Monté Burrow

West Food Brands Indiegogo campaign will be featured on The Associated Press. I will be sitting down talking with contributors to discuss our products and mission to change the CPG landscape. When I started West Food Brands I was first black owned donut and cookie mix brand in the world. This is scary to think that this is a multi billion dollar industry and not one black person owned a donut or cookie mix brand since me. This article will discuss how I turned down VC funding in the beginning, and why my campaign on Kickstarter had been denied due to systemic barriers. My hope long-term is not only more black owned brands can start CPG brands, however other minorities as well. African Americans spend roughly 1.2 trillion dollars in the USA today, however have the highest business failure rate than any other racial group. Also, African Americans face the highest poverty rate and unemployment rates in the USA. From the beginning I tried to help bridge the cap and educate people on why people should support black owned businesses. Also debunk theories about bad customer service and quality products. Supporting black businesses statistically will actually improve the whole entire US economy by a few trillion. Let's create more jobs and build communities of hope. This press release will highlight some great information on how I am changing the CPG industry, and bringing more diversity to the baking mix industry. Follow us on the journey at West Food Brands and our Indiegogo campaign if you haven't already done so. Try our products today before the Indiegogo campaign launches once it launches you will be able to only pre-order our products. R.I.P Wally Amos- "Nothing is an obstacle unless you say it is" #ap #associatedpress #pressrelease #article #news #Sunday #campaign #cpg #diversity #food #contributor #crowdfunding #emergingbrand #Amazon #indiegogo #wallyamos #glutenfree #Baltimore #blackowned #sustainability

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Have you heard about PepsiCo program to help black owned restaurant concepts launch and thrive? “Our mission is to give Black-owned restaurants the resources they need to build and grow. We provide support to overcome foundational challenges, resources for digital optimization and programs to raise the visibility of Black-owned restaurants.”

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Big news in the confectionary industry - Mondelēz International reportedly looking to acquire The Hershey Company This would clearly be a significant move for Mondelez and would gain them a leading share in the North America market where their current brands (Cadbury & Milka) do not have a large presence. Hershey had also just undergone a significant cost cutting round, making the chocolate maker more profitable despite rising costs. As prices of cocoa and other raw materials rise I believe we will see a lot more manufacturers in similar industries coming together. #grocery #omnichannel #foodandbeverage #foodindustry #foodandbev #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #cpg #cpgindustry #fmcg #fmcgindustry https://lnkd.in/e-mDiUNr

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Diageo doubles down on non-alcoholic spirits with the acquisition of Ritual Zero Proof & now owns three of the five world's largest non-alcoholic spirit brands Ritual Zero Proof was founded in 2019, and became the #1 non-alcoholic spirits player in the US after joining Diageo’s accelerator program in 2020. Five reasons why this deal makes sense: 1) Fast growing: The US non-alcoholic spirits has been the fastest growing category with +31% L5Y CAGR. 2) Incremental: 94% of non-alc buyers in the US also purchase alcoholic beverages, spending on avg $292 more than households exclusively purchasing alcohol demonstrating the incrementality of the category to beverage alcohol. 3) High Right-to-Win: Ritual is already a #1 non-alcoholic spirits player in the US, with a strong market position and tailwinds 4) Synergistic: being a #1 player globally in both alcoholic and non-alc spirits Diageo is well positioned to build on Ritual’s current success and scale it up further leveraging its GTM muscle and category expertise 5) Close to the Core: being a part of Diageo’s accelerator (Distill Ventures) since 2020, Ritual already knows what it takes to make cooperation with a spirits giant successful, limiting risks of integration challenges Exciting times for Diageo 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘂𝘀: FF&A solves the most complex strategic problems of the world's largest FMCG companies across Corporate Strategy, Organic Growth, Digital RTM (eCommerce, DTC, and eB2B) and M&A. 14 out of the world's 20 largest FMCG companies are repeat Clients 𝗧𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲, 𝗰𝗳. 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗠&𝗔 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄: https://lnkd.in/efD5RNWX 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 & 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #fmcg #cpg #mergersandacquisitions https://lnkd.in/dXAZQ242 Pernod Ricard The HEINEKEN Company AB InBev Carlsberg Group Campari Group William Grant & Sons The Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo

