David Osterweil

We all saw what happened when Wendy's announced the potential for a dynamic pricing model. People were not pleased. I'm not sure that will entirely kill the possibility of dynamic pricing eventually rolling out in the industry, but it did put the brakes on it for the short term. What about surveillance pricing? As this article from Reuters covers (https://lnkd.in/e_JdG5rB), there is the possibility that surveillance pricing will allow companies to charge individuals more based on past searches, purchases, and any other number of data points. Now, there's an economic basis for some of this. If demand increases at certain times or for certain products, prices can go up...welcome to supply and demand. We see this playing out all the time without all of the surveillance or high-tech traffic tracking. Dynamic pricing is, essentially, the high-tech and real time version of this principle, whether we really like it or not. Surveillance pricing, however, is something else entirely. But, is it surprising this is happening. In the industry, we're talking about the possibility of creating hyper-customized products based on a person's DNA or other bio-data. Wouldn't it also follow that pricing would become that individualized as well? But that makes more sense for products that are distinctly different rather than individualized prices for the same product. Either way, I think we can expect more of this type of activity as technology allows for this level of individual behavior surveillance and analysis. #innovation #trends2024 #pricingstrategy #foodservice #retail #cpg #foodandbeverageindustry #restaurants #technology #economy #menumattersllc

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🌍 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟.𝐜𝐨𝐦 – 𝐀𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 We're casting a wide net in the marketing of Beef.com—reaching out to the largest beef-producing nations, leading cattlemen’s associations, and the industry’s top distribution channels, which control 85% of beef sales. One group we’re especially targeting? The fast food industry. 🍔 When consumers think fast food, health concerns often come to mind—questions around diet, beef quality, farm practices, antibiotics, hormones, environmental impact, and sustainability. Now imagine Beef.com as a powerful platform that redefines this perception by showcasing your brand's commitment to high-quality beef, sustainable sourcing, and nutritional transparency. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟.𝐜𝐨𝐦, 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝-𝐨𝐧, 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭. 📈✨ Fast food brands have made strides in recent years, introducing new sourcing guidelines and offering antibiotic-free options. However, consumer concerns persist, and Beef.com can help take a leadership role in changing the narrative around fast food. For a brand ready to own its commitment to quality, transparency, and sustainability, Beef.com is the ultimate digital platform to communicate that story and capture market share. 🌱 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐢𝐬 “𝐮𝐧𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲” 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝’𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐟 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐚𝐬𝐤, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐟.𝐜𝐨𝐦. 𝐈𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐝@𝐆𝐞𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚.𝐜𝐨𝐦 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐑𝐎𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 $𝟏.𝟏𝐓 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝟏%, 𝟐%, 𝟑% 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝? 𝐌𝐲 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞: "𝐃𝐨 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡." #BeefDotCom #Beef #FastFoodIndustry #BeefQuality #SustainableSourcing #TransparencyInFood #FoodIndustry #HealthyFastFood #ConsumerTrust #BeefExcellence #SustainableFood #NutritionalTransparency #FoodInnovation #BrandTrust #MarketShareGrowth #DigitalRealEstate #FoodSafety #ResponsibleSourcing #IndustryLeadership #BeefForGood #FastFoodRevolution

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A simple quote from Mike Tyson and one of my favorites of all time: "Everybody has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." It rings true in the day to day battles of business, especially in CPG. Here are some examples many CPG founders go through or ones I've personally battled: 🥴 You launch a product, did all the research for R&D, focus group testing, and reviewed the packaging thousands of times before launching, but still something went wrong either with shelf life, negative consumer/retailer feedback, or weak sales on shelf 💰 You had cash flow projections in place and expected that with X amount raised, it would last you for Y Months, but ran short of runway and were scrambling to raise more cash to keep the company going in difficult times 🤝 Formed partnerships, only disappointed to find out the partner backed out, or it wasn't the partnership you envisioned and now you are doing damage control and it's causing emotional pain to be with this person 🚛 Brought on a distributor thinking they would push the brand and it would be an estimated cost, but they didn't do their job, and the costs ended up sky-rocketing from chargebacks, thus losing money on every unit 😲You release a great product, and then a competitor comes up with a version of yours that is a lower price point and they have all the marketing dollars in the world to out-compete you. I can go on and on, but in this business, like any business, you have intentions when you go into it, and many times, it doesn't turn out the way you envisioned. What's your story of getting punched in the mouth?

