Scott Zuckerman

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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Business Growth Resource is excited to be facilitating the sale of a growing snack food company in the high velocity salty sweet/indulgent category with proven sales, strong profit margins, multi-channel sales streams and significant new business opportunities now nearing the contract stage. The company’s 42,000 sft. Midwest-based facility has full private label capabilities, excess manufacturing capacity and caramel corn wholesaling potential. Annual sales have grown from $4.5M in 2021 to a projected $12M this year with an identified pipeline to get to $20-$25M in 2025 and to $50M in 2026. This is an exceptional opportunity to access available capacity and either expand within the high-velocity, high-potential salty snacks category or enter it quickly for the first time. Contact Larry Grossman or Lori Martinek for details, including the BGR pitch deck for this turn-key acquisition opportunity. Business Growth Resource helps growth-minded businesses become investment ready and then puts them in front of potential investors and strategic buyers with powerful decks, professional branding and polished due diligence packages. We can help you too. Visit our website and read our bios. BGR’s partners have started, funded and sold multiple successful companies of their own. They know how to get things done ... https://lnkd.in/gZwwDxGB #smallbusiness #success #mentors #investment #angelinvestors #venturecapital #snackfoods #saltysweet #popcornmarket #acquisitions #strategicopportunity #score #privatelabel #copacking #pitchdeck #veteranowned #minorityowned #womanowned #growthstrategies #managementconsultants #investors #growth #opportunity #fundraising #corporategifting #privateequity #caramelcornwholesaling #brandpower #opportunity #marketgrowth #powerbrand #SME #advisors #marketingexperts

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66% of product listings were 3rd Party!!!! Here's a stat from DCG's Digital Commerce Intelligence Index research that shocked me. When Laura Cullen interrogated data for 25 global manufacturers across Walmart, Target, and Amazon, provided by Salsify (our excellent collaborator), she discovered that 2/3rds of all the product listings were from 3rd Party sellers. Put another way, two out of three listings for some of the most frequently bought products in grocery retail weren't manufacturer listings; they were from resellers. When Laura dug deeper, she discovered that content completeness scores for those 3rd party listings were typically 55% lower than the 1st Party listings. But here's the thing: shoppers can't tell the difference. Unsurprisingly, on retail platforms, shoppers equate product listings as belonging to the brand/manufacturer even if they are actually 3rd party. So, the reality for the 25 manufacturers we looked at is that 2/3rds of the product listings relating to their products are nowhere near as effective as they could be. Visual content is how brands represent themselves online. Having 3rd party listings with ineffective, outdated, inappropriate or unoptimised content costs brands, manufacturers and resellers sales, share and conversion. There are manufacturers that are leaning into this challenge and, based on our scores, are performing significantly better than others. Topping our rankings for the 3rd Party Content Completeness Scores are L'Oréal, The Hershey Company and The Clorox Company. For other manufacturers, these scores highlight not only a challenge for the industry but also an opportunity. Those manufacturers that support 3rd parties with content optimisation will see more robust conversion onsite and, therefore, greater sales ex-factory into the resellers, wholesalers and distributors. #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #cpg #cpgindustry #fmcg #ifmcgindustry #omnichannel #digitalretail #digitalgrocery #grocery #retail #manufacturer #brand #3P #content #contentcompleteness

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Next Tuesday, I will share insights from our new Operator Forecast and Outlook Program. This webinar is free to restaurant operators and will provide a preview of the intelligence this new program offers, which spans industry financial forecasts to quarterly research into how consumers and operators are responding to the major macro-economic forces of the day. In the presentation, we will cover our forecast for the next two years, how operators plan to manage their costs and how consumers have adapted to menu inflation. I hope you can join us!