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

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What changes would Starbucks need to make to pivot? "Starbucks recently made headlines with its decision to revise its annual #salesforecast as #coffee demand experiences a cooling trend in key markets such as the United States and China. The slump in in-store coffee demand has “significantly missed shareholder expectations,” states Howard Schultz in his recent LinkedIn post. “But it’s not the miss that matters. It’s what comes next.” Starbucks’ performance signals a shift in consumer preferences and behaviours and it will be interesting to see how it will recover." Read today's Coffee Intelligence article, where Sarah Eleanor Charles speaks with Winnie Yeh (Torch Coffee), Brian ClarkLegacy Coffee, and other sources about the reasons behind this decline, fierce market competition, and more. https://lnkd.in/eaH3fx3j

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I am always curious about brands with talented leaders who have shaken a segment within an industry, not just stirred. One brand’s narrative caught my eye recently is 21 Seeds, a tequila company founded by a mom who saw an unmet need in the market. After three years, the brand was sold to Diageo for $160MM. Yep, three years from zero to $160MM valuation. Wow. What a remarkable business built on a single insight. Kat Hantas’s story begins when, night after night, she gets headaches from a glass of wine while preparing dinner and a glass at dinner. Strangely, her doctor told her to replace the wine with Blanco Tequilla. Blanco tequila, silver or plata tequila, is a clear, unaged tequila made from 100% blue agave and bottled shortly after distillation. This change eliminated the headaches, but the taste was harsh. So, as an experiment at home, she began infusing the tequila with fruits and herbs. She shared it with her girlfriends, who found the taste appealing and different. Tequila is a male-dominated business, but Kat realized that more needed to be done to focus on women through branding. She wanted to create a smooth, natural tequila that was easy to drink and a low-calorie alternative to cocktails and wine. Seeding the Team - 21 Seeds The founders of 21 Seeds Tequila are Kat Hantas, Nicole Hantas-Emanuel, and Sarika Singh: Kat Hantas: Created the company after working in film for 15 years. Nicole Hantas-Emanuel: Kat’s sister and a previous entrepreneur with a CFO background. Sarika Singh: A long-time friend and previous entrepreneur. The three women believed women wanted a spirit experience that other brands didn’t provide. They also thought that their fresh perspective would give them insights missing from the established industry players. The big idea is that no tequila brand should focus on women, specifically moms. The category has ignored more than half the population! Learn more about 21 Seeds on The Marketing Sage Blogpost here: https://lnkd.in/ewJpdPBi #brandinsights #insights #research #listeningtoconsumers #branding #marketing #alcohol #tequila Courtney O'Brien Lisa Ehrlich Paul Englert Amy Hoopes Paul Mabray Katie Myers Drew Patrick Michelle Elster Joseph Roberts Robert Joseph Sarah (Twitchell) O'Leary, WSET III Jani Riski Todd Curtis

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I am incredibly inspired by Liquid Death. Some of the best advice about marketing I’ve gotten from Doug Winter: market trends and channels go in waves. Go where fewer competitors are. I’m ok with building a wine company that feels different than many others. I mean, I’m doing the whole “build in public” thing for a reason (bonus that it’s cathartic and connecting me with all kinds of amazing people). The wine industry, like the water industry, is commoditized, crowded and staid. I’m not scared that I haven’t operated in this space before. I’m building for a customer experience. And people love brands. #wine #brands #industryexperience

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Brand Love. Back in 1946 when my grandfather Milo Carlton founded Milo's Tea Company, Inc. (it was a burger stand back then called Milo's Hamburgers), he had a philosophy of always listening to his customers, using high-quality, natural ingredients, and never sacrificing taste. That philosophy, which still guides us today, has helped us build a passionate, loyal fan-base, which is why we're still here three generations later. Milo's fans come back time and again because they love our delicious homemade taste but we think it's so much more than that. It's our authenticity, consistency, and #MilosMoments of joy when they share our drinks in moments that matter - from gatherings with friends and family to that experience of delicious solitude. 😍 We've been debating how you measure delicious. You can do scientific tests on "taste," which we certainly do conduct frequently. But, having done this for a long long time, I am 100% certain that it is something that you can't ever measure in the Milo's Magic, brand love, and fan experience beyond that sip. 📏 I was reminded of this example recently when a fan reached out to share that she had gotten a tattoo of Milo's. Y'all, this is not the first Milo's tattoo. In fact, it is probably the 4th or 5th I've known of over the years. Fans show their love to us every day - reaching out on social media, calling us (where we have an actual human talk to them because we think that's just how you treat your consumers, y'all), and stopping our field TEAm at store shelves. Serving your fans - those people that make your business successful - is the Magic. And, it fuels my (and our TEAm's) purpose to know that we bring joy to the lives of Americans through our drinks. It's what we stand for - and DO - as a company, and how we treat our People. That is why we continue to work tirelessly 24/7 to deliver delicious every time and keep that trust because last I heard a tattoo is permanent and we will not let this fan, or any other down. Do you have a #MilosMoment or memory to share? Also, could use some serious help on how you define delicious? It would be extra sweet if you posted in the comments below. #DrinkMilos