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This website was featured in one of my morning newsletters: https://applerankings.com/ Now, it's not serious but what if this level of information was provided to consumers? Based on research Mike Kostyo and I have fielded over the past year, consumers are overwhelmed by the number of options available both on the menu and in grocery stores. The most vexing areas at retail are meat and fresh products. Consumers, particularly younger consumers, simply don't know what the difference is between all the options and how to decide which is best for what they hope to make at home. How does the industry help consumers make choices. Sure, one way would be to cut back on the options. What if, however, we made greater inroads into providing them with better and more relevant information? While this information may not be serious, the way it's presented makes it very easy to understand what you might be getting. How can we better lean into this so that rather than cutting back on options to simplify decision making, we're helping to power better decisions while supporting variety? #menumattersllc #foodandbeverageindustry #food #consumerinsights #consumerbehavior #innovation #trends2024 #foodservice #restaurants #hopsitality #cpg

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Today, I made our first step toward getting Currently carried by 23 locations of Whole Foods Market in Florida. The process is a bit convoluted (as I'm learning many things are in wine...), but here's generally what's going to happen: -We're already an approved vendor and need to update our new Currently Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc into the Amazon vendor portal, which I did today -This process is now vendor-led, instead of distributor led, which ensures the accuracy of the information (since I won't mess it up but distributors might) -Next steps will be to schedule meetings in October with each store manager, who my Florida distributor has relationships with and update them on our new packaging, design and brand. -Because our story has continuity around environmental cause and goes farther now with being 2x lower carbon footprint and Certified Sustainable grapes, I'm hoping that will be a differentiator -There are in-store display opportunities, and I'm going to work on having our wine setup next to the oysters and seafood. Any WFM general manager selling suggestions are welcome-- I'm new to this! #wine #founderjourney #wholefoodsmarket

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How are consumers feeling about the economy today?   My hot off-the-press data from last week shows April's consumer sentiment inching more positive. We’ll take any good news we can get!    23% of people report spending as usual, while 31% report having stopped spending. The gap between the two groups has narrowed from 11 pts last month to 8 pts in April. Higher positivity leads to more spending. As we move through Spring and into Summer, we'll be monitoring. Stay tuned, more insights and implications to come. Thanks Victor Fernandez Mary Hamill GuestXM - Now Powered by Black Box Intelligence™ for sharing my data in your Q2 State of the Industry Webinar!
#economy #spending #journeybacktojoy

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CPG Friends, I have discovered a platform that is on a mission to offer a more fair distribution method to help build your brand while also having merchandising and re-order built in and handled by their team. They are focusing as of now on convenience stores, liquor stores, gas stations, and other independents. And so far from my vetting process and speaking for hours with the CEO, they are the real deal and offer really great solutions for small, emerging brands and even large brands that are doing massive sales. We’ve all heard the pain points on here from countless brands when dealing with distribution in general in this business from chargebacks, freight billbacks(sometimes putting brands out of business) If I could help link your brand with a better solution to grow your company and retain all the sales dollars in your pocket, this could be potentially groundbreaking and flip the traditional model as we know it ON ITS HEAD. Please DM me and happy to share more information about it.

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A good CEO is willing to be vulnerable. And doing so tends to result in more buy-in from your team on the vision - leading to a more fulfilled team and better production as a whole. I recently had a chance to sit down with Samuel Stanovich 🐔 of Big Chicken at the Workforce Management Summit for a fireside chat where discussed leadership at our respective organizations. Catch the full discussion live now on Room for Seconds - available on YouTube and everywhere you get your podcasts! #business #leadership #franchising #restaurant #hospitality #mentorship #ceo #founder #businessinsights #leadershiptips