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"Hey Kendra, how's the McLane/Mable convenience program working out?" "Are you seeing success in the c-store channel?" ~ several brand owners Ever since the McLane Company, Inc. Emerging Brands program powered by Mable launched this year, brand owners have been reaching out to me left and right curious to learn more about this program. (We were one of the first brands on-boarded when it launched.) Here are some of the main highlights I share based on our personal experience: 1️⃣ McLane's Emerging Brands Marketplace connects c-stores to brands that are not currently warehoused with McLane. 2️⃣ Ordering is streamlined to match a store's current ordering process. So, while the store is ordering Fritos and Hershey's from McLane's DC, they can tack on Bon Bee™ Honey Bars (which are not in the warehouse). The process is seamless for the retailer. 3️⃣ Once an order is placed, it passes through Mable's technology directly to the brand via email notification. 4️⃣ Orders received by the brand are managed within Mable's brand portal. And yes, you can sync the orders with Shopify ---> ShipStation, etc. 5️⃣ Brands then ship directly to the retailer within 2 business days (shipping is covered by the retailer). 6️⃣ AR for the brand is easy peasy. Mable deposits payments electronically into your bank account. You will never need to chase down payments or stress about outstanding invoices. 7️⃣ No billbacks. No OIs. No MCBs. No stress. (Save these gems for when your ready for large scale distro.) 8️⃣ And one of my favorites, I love building the relationships with McLane and the c-stores. Every day we see new stores ordering from all corners of the country. It's exciting to be a part of the growth on such a personal level. And everyone benefits... 🌟 C-stores can easily order new and exciting emerging brands. 🌟 McLane can learn which brands have potential in the c-store channel. 🌟 Brands are able to test the waters in c-store before diving in with large scale distribution. 🌟 And perhaps most importantly, customers have more options, creating an exciting and refreshing shopping experience. We LOVE the program! We have filled hundreds of orders for numerous chains, and independents alike, and it is clear the momentum is picking up. Brands interested should reach out to Mable. C-stores interested should reach out to their McLane rep. What are you waiting for?! 👈😉 This model is here to stay and... It. Is. Awesome. Nadine Claeys Arik Keller #cstore #convenience #retail #cpg #emergingbrands #veteranowned #womenowned #familybusiness #sharktankproduct (yes, that's a self-portrait in the image. 😂)

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Great recap of my recent webinar with RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi by Vanessa Facenda of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. "...what happened with Netflix 20 years ago is happening with PL brands today. Netflix used to offer knock-off DVD rentals, cheap, & convenient. PL in the past offered knock-off products, cheaper. "Then Netflix began to offer a new kind of entertainment: on-demand which elevated the frame of reference to cable TV. 𝗣𝗟 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱: 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗿. And while Netflix started offering original, exclusive content, PL brands are offering innovative exclusive products... no one saw the ‘Netflix disruptor’ coming when it first emerged.” ***𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲.*** #consumerinsights #shoppermarketing #omnichannel https://lnkd.in/gcJfSrBv

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Great introduction to the inevitable advantages of using #incredo sugar-based sugar reduction solutions!

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Disclaimer: I’m not VC, but I do have a PE background. VC is not a monolith, so I’ll speak exclusively to the concept. No, it does not inherebtly corrupt brands. However, only in select circumstances does it work well in CPG and there are many very good VCs who can navigate this. It comes down to how VC funds are structured. To provide attractive returns to their investors (called LPs) they have to achieve at least one, if not a few massive outcomes (multiplying capital by the 10s and even hundreds) to make up for the inevitable failure of the others (small businesses fail a lot). Resultantly, they only invest on emerging brands that provide possible exposure to those outcomes. Furthermore, VC is really the only institutional capital available in large enough chunks to fund emerging brands, so emerging brands adopt high risk, high growth (hopefully) models to attract this capital. CPG, however, is not tech, and these businesses have all sorts of emergent constraints throughout the scaling journey, especially (but not only) manufacturing capacity and existing retail demand at emerging brand price points beyond what early adopters drive (aka crossing the chasm). The result? Bad outcomes (sometimes).

