Steven Michael Navas

Today’s modern consumers – especially women – are more multifaceted than ever before. How can brands break through? According to Cristina Wells, SVP Marketing, Subway, it's about delivering content and engaging guests in a much more meaningful way. "Consumer needs must be at the center of everything we do." For more insights check out the full webinar, Women Leaders Redefining Restaurant Marketing: https://okt.to/htPMeG #restaurantmarketing #subway #womeninleadership

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Talk about a sweet (and salty) deal! 👆Continues the trend of focusing on strengths for growth in CPG M&A. It's official: Mars will be acquiring Kellanova for $35.9B per the statement on Mars.com. The combined brand portfolios will give Mars substantially greater presence in snacking and confectionary as well as granola/cereal bars. They are building on a solid foundation with equally strong addition: This is less than a year after Kellogg Co. split and only a few months since Kellanova ramped up their commercial activities from merchandising to pack size to a feature movies to forecast an organic 3% lift in sales this year. Brands have been optimizing their portfolios, adding brands to their focus categories while ditching those that aren't delivering: The J.M. Smucker Co. sold Crisco (B&G Foods) and several pet brands to Post Consumer Brands along with other sales while acquiring Hostess Brands. B&G Foods Inc. picked up Crisco from is considering divesting Green Giant after sales dropped 16.9% Post has also acquired some cereal brands, combined with their pet purchases contributed a 23% sales lift in Q2. Having a greater presence in their target categories helps brands hold and/or gain their share, especially private label. The consolidated power and budgets make it more difficult for emerging brands to compete. Makes it especially important that: 1) use social & in-store to build brand/community and inspire/add value 2) ensure packaging both pops on shelf AND is easy for consumers to read 3) leverage retailer programs for increased discovery & trial via secondary locations, flyers, loyalty program points etc 4) use discounts and rebates to drive sales ------------------------------------------------------------- Get more product off shelves and into baskets with the latest in CPG, retail & consumer trends at 10:30am M, T, H & Sat by following Jared Kligerman! Launch new products with confidence & gain market share with Caddle - DM me to learn more. Sources: Food Business News, Food Dive, Mars, Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Magazine, Strategy Online #CPG #foodandbeverage #confectionary #petfood #snacks #acquisition

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This is what happens when good creative concepts come to fruition.

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Go-to-Market Strategy: the art of stating the obvious and still getting it wrong When Coca-Cola Spiced was launched, Shakir Moin, chief of marketing, Coca‑Cola North America, said “We’re disrupting our ways of working to be faster than what the market expects of us. The mindset is that we’re a 137-year-old startup focused on bolder, faster, fewer innovations that delight consumers and create growth for the company.” Coca-Cola and Sonos aren’t startups. They might reconsider their rush to adopt startups’ “go-to-market” strategies or face having to start over. My latest Free to Disagree column in Campaign Canada: https://lnkd.in/e9m8A6Wk

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The "Deadpool & Wolverine" movie is coming... And brands are going wild with the cross-promotion opportunities. From Heinz's "Merckham" sauce (a mashup of Deadpool's alter ego and ketchup) To Heineken's "Woolvie" beer (wolverine + brew) Marketers are tapping into the film's massive hype and signature snark. These clever tie-ins are already lighting up social media. The irreverent tone is pitch-perfect for the wise-cracking, fourth-wall-breaking heroes. I expect we'll see even wilder, wackier stunts as the premiere date approaches. Superhero movies are big business. And this could be the start of a new era in how they're marketed. Creative co-branding and viral buzz are the name of the game. What other crazy Deadpool & Wolverine promos do you think we'll see? Let me know in the comments! Source: https://lnkd.in/gb98Vr4i ___ I'm Lawrence Lo and I help #DTC & #ecommerce brands grow! Visit my website to learn more. Like + Follow + 🔔 for daily marketing news.

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Check out the amazing results from one of our recent partners below. And hit me up, if you'd like to learn more about ways Chase Media Solutions can help your business drive incremental sales!