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In a corporate shake-up that’s about as subtle as a BOGO deal on ice cream during a heatwave, Kroger is reshuffling its top brass. Stuart Aitken, the guy behind Kroger's marketing mojo and all things merchandising, is stepping down to "pursue other professional opportunities." Translation? He’s packing his desk, but not before a long holiday send-off, as he’ll stay until December 31. Enter Mary Ellen Adcock, (Adcock, maybe that's the name of my next publication) the new Chief Merchandising and Marketing Officer, who’s been with Kroger since the late '90s. She’s the quintessential insider, having climbed every corporate rung over the past 25 years. Adcock started in the manufacturing division, worked her way into the operational nerve center, and most recently managed all the moving parts for over 2,700 stores, 416,000 associates, and a mind-boggling 11 million customers per day. That’s more people than some countries. She’s not just taking over a department; she’s basically inheriting an empire. CEO Rodney McMullen is laying on the praise thick, calling #Adcock a "respected leader" and highlighting her ability to steer Kroger through the grocery gauntlet of the 2020s. And what a gauntlet it is—think Walmart breathing down Kroger’s neck, Amazon trying to reinvent grocery shopping as some kind of sci-fi utopia, and Costco making everyone question their commitment to weekly milk purchases. For Aitken, it’s a bittersweet farewell. He’s been instrumental in Kroger’s digital evolution, turning data into dollars with innovations like 84.51°—a name that sounds more like a hipster speakeasy than a data analytics powerhouse. Under his watch, Kroger sharpened its focus on customer-centric marketing, leveraging insights that turned your shopping cart into a goldmine of personalized offers. But now, he’s off to greener pastures—or at least a pasture where he’s not responsible for selling avocados in five different ripeness levels. Adcock’s promotion couldn’t come at a more turbulent time. Kroger is already in the hot seat with regulators over its planned $25 billion merger with Albertsons, and the grocery wars are nastier than ever. Walmart’s sheer scale, Amazon’s tech muscle, and Costco’s cult following leave Kroger fighting to stay relevant in an industry that’s no longer just about low prices but who can best predict whether you’ll add Oreos to your cart. Adcock’s background in operations hints at a possible shift in strategy. If Aitken’s era was all about jazzing up the customer experience and mining data gold, Adcock’s reign might focus on efficiency and operational grit—getting groceries on shelves faster, fresher, and cheaper. But will that be enough to keep the wolves at bay?

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As someone deeply immersed in the CPG industry for nearly two decades, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges that come with managing data and driving growth. We’ve taken those years of learning and closely observed the solutions currently in the market as we’ve been building out the subscription offering of Pitchable – our game-changing software tailor-made for CPG operators:  🔍 Data Synthesis: Pitchable seamlessly consolidates data from industry giants like UNFI, KeHE, Whole Foods, and SPINS, providing you with a unified platform for comprehensive insights.  📊 Actionable Dashboards: Developed by CPG operators, for CPG operators, our intuitive dashboards simplify complex data, empowering you to make informed decisions effortlessly.  🚀 Powerful Tracking Capabilities: From promo tracking to sales forecasting, Pitchable equips you with the tools needed to optimize every aspect of your business – all in one place. ✅  Optimized Inventory Management: Align purchase orders with actual sell-through to optimize inventory levels.  ✅ Seamless New Item Roll-outs: Monitor new item roll-outs to ensure flawless execution every time.  ✅ Unlock Volume Opportunities: Identify volume opportunities with independents and alternate channel customers effortlessly. Check out Pitchable – developed by CPG operators, for CPG operators. DM me to get a demo on the books. Here is the link for booking a demo with Kevin Mannering:  https://lnkd.in/gq4wMxhj Pitchable Demo

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Community Call: Whole Foods Market - Updates for Local and Emerging Brands Kristin Sherman, Principal Local Forager at Whole Foods Market, and Casey Gaston, Executive Leader of Local and Emerging Brands, join Community Call to share essential updates and strategies for local and emerging brands who want to get their products on shelf including: *Changes to how the local and emerging team operates *Current differentiation and innovation the team is looking for *Inside tips for submissions and pitching *Distribution recommendations *Pricing strategies *Special diets and macro trends of note

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There's a subtle but HUGELY important trend playing out in CPG that may have ripple effects across the entire industry: Modern consumers are starting to care less about legacy brands. This article was specifically about Kraft Mac & Cheese, but I think it's indicative of a wider trend happening across the CPG landscape, and in alcohol in particular. Many multi-national, household name brands don't carry the same weight with consumers that they did even five or ten years ago. So, what does this mean & what are the implications? Well, it has lots of implications but two things I feel strongly are true: 1. This is a particularly interesting time to be launching and scaling challenger CPG brands 2. Big CPG conglomerates will need to get aggressive in shaking up their portfolios Going to be an exciting and interesting few years in the space!