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The bifurcation of our current economy is eye popping. On one side consumer confidence spiked last month - the Conference Board's October report rose more than 11% (to a reading of 138) - its biggest one-month jump in 3 1/2 years. The last time? March 2021. “Consumers’ assessments of current business conditions turned positive,” said Dana Peterson, the board’s chief economist. Wait what? How'd that happen? Conversely you have a BLS Jolts report confirming what #jobseekers already knew - the long awaited"September Surge" was a nothing burger. Hiring rate remained steady at 5.6 million (3.5% rate). There's a breakdown on hires by industry and region in Table 2 of the BLS report (attached in comments). Check it out. You'll see : ➡ Hiring is down overall YoY by 277K jobs in the private sector ➡ The Northeast is lagging with hiring down 15% MoM, ➡ "Professional and Business Services" added 1M hires, however this was 11K fewer than Aug '24 and 4K less than was added in Sept of 23. Newsflash: Employment is definitely not in expansion mode. Also alarming: job openings remained at 7.4M - BUT the number of open roles declined by 1.9M over the year. Thats over 20% fewer open roles than a year ago! ➡ Fewer open jobs without unemployment decreasing = greater competition for what roles there are. Also worth noting: there have been 525,000 fewer quits this year so far. Definitely DO NOT QUIT unless you have something lined up - this market is straight up squid games. Recruiters claim it's the worst employment market in recent memory, and that includes 09-12 (although interest rates went to near zero by end of 2009 which spurred hiring. That won't happen again). Clearly no one at the Conference Board gauging #consumer confidence has spoken to anyone in the #greenbannergang. Nor have they applied to any jobs. Probably haven't met the hundreds I have who are torching a lifetime of savings, dipping deeply into 401Ks, or burning through HELOC money while competing with 500 others for a role that pays 20% less than their last one. On a macro - level, I imagine we'll see some revisions to holiday forecasts, especially in retail. Confident consumers spend. Thats a good sign! Yes, consumer debt is at an all time high, but that's mostly because houses and rent are stupid expensive. (context: In 2000, the median home value in the United States was approximately $119,600. Today in 2024, its $420,400. WTF?) Hopefully the rainbows and unicorns being touted by consumer confidence folks will translate into actual hiring. Otherwise the haves and have nots will continue to erode the economy from the inside out (have jobs or not have jobs). I'll link to BLS report in comments. Here's the CNBC (Cheerleaders, Nothing But Cheerleaders) source article: Also please comment on anything I missed.

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🚀 The rise of functional beverages is more than just a trend—it's a movement reshaping how we think about what we drink. 📖 Great piece by Keren Landman at Vox on why the better-for-you beverage category is surging, with the market set to surpass $200 billion by 2027. Millennials are leading the charge, consuming these beverages at twice the rate of other age groups.   🌱 This is just the beginning. The rapid innovation and demand we’re seeing are a testament to consumers seeking healthier, more mindful alternatives to traditional drinks.   🌵 We look forward to continuing to pave our own unique path forward for MAGIC CACTUS and provide consumers with a refreshing, healthier beverage that can be enjoyed by a broad base of drinkers nationwide. ✨   Link to full article below:

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Listening to JD Vance on JRE and he said something about advertising that I hadn't considered. He was talking about big pharma's television ads. "Talk to your doctor about <drug>, side effects may include...." He said, "Nobody is being influenced by those ads, so why run them?" He says they are essentially bribes under the guise of an ad spot. Big pharma pays the network millions of dollars to run these ads, and in exchange, the networks avoid running any negative news, investigation or hit pieces on these big pharma companies. Why bite the hand that feeds you? Interesting theory, sounds about right. #advertising #bigpharma #JDvance

Not every brand or brand portfolio is going to be market leader. You (and your company) need to understand that - sure, there is optimism, but realism is more real. When I was at Kraft Foods, I ran the cereal business for a bit - Shreddies, Honeycomb, Alpha-Bits, Honey Bunches of Oats...we were a sad #3 behind Kellogg's and General Mills, and just ahead of Quaker. The "challenge" our President gave me was to make us #1 - I told him that was not possible, because, it was not reasonable. Kellogg's was a breakfast business - cereal was a key for them and they would fight to the death - we would blink faster than a Tourette's convention. And the Mills would also spend more than we would ever come close to. Of course, I was not being a leader - I was not finding the creative solution (read: the one that drives sales, but doesn't cost anything). I was being a leader - I was showing the business what the business was, what it could be and how it should be run, in the context of the overall company. How to allocate our resources in the most responsible way. Realism is a pretty good guide for running a business - just wanting and wishing and hoping, will not make it so - and, one needs to remember that, if we are writing a +10 market share growth plan, who is writing the -10 share plan?