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I’ve been a part of hundreds of NPD and innovation sprints throughout my career...and it seems to never fail that a CPG industry colleague asks me about my personal flavor preference. If they knew my favorite childhood pop growing up was Squirt or that I probably ate my weight in orange and lemon Starburst...it would be a silly question to ask! Even as an adult kid…my go-to powdered supplements, hydration beverages, or energy drinks usually center around citrus flavors. I’m mentioning all this because you’d think, a citrus lover like me, that I would be acutely aware of Matt McLean and his company Uncle Matt's Organic. But with the decadelong massive proliferation of products/brands across the different functional CPG categories that I deeply analyze…it unfortunately creates blind spots. Though that’s the great thing about these conversational content pieces… I get to find those fascinating individuals that are indirectly related (but pivotal) to my core functional CPG categorical focuses. And I think you’re going to love hearing Matt’s inspiring entrepreneurial story that spans a quarter-century… - family farm side hustle that grows into a national CPG brand - gets acquired by Dean Foods - buys Uncle Matt’s Organic back several years later during the Dean Foods bankruptcy Moreover, Matt explains how he "leads from the front" to push the citrus industry forward...whether that's: - helping solve the citrus greening disease challenge - organic and regenerative agriculture practices - innovation product in a "health and wellness consumer era" But these are just some of the interesting topics we chatted about in this episode... #strategy #trends #markets #fmcg #cpg #beverages #juice #organic #agriculture #leadership #sustainability #sportsnutrition #supplements #wellness #nutrition #innovation #marketing #branding #productdevelopment #retailing #merchandising #retail #grocery #business #businessintelligence #entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/gFGvzGeq

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Bite-sized acquisitions will help grow food entrepreneurs market. The question for food entrepreneurs is what segment and what added value to consider if they want to be acquired by a big food organization. #foodentrepreneurs #food #acquisitions

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Grateful & Excited: Exploring Trend Insights with Prepared Foods! I’m honored to have my article Charting the Future: Mastering Trend Trajectories to Drive Bold Business Decisions published in Prepared Foods Magazine! 🙌 This second installment of the series dives into how food and beverage processors can move beyond imitation, leveraging data and trend insights to lead the way in innovation. 🌟 A huge thank you to Prepared Foods for this opportunity to share my passion for helping brands navigate trends and create bold strategies for success. Stay tuned for the final article in the series! #CulinaryTides #SuzyBadaracco #TrendsForesight #FoodInnovation #TrendInsights #PreparedFoods #LeadNotFollow Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eat8pbQg

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Two days ago I proposed writing a guide to starting a CPG brand and the interest was overwhelming… so I’m doing it. Here’s my initial outline: CREATING YOUR PRODUCT Product Development Category Norms Product Packaging Types Pricing BUILING A BRAND What is a Brand? Positioning Statement Values Mission Statement Tagline Packaging Design Brand Identify Elements FINANCING How much money will you need? Cashflow Debt Angels / V MANUFACTURING Self Manufacturing Co-manufacturing Finding a co-manufacturer SUPPLIERS Ingredient Suppliers Packaging Suppliers SALES CHAMNELS Farmer’s Markets E-commerce Grocery and Retail Club Foodservice DISTRIBUTORS How distributors work National distributors Regional distributors Distributor watch outs MARKETING Digital Marketing Retail Marketing Other Marketing RETAIL SUPPORT Merchandising Brokers Sales Agencies What do you think? What’s missing? #cpg

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How many of you, at least on occasion, shy away from intimidating things? Admit it. We’ve all been there. I’ve been there. It’s simply human nature to prioritize things that come easy to us. To do otherwise, to push yourself outside your comfort zone, takes determination, focus, often with a goal in mind, and perhaps even some serious grit. Cathy Huyghe (CEO at Enolytics) wrote a truthful, transparent piece about how wine and data both fall into this “intimidation camp”. They’re scary to many because they’re unknowns. They’re going to take time and effort to get to a general baseline understanding, and only then can you really mature in your comprehension to where it starts bringing you value and joy. As a winemaker turned technologist, I am already an outlier. The importance of data-driven winery operations was always painfully obvious to me. In the early years of InnoVint, I was perplexed by how many modern wineries were resistant to even have a conversation with me about technology. “Why would someone leave winemaking to start a software company?” I was an anomaly. They were shocked by the career decision. The sentiment was that wine producers “don’t speak data.” Why would they need to? Today, those that are winning in wine absolutely do, and honestly, it’s an easier language to learn than ever before. During the last 10 years running InnoVint I’ve seen progress, albeit not as much as I’d like to see for the sake of our industry. There's so much good wine these days, so how do you stand out and continue to grow? You need to put data to work for you - to drive business efficiencies, to target and woo consumers in ways that have shown repeatable success, to accurately understand your financial health, and so much more. Don’t shy away. Lean in. Cathy agrees by saying “I am concerned what will happen if we as an industry continue to procrastinate around applying the most up-to-date technologies to our business challenges.” You simply can’t afford to be left behind. Put forth the time and effort to get over the first big learning hump. I promise the view from the top is quite nice, and you’ll really enjoy the pick up of pace cruising down the other side passing others by. https://lnkd.in/g_6rS8rS