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We need your help! Earlier this year, we received an incredible Domestic Trade Grant to launch a new employer subscription service that will bring our small-batch products directly to your employees' remote desks! This service is designed to help companies do better business in the modern world, using the power of food to build a genuine connection with your remote workers while supporting small-scale makers in communities like ours. How does your organization connect with your employees? Please take a few minutes to answer our survey.

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What's one panel you will not miss at the Florida Restaurant Show and Pizza Tomorrow Summit this/next week? Transforming your People from Liabilities to Assets Identifying and evaluating data about your People and learning how to align that data so your People will no longer be viewed as an expense or a negative on your balance sheet, but rather an asset that helps generate revenue and great guest experience. You will change your mindset initially from assuming that all your people are expenses. Identify easy yet often overlooked ways to identify data related to your People's productivity. See evidence showing that simple changes in how your People operate can create huge benefits for them and you! ➡️ Bryan Meredith, Restaurateur Coach WEDNESDAY | NOVEMBER 06, 2024 11:30 a.m. | Education Alley - Theater 1969 #FloridaRestaurantShow #FLRestaurantShow #PizzaTomorrowSummit #restaurantbusiness #restauranttech #restaurantowners #restaurantmarketing #restaurantindustry #restaurantowner #tradeshow RESTAURANT MARKETING PLAYBOOK https://lnkd.in/e_f73ni9

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KFC’s largest domestic franchisee’s restructuring leads to HQ layoffs. KBP Foods’ footprint has grown to more than 1,000 restaurants, including KFC, Taco Bell, Arby's, and most recently, SONIC Drive-In http://ow.ly/Yg0Z105PcLR

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What's the outlook for the food industry in the year ahead. Mary Ellen Kuhn at Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) provides a look ahead, including some of my forecasts A great last read before we all check out for the holidays.... https://lnkd.in/ejFRwzUd

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This is a great article from BBC about "unhinged" marketing team ups (https://lnkd.in/etQVnmVb). I found it through this article from Morning Brew (https://lnkd.in/epjK7JzX) on the current collaboration between Liquid Death and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream for their hot fudge sundae flavored water. As we get closer to The Flavor Experience, this is a great reminder that consumers are ready for new things. After years of anxiety, stress, and uncertainty, #innovation is optimistic. Innovation should look to the future and provide consumers with something to get excited about. But, how are these extreme or "unhinged" mash ups - and similar innovation that focuses less good taste (flavor...not aesthetics) and more on shock - impacting consumers' relationship with flavor? If you're attending Flavor, you'll find out in my mainstage presentation. #foodandbeverageindustry #restaurants #foodservice #hospitality #consumerbehavior #consumerinsights #menumattersllc

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Here's a quarterly update video interview featuring Sean Black, CIO of Happy Belly Food Group (CSE:HBFG). I love companies that have highly-motivated, domain experienced management teams that have worked well before. Putting the band back together again can be powerful in terms of team chemistry and seeing a company hit the ground running. Happy Belly is a good example of this, back in 2013 they sold some of their franchised restaurant brands to MTY Food Group and then again, monetized restaurant brands in 2021, selling assets to Recipe Unlimited Corporation (now Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited). They provided speculative microcap investors with a groundfloor opportunity when they stepped in to refocus a struggling plant-based CSE stock back in 2022. Since then, they have been executing QoQ...8 record quarters in a row and seen the share price rise by more than 600%. This isn't a quick promote-type stock that enters a quickly becoming crowded buzzy sector, this is a management team that are doing what's in their DNA and they've grown up doing for most of their lives. This isn't financial advice at all but if you are a microcap investor, this recent interview might be worth your time to assist with your due diligence and at the very least you'll hear from someone who created a restaurant brand that you've likely eaten at. ✌ 🎤 💧

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Papa Johns $PZZA just released their Q2 2024 earnings report, and it's a slice of reality in a competitive market 🍕. Revenue dropped due to economic pressures, but Papa John's is implementing strategies to tackle those challenges head-on. The company is focused on international restructuring and investing heavily in digital technologies to meet evolving customer preferences. They're also emphasizing operational efficiency and customer-centric initiatives. Despite the headwinds, Papa Johns remains optimistic about their long-term growth strategy. Will they succeed in navigating the current climate? Read More ➡️ https://lnkd.in/gc9Q37bz #PapaJohns #PZZA #Q2Earnings #Pizza #RestaurantIndustry

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