Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast

People need to be aware of your food brand if it’s going to get from the shelf into their shopping carts. But how do you get people talking about your brand?  Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food & Bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Nikki Nardick, Founder of Knack PR, to discuss how to connect with media outlets to get press coverage for your food brand – and what to do with that attention once you get it. In This Episode:  What media relations looks like for food companies. Why you don’t always need to be churning out press releases. How your food business goals should impact your PR efforts. How to know when you’re ready to reach out to press through PR. The difference between a press release and an email pitch. What strategic storytelling looks like.  How to leverage the press coverage you’ve earned. What to look for in a PR agency. Why you should Google yourself and/or your brand name every morning. The power of product samples in staying top of mind with your

In this episode of the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Natural Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares a story that highlights why sometimes you need to just put in the work and watch out for shortcuts, what might happen when you change directions, and why you shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help. In This Episode: How races are won and lost on hills. Why working hard now can pay off in the future. The risk of taking shortcuts too soon.  How changing directions is important but needs to be done carefully. Why we need to be able to ask for help.  8 Strategic Priorities to help you prioritize how to spend your time. Resources: Podcast Ep #45: The 5-Minute Food Business Brand Strategy Formula Connect with Katie on LinkedIn Real Food Brands Brand Checkup Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group Real Food Brands website Follow Katie on Instagram

Every food business should be thinking about an integrated marketing plan that pulls all of your marketing efforts together into one coordinated strategy working towards one set of goals. Implementation of tactics just won’t be as effective if you don’t know who want to reach or what you want to say. Plus, it will be harder to measure what success even looks like.  Today on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food & Bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Michael Ray, Social Media Director at STIR, a digital marketing and advertising agency based in Milwaukee, WI. In this episode, we talk about how to use social media to build your brand based on your objectives. In This Episode:  Why an integrated marketing plan including your goals is always the best place to start.  How to work backward from your end goal to figure how what channels you need to engage to achieve that goal.  How to estimate digital marketing campaign costs based on your goals.  When to focus on Instagram

Whether you lead a team of one or one hundred, it’s critical to think about your role as a leader and how you’re going to lead based on your values. For our guest today, that comes down to having the courage to acknowledge past mistakes and use them to learn and grow. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Food & Bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks to Sadie Scheffer, CEO and Founder of Bread SRSLY, a gluten-free vegan sourdough bread company based in Berkeley, CA. In this episode, we talk about how Sadie leads through shared values, and the big lesson she learned about how her team can grow faster by learning together. In This Episode:  How a crush led Sadie to drop out of MIT and get into gluten-free baking. Why leadership starts with who you are and what values you have – for yourself and your business. How Sadie thinks of company culture. The values statements Bread SRSLY uses to keep aligned and why they are all verbs. Why Sadie encourages her team to make mistakes. What Sadie realized

We use a lot of different terms to describe the groups of people who buy our products and love our brands (tribes, consumer groups, personas, end users...) but at the end of the day they are each real people and we want to get to know them as much as possible so we can create products that truly solve their problems and bring them joy.  But how do you get the information you need to do this? Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Food & Bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Britta Schell, a research and insights consultant who helps brands unlock growth by gaining a deeper understanding of their users. In this episode, we talk about how to create a consumer-first mentality that keeps their needs at the heart of everything you do in your food business. In This Episode:  Why it’s important to be an advocate for your consumer. How documenting an ideal consumer profile(s) can help guide your business decisions. What to do if the people buying your products are not who you expect

When your financials aren’t in order, you tend to spend more time thinking about money. How much money is in the bank right now? Can we pay the team? Can we make this investment? There’s a belief that when cash flow and profits aren’t where we need them to be, the solution is to just work harder and sell more. However, there’s a lot you can do outside of that to get a handle on your finances and increase profitability. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and food & bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks with Sarah Delevan, a financial consultant who helps food brands achieve profitability. In this episode, we talk about the common mistakes many brands make with their finances, and how you can create a profitability formula for your food business. In This Episode:  How her own food business challenges lead Sarah to become an expert in food financials and help others. Why selling more doesn’t necessarily mean increased profitability. What you need to see on your P&L. The problems with pricing

Consumers need us more than ever. As their needs are changing to adapt to the "new norm,” they are building new routines and discovering new pain points that in turn create new opportunities for us to serve, support and delight. In this episode of the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Natural Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks through the Elements of Value pyramid, and how it can help you get more clarity about what you’re really selling and why it matters to your ideal consumers. In This Episode: A reminder about the three C’s: Competitors, Consumers and Company – and how Katie suggests using this concept to set your brand apart.  Why most brands don’t need to revamp their entire brand strategy right now. How to use the Elements of Value pyramid from Bain & Company to identify your consumers’ motivations and desired benefits.  Why the Elements of Value are so important to identify what you’re really selling so you can serve your consumers and build brand loyalty. The two exercises Katie recommen