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Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that offer great products and stand for something greater. These mission-driven brands have found the sweet spot between purpose and profit, creating a loyal customer base that believes in their cause as much as their offerings. But how do they do it? What is the secret sauce that helps these brands succeed?  The Rise of the Conscious Consumer A shift in consumer behavior, especially among the young, has paved the way for mission-driven brands.  As Seth Godin often points out, we’ve moved from a world of scarcity to one of abundance. In this new landscape, consumers are no longer satisfied with merely functional products; they’re looking for brands that align with their values and contribute to the greater good. This shift has allowed companies to differentiate themselves through product features and purpose. As Scott Galloway notes in his book “The Four,” the most successful companies of our time have managed to become “more than just purveyors of goods and services. They’ve become movements, causes, and communities.” Please read my post at The Marketing Sage about three companies, Tony's Chocolonely, Barnana, PBC, and Patagonia Provisions, and how they each followed a common strategy to achieve their goals. https://lnkd.in/eZp7KHwx Danny Rosin Britt Carter Tom Barbitta Yolanda Castillo Mark Velicer Jim Saunders Mike Schall Ed Zimmerman Rick Siddiqi Tom Lutz, Ph.D. Tal Yihie Rui Sousa Jillian Giometti #missiondriven #consciousdriven #consciousconsumer #branding #marketing 

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#learning and #sharing with the #icecream industry: For those who still don't believe that retail private label brands are not a threat. "Our Publix Premium ice cream and limited-edition flavors will keep you cool all summer long. Get a sneak peek of our flavors touring this summer. Whether you want something rich and sweet or bright and refreshing, there’s a flavor for everyone," https://lnkd.in/e93kiX69 _______________________ Did you like this post? -  Share it forward Want to see more? -  Follow and connect with me #icecream #food #foodandbeverageindustry #foodinnovation #frozenfood #dessert #desserts #treats #sweets #dairyproducts #businessstrategy #foodtrends #flavors #marketingstrategy #foodie #cpgbrands #cpgindustry #branding #experientialmarketing #brandactivation #tasting #sampling

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💰VC-Funded vs. Indie Brands in NA💰 I recently wrote a piece that celebrates the pioneers of the non-alcoholic drink industry. My dear friend and colleague, Christopher Marshall, is one of the pioneers I listed. He and I talk about the NA industry regularly—especially the financials, the role privilege plays in business, and why it’s important to support indie brands. We decided to have one of these convos on camera to show folks what it’s like to work in the non-alcoholic drink industry without having VC-funding. Chris Marshall is the founder of Sans Bar (the first NA bar in North America) and Sans Bar Academy (a virtual, 10-week course where people can learn the essentials of launching an NA brand, opening an NA bottleshop or bar, marketing, and much more!). He’s been in the NA scene before the NA scene was even a thing. In fact, I consider Chris Marshall to be the face of the non-alcoholic drink movement. A crown he kindly says belongs to the NA community as a whole. 👑 I’ve reported on the sober curious/mindful drinking movement since 2015. Until recently, my work focused on mental health, sobriety, liquid courage, and how all three intersect with our interpersonal relationships, all while sipping lots of NA drinks. I even wrote a book about research called Dry Humping. Now I’m on the other side of NA as a co-founder and CMO of my very own drink, (parentheses). Grab some tea, get cozy, and watch Chris and I discuss the following topics: 💰How VC-backed brands get different opportunities from indie brands 💰How much money brands (and authors!) are actually spending on publicists 💰The unique experience a customer has in NA bottleshops and NA bars vs buying NA drinks from a chain retailer 💰And most importantly, his adorable dog, Dexter, weighs in on the NA space from a canine perspective. 🔗Watch the convo here: https://rb.gy/0rqjgr

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