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Legendary brands possess the following (Skip to #3): 1. End-to-end brand experiences that never leave audiences hanging. Anywhere. Ever. Always a CTA. An action. An experience fulfilled. 2. A platform agnostic loyal following built on community 3. A frequently executed tangible component #becomelegendary #befarfromtimid #themartinagency #legendarybrands #papajohns

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Many invest efforts to tell the future. Here are 5 Kellanova leaders on the future of CPG, including my own around advancements in partnerships

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The marketplace will look a lot different in five years. Mars United's Michele Roney offers 8 trends every hopeful network needs to consider in this new report. Check it out here: https://lnkd.in/gFNQnU-h

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A really interesting case history on #brandstrategy. ““[Liquid Death] sees itself as a media company first and a product second,” observed Young. “The company’s CEO has said in multiple interviews that you can’t ‘own’ an ingredient like canned water, but it could own a unique brand, wrapped in a compelling package, with a bold point-of-view that speaks to a niche audience.” If this can not only be theorized but also successfully executed for a product most people would see as a commodity, how much more true this statement should be for categories with higher intangible value! #brandmanagement #branding #marketingstrategy https://lnkd.in/eaB8mMmw

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How do you take a historic brand with a rich French heritage and make it resonate with modern audiences? By combining cultural relevance with strategic partnerships. This article dives into Grand Marnier’s new campaign. By connecting with the hip-hop world and embracing cognac’s deep ties to the culture, Grand Marnier is showcasing its versatility and the importance of listening to consumers to understand how a brand like Grand Marnier fits into their lives (or not). This approach highlights the power of a consumer-led strategy and cultural alignment in reimagining a brand. What do you think of their strategy? Brands that lead with Consumers Win! #BrandStrategy #MarketingInnovation #Consumerinsights #Grandmarnier

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(Little shameless plug) Check out this article for a quote from yours truly 🥰 If you’ve been following along, you know my take on this! With the shifts in Google and generative/AI search, individual expertise and insights are more valuable than bland corporate messages on company websites and blogs. So, I predict there to be an increased effort to pitch individuals as experts to media outlets so that they can be mentioned on higher ranking/authoritative sites. This will give businesses a better chance to be found in the search results than doing it alone. What do you think? What are your predictions for media relations in 2025? 👇

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Mark your calendar! The next two months are chock-full of events, in-person and virtual, where Mars United Commerce will be bringing insights to help you grow your commerce marketing strategy. Stay up to date on where you can find us and how you can meet with the team here: https://lnkd.in/e3HmdCtJ #events #commercemarketing #brandstrategy

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TWEAKING YOUR RECIPE TO ATTRACT NEW BUYERS? I first noticed this pattern decades ago. Kronenbourg, the French beer established in 1664, was launching “K”, a new beer with no bitterness. Their research had discovered that bitterness was the main barrier to beer consumption. I remember this because it was a big launch and it did receive a lot of media coverage (and perhaps I was already interested in marketing. Or beer. Or both?). Naturally, the new product was meant to convert non-buyers, including women and young people. As a pre-University kid and a heavy buyer of the category (legally allowed to do so!), I would pick up one pack of the regular and one pack of the new K to bring to Saturday-night parties. We quite liked it. Until it was removed from shelves a couple of months later. This does happen a lot. Product variants attract mostly existing heavy buyers of the brand, as Arry Tanusondjaja points out below. Arry is an expert in the area of brand portfolio and is definitely worth a follow. 🤓

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Inspired by a 2018 Reddit post of an empty Reese's cup, the brand continues their humor with the release of a "Deconstructed Peanut Butter Cup Kit." The kit features a 10oz jar of peanut butter and a 9oz milk chocolate shell for consumers to try their own combinations & achieve the perfect peanut butter-to-chocolate ratio! 🥜🍫 #ConsumerTrends #Advertising #BrandStrategy

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Only retailers that truly deliver value to both shoppers and advertisers will be able to maintain sustainable growth. Mars United Commerce's Michele Roney offers eight changes we see taking place over the next five years that every hopeful network needs to consider going forward: https://lnkd.in/gDXpss9W #retailmedia #trends #retailmedianetworks

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Were you there? https://okt.to/UHgChW Last week, Emily Flannery, Meredith Post and Kyle Schutte glimpsed the future of the snacking category—and the shifts coming are tectonic. If you’re a leader in snacking CPG, click through and watch our experts’ take on the consumer behaviors disrupting the space, the brave brands keeping up and how to reorient your business to drive future obsession. Watch it right here: https://okt.to/ZgSGeX #futureofsnacking #snackingcpg #snacksandsweets #CPGtrends

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Arc was the most-awarded commerce agency at this year’s REGGIE Awards. 9 times. Reality: When you choose a life in marketing, you don’t always get to market things (brands, services, ideas) that directly align with your personal values. This year’s award-winning work created in partnership by Arc and Unilever: - Amplifies multicultural voices - Eschews perfection - Promotes family connection and positive self-worth in young women - Provides affordable, healthy meal options to families Do these align with my personal values? Yes. Yes. Yes. And…Yes. It thrills me to see this work connect with people, build businesses, perpetuate good in the world, and receive recognition for all of it. #IrresistibleCommerce #REGGIE #award #Unilever #ClientPartner #arcww

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