People want to feel a sense of belonging.  They like to be a part of something. Brands who tell a story that invites people in and offer a solution to a problem (versus just talking about themselves and what they offer) are more memorable, referable and create a sense of loyalty for all involved.    Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and food & bev Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva chats with Anna Bradshaw, a conversion copywriter specializing in brand story and ecommerce marketing for independent CPG brands. In this episode, we talk about how to create a brand story that makes a connection with your consumers and other stakeholders.   We are going to help you figure out how to set up the problem, explain why you’re the solution, and play up the outcome of using your products. In This Episode:  What is conversion copywriting and how can it help you?  Why customer research is at the core.  How to be clear about your brand story.  When the StoryBrand framework is useful, and when it’s not.  How to

Your brand strategy serves as a “North Star” to align the front and back end of your business as you scale. But how do you know if what you’re doing is working?  In this episode of the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva goes over the difference between a product and a brand, the difference between a brand refresh and a rebrand, a quick 3C’s review and six signs you should rebrand your food business. In This Episode: Why a great brand strategy starts with the three C’s: Competitors, Consumers, and Company. The difference between a product and a brand, and a rebrand versus a brand refresh. What to do if you just aren’t excited about your brand anymore. How to listen to feedback and when it’s time to consider a rebrand. What to do if you feel like the market is shifting around you. When you need to rebrand to align your portfolio. Why you shouldn’t jump right to a rebrand without careful consideration. Resources: Podcast Ep #27: How Brand Strategy Brings Consistency, Efficiency

Influencer marketing is a key strategy for growing food brands large and small, but how you go about finding influences and what you do once you’ve connected with them can vary widely based on your goals. For many of us, it can be hard to even know where to start. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva gets a chance to catch up with Elexis Schroder, Founder of SchroderHaus, a Marketing Communications firm based in Denver, Colorado. In this episode, we talk about how to create an influencer marketing strategy that works with your brand’s goals and budgets -- and the keys to making it work for you no matter what size of brand you are leading. In This Episode: How marketing has changed with the increase of social media. Why influencers should be a key component of your marketing strategy. Why influencer marketing is never one-size-fits-all. How to identify the right influencers for your brand. Why the best influencers are often right under your nose. Why it all comes back

Creating your point of difference can be a big challenge, especially in a crowded category. Our guest today has been able to do that and more, growing a product in an incredibly popular category into a brand with national distribution. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Abe Kamarck, CEO and Founder of True Made Foods. In this episode, we talk about how he’s been able to get his all-natural ketchup product to a point where national brands are taking notice. In This Episode: How Abe’s Italian background helped inspire True Made Foods. Why he decided to create healthy ketchup, barbeque sauce, and sriracha. Why 5-year-olds can be the best taste testers. The mistakes he made along the way. Why emphasizing your point of difference is so important. The difference between ketchup and other categories. How Abe grew True Made Foods into a nationally distributed product. Resources: True Made Foods @TrueMadeFoods on Instagram Connect with Abe on LinkedIn Conne

While your marketing and sales plans are important steps to building your brand, you need to back them up with solid forecasting and demand planning if you want to grow your food business in a profitable way. Everything from efficient ordering and production planning to making sure you can properly serve your customers hinges on the work you do in this area. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks with Alex Duong, Founder – Ancient Provisions. In this episode, we talk about how to balance your sales projections with the lead time you need to hit those goals, and how to plan for growth. In This Episode: The difference between forecasting and demand planning, and the pillars of each.  Why forecasting and demand planning are essential when you’re planning for growth in your food business. The different factors that come into play when you’re forecasting. How to avoid analysis paralysis. Striking the right balance between risk and potential for growth. Why communicati

Stopping power is everything when you’re trying to compete in a crowded category -- in the grocery store or online. How do you create a brand that jumps off the shelves and stands out from the rest?  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Candice Crane, Founder and CEO of Petal Sparkling Botanicals, a brand that stops you in your tracks when you see it. In this episode, we talk about how Petal has been able to stand out in a crowded category and grow so fast in just a year and a half. In This Episode: How Candice’s South African roots lead to her create Petal Sparkling Botanicals. The story behind Petal’s unique logo and package design. How Petal has grown to be in almost 700 locations nationwide in just a year and a half. Why there’s no substitute for talking in-person with people about your product to hear feedback first hand. How having a complex flavor profile serves a growing segment of people choosing to skip the alcohol.  The joys and challenges o

