Business Incubators Offer a Variety of Choices
LET’S GET STARTED!
We started our business, Barefoot Wines, in a 1922 farmhouse we rented in the west Sonoma County hills. We had extra space in the laundry room for an “office” because we couldn’t afford a washer and a dryer at the time. We couldn’t afford a desk...
Testimonials are the Most Effective Form of Advertising
GETTING THE WORD OUT!
You can say what you want about how great your product is, but your customer wants to know what others think about it. Third parties give the appearance of independent opinion that adds significant credibility to their endorsements. Testimonial examples that successful CPG brand builders use...
The Value Proposition Is the Consideration under Evaluation
DOLLARS AND SENSE
“So what am I buying here?” And better yet, “Is it worth it?” This is the fundamental question that goes through your customer’s mind when you make an offer. Some call it value for money. Others call it a consideration. But whatever they call it, it’s...
Intrinsic Motivation is the Driving Force Behind Success in the Marketplace
I CAN DO THIS!
One of the most common questions our audiences ask is, “What keeps you going in the face of adversity, setbacks, and roadblocks?” They want to know what it takes to keep going - no matter what! Basically, they are looking for the ingredients of tenacity and...
Use Style Guides to Send a Consistent Message
THE BRAND DRESS CODE
It’s so noisy out there that if you don’t use a style guide to keep your team on purpose, you’ll be lost in the competitive din! It’s hard enough to build a personal brand without scrutinizing every avenue of your communication. Whether it’s visual, audible, or...
Retail Branding Design is More of a Solution than a Creation
UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGE
Unfortunately, many new CPG product designers think that branding design has an open door to the world of all possibilities. They mistakenly think that they have wide latitude to create new, disruptive designs that they believe will be distinctive, attractive, and compelling. But in the CPG...
Value Based Pricing is All Relative
A MOVING TARGET!
How do you achieve value based pricing? Is it your idea of the value of your product, or is it what it cost you to produce it? Is there some outside, independent measure of value? Or is it based on a perception? These are the questions branded...
Cradle-to-Grave, Your Product Life Cycle is Fraught with Challenges
MURDER OR SUICIDE?
Most brands aren’t killed by the competition so much as they die from self-inflicted wounds. This is especially true with branded products in the consumer packaged goods space. During the 20 years we spent building the famous Barefoot Wine brand, it almost died on several occasions...
Brand Purpose Gives Your Customers a Social Reason to Buy Your Products
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR?
Consumers today realize that they are voting with their purchases. The world we live in is the result of the products we buy. It’s not enough for brand builders anymore to provide the best, the cheapest, or the most for the money. Now, more than ever,...
7 Missing Line Items in Most CPG Business Plans
I DID NOT KNOW THAT!
CPG Business Plans Vs Reality The day after you launch your new consumer package goods product, your business plan takes a back seat to your cash flow projection. The CPG business plan is a great way to theorize how things are expected to unfold in the...
3 Big Risks of Rebranding
IF IT AIN’T BROKE, DON’T FIX IT!
Most brands don’t die because they are murdered by the competition. Most brands die of self-inflicted wounds. In the time we built the Barefoot Wine brand, we saw many brands come and go in the marketplace. Most of them fell victim to their own rebranding campaign....
7 Considerations to Improve Your CPG Ingredient Brand
NOW WITH XYLITOL!
By hawking a well-known and desirable ingredient which is included in your product, you can capitalize on the pre-existing demand for that ingredient. This is especially true in the consumer packaged goods space. After all, a big part of marketing is identifying with something your prospect...
5 Ways Consumer Brands Can Gain and Keep the Competitive Advantage
“I WIN!”
Every CPG business wants to win in the market. They all want the competitive advantage. Many of them break into the market with a bang, but are unable to sustain their competitive advantage, and go out with a fizzle. The real challenge is not to just...
Don’t Let Price Anchoring Sink Your Ship
COMPARED TO WHAT?
The first price your customers hear or see is the price from which they will reference all future pricing messages. In other words, the first price is the anchor that they will keep coming back to in their minds when considering higher or lower prices for...
The Future of Bricks and Mortar Stores May Surprise You!
“RETAIL IS NOT DEAD YET!”
The reports of the death of bricks and mortar retail stores have been greatly exaggerated. While it’s true that, according to the Department of Commerce, e-commerce is the fastest-growing segment of retail sales, it still represents less than 10% of the total market. Each year it...
5 Ways to Build Brand Personality Into Your Consumer Packaged Goods Brand
“I JUST LOVE THAT BRAND!”
Some brands instantly make you smile. They seem to take on almost human personality traits we can all identify with. Consumers seem to be drawn to attractive brand personality traits. It's definitely a personality contest out there. The question is, where does your brand rate on...
5 Ways Product Differentiation Can Improve Your Sales
BUT HOW IS IT DIFFERENT!
There's so much noise out there in the competitive market. And it's only natural for customers to notice and be attracted to products that have differentiated themselves. They are drawn to the unique features that set those products apart from their competitors. Successful consumer brand builders...
5 Ways to Keep your CPG Product on the Retail Shelf
THEY CAN’T BUY IT IF IT AIN’T THERE!
Too often we hear CPG brand builders bragging about how they have finally achieved shelf placement at some big box or chain store. But, broadly distributed CPG brands are only as good as their ability to maintain and expand their retail shelf presence. With our experience...