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CPG Marketing Leaders,  You know how we always say “people don’t read” as a reminder to keep marketing messages simple? And to use visuals due to “short attention spans”? That’s all true and good to keep in mind, but I think it discredits the Power of Curiosity. Where am I going with this? I’ve been thinking about what’s drawn me to what I do--use trends and insights to unlock growth opportunities-- and it struck me: a lot of it comes down to 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆.  My love of reading 📖 was instilled in me by my mom at a very young age. I was the kid who read more books than anyone else in the class 🏫. I was voted most likely to be an English teacher in 8th grade👩‍🏫. I studied English literature in college.👩‍🎓 Every day I MUST, either before I go to sleep or right when I wake up, read my two favorite political newsletters. 📱 Being Curious makes me better at my job. I Read to Learn. So, I’m Curious (shocker) about your relationship with Reading: do you love it, or do it because you feel you have to? 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱? #insights #curiosity #alwayslearning #brandstrategy

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According to demographic trends, Americans over 60 are projected to soon surpass their fellow citizens who are in their 20s to 40s in terms of income. However, many companies continue to target their brands toward younger demographics under 40. This article offers an interesting perspective, since it points out that the solution does not lie in simply shifting marketing strategies from one generation to another, as research indicates that there is a significant variability among individuals within the same age group. Therefore, marketers should focus on highlighting shared values across diverse age ranges and strive to establish "post-generational" brands.

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Doesn’t it seem every beverage category is in the early innings of a remarkable transformation? Even the largest (most sacred) packaged beverage categories are no longer safe…as carbonated soft drinks ($110B U.S. market) has been declining in volume for much of the last decade. It's my belief that consumers are moving closer towards this four-way intersection of taste, convenience, nutrition, and functionality. And functional sodas, that often have a focus on adding prebiotics, plant fiber, or botanicals to support gut health...fit right squarely in the middle of that, as the beverage category has been outpacing all others in growth over the last few years. What has always made this emerging category so intriguing to me stems from the fact that consumers can make a healthier choice without really changing a lot of their typical behavior. That’s a slam dunk in my world, but this story isn’t only being told by functional soda brands like OLIPOP PBC and poppi. In fact, I believe I’ve found the hidden gem of the entire category! In the episode, I chat with the co-founders of Mayawell about: ▪️ divine intervention behind them meeting and the inspiration behind Mayawell ▪️ product composition and why that differentiation is an important foundational brand pillar ▪️ early ups and downs that startups face when operating within nascent beverage categories ▪️ why marketplace maturity sometimes provides the clarity needed to make bold branding adjustments that bring the entire strategic narrative to life ▪️ breakdown the functional (prebiotic) soda categorical evolution ▪️ plus much more! #strategy #trends #markets #fmcg #cpg #beverages #guthealth #prebiotics #soda #sportsnutrition #supplements #hydration #water #vitamins #wellness #nutrition #health #innovation #marketing #branding #productdevelopment #retailing #merchandising #retail #grocery #business #businessintelligence #entrepreneurship Vicente REYES Oliver S. https://lnkd.in/eXZZydHy

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“None of us know the answer, and if anyone says they know the answer, they’ve probably not understood the question,” a wonderful quote from Guy Keeling, speaking at Econsultancy’s Marketing Capability Leaders Forum this week. One of the things I love about digital commerce is that I still have more questions than answers. Another thing I love is that the nature of the industry means that the answers I have are constantly changing and evolving. This does make it hard to keep up and to keep yourself, your teams and your senior leaders up to date enough that they feel capable of making timely and relevant decisions. Barilla Group is taking the step of involving their team members in digital commerce roles, helping to build the organisation’s digital commerce IQ and helping everyone see the importance of the channel to the future of retail. As target audiences come increasingly from ‘digital generations’ this depth of institutional knowledge will only help Barilla keep meeting their customers wherever and whenever they want to buy. #digitalcommerce #ecommerce #cpg #cpgindustry #fmcg #fmcgindustry #barilla #digitalIQ #institutionalknowledge https://lnkd.in/etge3x8T

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Imagine buying beef labeled "grass-fed," only to discover it was not the case. You may have paid a premium for a product that doesn’t match your expectations. 📉 To ensure you're getting what you want, look for labels that say "100% grass-fed." Unless is specifically says "100% grass-fed" the #cattle might have only grazed on grass occasionally and been fattened with corn, grain, or other feeds. #OrganicBeef #VerdeFarms #GrassFed

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