Brand strategy is an essential part of building a business that will grow, but we see a lot of food businesses make the same mistakes when it comes time to actually put it into action. On this episode of the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva goes over the four most common brand strategy mistakes, and what to do if you think you might be making them. In This Episode: The resources Real Food Brands is offering to help you build your brand. How to differentiate your brand in the market. The question you need to ask yourself about how to make your brand stand out. Why consistency is so important in all of your brand’s materials. How to use the “one-room test” to see if your brand is showing up consistently in the marketplace.  Why “I” and “we” are dangerous words to overuse in your marketing copy. Why many founders forget to communicate their brand strategy to their team, and what to do about it. Resources: Podcast Ep #2: How to Start Building and Documenting Your Brand Strateg

Having one integrated marketing plan, versus a more ad hoc and piecemeal approach, helps make sure that all of your efforts are consistent, coordinated and focused on creating a purchase cycle that eventually turns your customers into brand advocates. Between the visuals and the brand story that you’re telling, your content is your chance to draw people in, build trust, and have a genuine conversation with your customers. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks with Chelsea Rainey, the Founder of Culinistics, which helps aspiring food and beverage entrepreneurs create a powerful brand story, focus their brand strategy, target their ideal customer, and showcase their signature offer through mindset coaching and research-based creative design. In this episode, we talk about how to develop your content strategy, maintain consistency across channels, and avoid burnout. In This Episode: The key pieces that should make up the backbone of your content strategy. How to ma

We talk a lot on the Real Food Brands podcast about having a Brand Strategy in place to align everything on both the front and back end of your food business to deliver on your brand’s vision.  The same concept holds true within every area of your business; your strategy needs to come to life through your operations, marketing, customer service...even Amazon. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva is joined by Shannon Roddy, an Amazon expert who helps brands develop their Amazon strategy and grow their businesses on Amazon. In this episode, we talk about how to build brand equity, control who’s selling your product and why Amazon is so important as a product research and branding platform. In This Episode: Why the value of selling on Amazon goes beyond just sales. The differences between Amazon Vendor Central and Amazon Seller Central. Why you shouldn’t rely on Amazon for too much of your sales mix. How to get more control over your Amazon listings. Strategies to prote

Having a well-defined brand strategy in place for your natural food company helps you clarify a message that resonates with your consumers, and makes stakeholders like buyers and investors to want to learn more. Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks to Maria Garcia Brennan and Pete Brennan, co-founders of Soñar! Foods, an organic grain-free tortilla chip company that brings a focus to uplifting the Latino community as part of everything they do with their business. Katie highlights Soñar! as an example of a natural food brand that is well-aligned on both the front and back end of the business when it comes to supporting the brand strategy, or “north star.” In This Episode: Why a question from their daughter lead Maria and Pete to start Soñar. How Maria and Pete met and combined their experience to start Soñar!. What it looks like to align a company with your brand strategy from the top down. What it means to be certified as a B Corp. How pursuing more than profi

There’s so much that goes into developing and documenting the brand strategy for your food business, but if you want to pare it all down to the basics to define or refine your strategy in just a few minutes, this formula will help you get you started.  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva does just that, with her V+3 C formula. That stands for Vision, Competitor, Consumer, and Company - the four things that can guide your efforts to create a meaningful point of difference for your brand so you can meet your consumers’ needs in a way your competitors can’t, or won’t. In This Episode: What Katie would do if she only had five minutes with a brand. The V and 3 C’s of Brand Strategy  for food and beverage companies. Thought starters to articulate your vision for your business. Why a vision statement is so important for your team. Why every brand needs to know what’s going on with its competitors. How to define your primary and secondary consumer. What psychographics are a

Figuring out how to compete in a new, or underdeveloped, food or beverage category is a challenge -- especially if you’re a disruptive natural foods business determined to shake things up!  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva takes us back to revisit a great episode with Amy Zitelman, Co-Founder and CEO of Soom Foods, to talk about how they build relationships with influencers like food bloggers and top chefs to create excitement for a relatively underdeveloped category in the US.  When thinking about marketing it can be easy to put selling your product as the focus. However, as Soom Foods has shown, by going a step further and focusing on building strategic but genuine relationships, successful promotion comes as a natural byproduct! The original episode covers a lot of great topics about Soom Foods’ marketing tactics, but we also have an update from the team about how things have been going since we recorded the episode and what marketing tactic is really working w

Do you ever feel like you’re starring in your very own David and Goliath story as you try to take on big brands for market share and shelf space?  Today on the Real Food Brands Podcast, host and Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Matt Parry, founder of the Good Crisp Company, the canister chip brand that has replaced Pringles on all Virgin Australia and Tiger flights, is stocked in more than ten thousand supermarkets across the US, and is in the top ten fastest-growing brands in Whole Foods stores. In This Episode: How Matt’s desire for a healthy snack for his daughters became a fast-growing brand. Why Matt was able to look at his brand as both a marketer and a customer. When your point of difference can become your competitive advantage. The appeal that smaller brands have with customers. Why they’re as comfortable in Walmart as they are in Whole Foods. How Matt navigated the broker system. The importance of peer networking. What the Good Crisp Company does on social media and how they w