Reflecting on this monumental moment, I wanted to wait until the news was "official" before sharing my thoughts and feelings... Almost 7 years ago, a good friend now who started as a good client invited me to his new office in NJ to explore a plant-based protein company he was considering acquiring. That's when I first encountered OWYN. Honestly, I wasn't sure what to make of it initially. Plant-based, vegan protein drinks weren't in my usual "repertoire" of ideation and marketing. But after trying the product that day, I knew I wanted to be part of the journey. And what an incredible journey it has been! Throughout the last 7 years, in my capacity as a "strategic advisor," I've embraced a multitude of roles and responsibilities, working closely with a diverse array of talented leaders. From individuals who made significant contributions from the outset and have since moved on, to those who have ascended to leadership positions, such as CEO Mark O. and Chief Sales Officer Matt OConnell, as well as "more recent" additions like CMO Julia Perez, who came in and made an immediate and substantial impact, our collaboration has been characterized by passion, mutual respect, and an unwavering commitment to innovation. Now, fast forward to today. After countless hours of strategic discussions, meetings, and partnerships, we've achieved something remarkable. We've taken a niche brand, crafted with the finest ingredients, and found the perfect successor in our recent acquisition. If you notice, even as a "consultant" I always will refer to it as we. When I work with brands, especially from day 1, I consider myself a true part of the team. Being part of a brand from inception to this pivotal moment is incredibly special. As a matter of fact, it's been a huge goal of mine since that fateful day 7 years ago. I'm eager to see what lies ahead for OWYN and hopeful that I can continue contributing to a product and brand that means so much to me and countless others, especially our consumers. #OWYN #PlantBased #Acquisition #Journey #Gratitude #Business #CPG #SimplyGood https://lnkd.in/emY6UT2g

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One of the most crucial yet often overlooked metrics in pet nutrition is the total digestibility of your pet's food. Why is this metric so vital, and why do many pet food companies shy away from conducting and sharing digestibility trials? It's a good question and worth asking! What exactly does a digestibility trial involve? Simply put, a certified lab analyzes the food to determine its nutrient content. The food is carefully weighed, fed to the dogs and then analyzed post-consumption (nice way of saying they weigh and analyze fecal matter and urine). This is done to measure the difference in nutrient content. This test provides insights into how well the body absorbs and utilizes the nutrients, particularly proteins converted into amino acids. Why is digestibility significant? It directly impacts nutrient absorption and bioavailability, influencing the food's effectiveness in fulfilling the pet's health needs. Despite its significance, why do some companies avoid sharing digestibility results? The reasons are twofold: some companies skip testing altogether, while others fear the market's response to less-than-ideal results. Conducting these tests in controlled environments is crucial for accurate measurements and analysis, ensuring the food's quality and effectiveness are properly evaluated. If not, YOUR dog is their test subject! In conclusion, digestibility trials play a pivotal role in assessing pet food quality, with results indicating the food's nutrient absorption levels. Understanding and sharing digestibility results is essential to ensure that your pet receives the best nutrition possible. Does the food you give your pet test and share their digestibility? #petnutrition #petcare #digestibility #whatareyouhiding #qualitypetfood

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Politics aside, I think we can all agree that WAY too many direct CPG brands are reeling right now 😥 And it’s truly sad as the founders have put their🩸, sweat and tears into these businesses, which now have: 🏪 Strong retail distribution 🥫 Unique products with true-ish differentiation 😋 Great flavor profile and hedonics 🌀 Relevant and well designed branding 💲 Price points that align with target audience So why are they failing? Three major reasons that I’m seeing: 1) Lack of investor commitment:  Previous standbys in the Food/Bev VC space have not secured new funding or now have alligator-arms when reaching for more funding as they have been ‘burned’ by this category.  So financing has to be more creative and linked to specific milestones.  2) MVPs don’t work in food:  Those who come into the industry hoping to create and launch a ‘minimally viable product’, and then upgrade regularly in the future like they do in tech, are quickly realizing that is not possible.  The regulatory environment, manufacturing, and retail make that much more difficult in this category.  And if you launch a brand that doesn’t do well, consumers and retailers won’t take another look when you upgrade it! 3) Supply chain costs are crazy:  Ingredient costs are increasing weekly for certain raws (e.g. organic cacao), strength of third-party manufacturers (who have full production schedules) and their ability to flex pricing and schedule are impacting businesses, and transportation costs have increased to get products to the end consumer. I’m sure in the future we’ll look back at this period as one of creative survival, innovation, and collaboration, but right now it just sucks 👎 for so many brands and businesses out there and I feel for you. If you are one of these brands or know of one, feel free to reach out 📲 to see if the folks here at Palm Venture Studios would want to take a look.

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Preservation primer. When purchasing personal care products, I look for 2 things: the active ingredient and the preservative. If neither is there, back on the shelf it goes. I was so concerned about the importance of preservatives that I coined the phrase "preservative diversity" and "preservative palette" as part of preservative innovation challenge with GC3 (now change chemistry) years ago. Let's take a closer look at the world of preservation. Preservation actually isn't just preservatives. In fact, preservatives is the last step. It starts with GMP (water treatment, raw materials, sanitization, etc). Followed by physical protection in packaging design, and then physicochemical protection in formulation design (water activity, emulsion, pH), and then finally the choice of preservatives. It's easy to confuse antimicrobrials and preservatives. Antimicrobrials are bactericidal (kills bacteria), while preservatives are bacteriostatic (prevents growth). Bacteriostatis comes low concentrations that perturbate or increase porosity of cell walls, interfere with enzymes, inhibit nucleic acid replication, and chelate metals. Also don't confuse antioxidants with preservatives. They have a different meaning in cosmetic science. But this same biological activity can also result in irritation, sensitization, and toxicity. Since preservatives are used in virtually in every personal care product, safety must be evaluated as an aggregate across the sector. This is why many countries set harmonized limits, often by product category, set and reset based on usage patterns and new safety data. Conventional preservatives include acids, alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, formaldehydes, isothiazolinones, biguanide, and quats. Inherent safety and performance profiles differ greatly. Newer is the emergence of multifunctional ingredients or "preservative boosters" that by themselves are not good at preservation, but work synergistically to improve performance and reduce the concentration of preservatives, adopted in more modern personal care products. "The inherent toxicity of these ingredients is a problem that the cosmetic industry should be concerned about. Therefore, it is necessary to continue the search for non-toxic and effective preservatives." Safe conventionals + Innovative multifunctionals. This is the way ...

