by all of that. Just start simple, start small and you'll figure it out as you go. Carrie Miller: I think we'll do maybe one more here. I think this is a good one. I use Cerebro to extract keywords from competitors ASINs and then include those as exact and phrase match within the same campaign. As a result, my campaign sometimes ends up with 500 plus keywords. Is this approach okay, or should I create smaller, more segmented campaigns? Destaney: I'm going to assume what's happening with your 500 plus keywords is only 10 of them are actually getting impressions and clicks. That is the problem with that strategy. Unless you have a thousand dollar a day budget, you cannot afford the data across all those keywords. And what I mean by that is the industry standard is you need anywhere from 10 to 20 clicks per keyword before knowing whether or not it's a keyword that can be optimized right. So let's say 10 clicks at a $1 bid across 500 keywords. I can't do that math. What is 500 times $10? Like 5000? Carrie Miller: Yeah. Destaney: Please, you guys I just got the zeros. This is one of those memes I was like what is the most embarrassing thing you typed into your Amazon or your calculator this year? I was about to say you cannot afford to collect data on all those keywords. You're going way too big and you're going to have campaigns that only have 5 to 10 keywords getting clicks, because that's where all of your budget's going. Your budget's only going to go to those keywords. Amazon's not going to spread it across all of your keywords. So there's no point in doing any of that keyword research when 480 of those keywords you cannot afford to get impressions on. That is why we break them out in a segmented campaign. So I can have a $10 campaign focus on one to two keywords, collecting data. I can turn on and off as my keywords are successful versus your 500. Again, you can't necessarily afford it unless you're going to be spending 5 to $10,000 to collect data on all of those terms. Carrie Miller: All right, I think that's the last question. I think you've done an amazing job for pretty much 45 minutes straight answering questions. So thank you. And Andrew says Destaney is the GOAT. And then Cory said “Agreed, this is awesome!”. So thank you so much for joining us for TACoS Tuesday and thank you to everyone in the audience. We had lots of I mean, we still have questions we haven't answered. I'm sorry about that. We just don't have time to do all of them every single time, but if you join next time early, you can get your questions in early, right when we start and get them answered. But thanks again for everyone who joined and also Destaney. If anyone wants to reach you, where can they reach you? Destaney: Facebook or LinkedIn is probably the easiest. I see a few like good questions that came in last minute. Cory Benson, like all of my content is pretty much on LinkedIn, based around your question, so feel free to follow me on either of those platforms or reach out in the Helium 10 groups. I'm pretty active in those groups, so if you have any questions that we missed, we'd love to hop in and help. Carrie Miller: Yeah, if you're not following Destaney on LinkedIn, you're missing out, so you got to go go follow her there. So, all right, thank you again, and we'll see you all again next time on TACoS Tuesday.
Join us for the official launch of the Pro Plus Plan, coming out of beta on January 2nd, 2025! Learn about its game-changing features, including automatic listing creation in seconds with up to 6 images, auto-delist functionality, and powerful Poshmark tools like sharing, managing followers, sending offers, and more. We'll also showcase the new SKU auto-generation system, printable SKU labels, and advanced tools designed to streamline your reselling business like never before. The Seller Community Podcast from List Perfectly is the e-commerce resource for the seller community across all platforms and a hub for information on growing your business. Find out more at thesellercommunitypodcast.com, leave a message, or ask a question at anchor.fm/sellercommunitypodcast, or email us at podcast@listperfectly.com.
In Episode 348 of Acquisitions Anonymous, we dive into a fascinating e-commerce deal: an Amazon FBA health and wellness supplements business. This business generates over $1M in annual EBITDA while operating just 15 hours a week. With its concentrated revenue from three SKUs and heavy reliance on Amazon as a channel, we explore the risks and rewards of acquiring such a focused operation.