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General Mills spoke recently at a Barclays investor event and used the platform to reassure investors of its plans to return to growth. While it has been a difficult stretch for major CPGs as consumers' wallets are tighter than in years past the company did highlight some indicators suggesting near-term growth. But beyond that General Mills emphasized a need to create a new competitive playbook. They highlighted misses on innovation, pricing movements, and packaging sizes, as areas of concern. Identifying the problem is always the first step, but how do they correct course? Immediate levers to pull like boosting media and trade spending, will improve top lines in the short term, but a commitment to consistent consumer and competitive research is needed to help realize efficiency gains on the bottom line. #Fletcher #CPG #CompetitiveIntelligence https://lnkd.in/gxMcbGDU

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For a brief window in history, the “Cool Dog” was a cultural phenomenon in New England. Boston.com put together an comprehensive chronicle of the rise and fall of this unique brand after Ayo Ederberi brought it back into the spotlight this month and it went viral on TikTok. Nostalgia can be a powerful force. Objectively, the Cool Dog wasn’t particularly good in terms of ingredient quality, but it still strikes a nerve 20 years after its heyday. This makes for a fascinating CPG case study. • What made it so popular in the first place? • Did it really need to disappear so abruptly? • Was there a better way for them to scale without Nestle getting involved? • Would they have done better with a more stable, diversified base of retailers? • If someone could make it again, but actually make it GOOD, would it be a huge hit, or have consumers moved on from gimmicks like this? Pod Foods Nosh.com #cooldog #sethmeyers #nostalgia #innovation https://lnkd.in/eSdxRXjT

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I think consumer feedback is often under used by emerging CPG brands… Coming from a Kraft Foods general management upbringing and then experiencing start-ups for many years, I’m often thinking about which “big company” practices could bring value to young emerging companies while not screwing up their great entrepreneurial culture and founder brilliance. The one area I continue to see a gap in is “entrepreneurial” consumer feedback/market research—the lack of fast/low cost consumer research options (or even confirmation research) discussed to prevent a low velocity SKU to get delisted, to maximize brand communication, and avoid wasted spend or lost opportunity on the back end. There are some great research companies out there, but their costs (while valid and worth it) are just not in the ballpark for what many founders want to spend for or go through the time on. Sometimes it’s a lot more natural for founders to go with their gut and not get bogged down by research. And I totally get this, and it does work in many instances.   I just wish there were more options out there to efficiently confirm purchase interest between two packages or between new innovation ideas to complement founder gut. In the end, it could save the emerging brand money…. Thought I’d reach out to the linkedin community, PLEASE not from research companies selling their research, but from founders/emerging brand marketers who have been through this dilemma and have found some consumer feedback very helpful and fitting for emerging brand bootstrap budget and speed (even if their own tools or alternative ways they’ve brought in consumers more)?  This sharing might help more companies maximize their moves in the future…so hope it helps… thanks! #ConsumerFeedback #jcbgrowth

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Mitch Louch, great observations. The polar ends of the affordability vs. premiumization shopping behaviors are unfortunately getting wider. They also seem clearer, at least, from the perspective of CPG brands having to position their offerings against that. What is less clear and what is difficult to navigate is the space and the shopper cohorts in between. It's in this gray area where those seemingly contradictory behaviors are manifesting themselves. It is certainly the toughest place to be if your established or emerging brand is in this space.

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Two things: 1) Helena Bottemiller Evich's Foodfix is an unbelievable source of great info on food policy and what's happening behind the scenes. The subscription is essential in my view for senior leaders across food. Such great journalism, and 2) Holy smokes this lightly/un-regulated compounding of GLP-1 drugs and resulting massive availability at very low prices to consumers is something most food leaders probably probably do not fully understand. Scary from both potential health impacts from dosing and/or quality issues, AND for the potential for much wider and faster adoption of the drugs, and implications for food industry volumes. The most common push-back from industry is that because the drugs are too expensive, they will spread slow and with limited food volume impact. Nope, now you can buy this stuff from hundreds of online sources that are compounding it very openly and as a result it has the potential to spread very fast and wide, and likely already is. Food volumes seem very stubbornly stuck across many categories. Just a coincidence? I do not know, but it sure seems like an interesting question to ask and get under.

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! Functional Innovation Alert ! GURU is launching a new line of ZERO SUGAR organic energy drinks in the US starting with Amazon and Life Time Fitness. 🌱 While many claim "zero sugar," they often sneak in artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame—ingredients linked to potential health risks. At GURU, we take a different path. 💯 Organic, zero sugar, zero sucralose, zero aspartame. ⚡️ Ready for an energy boost that’s as clean as it is powerful? 🌱💪 hashtag #CleanEnergy hashtag #ZeroSugar hashtag #OrganicEnergy hashtag #NoSucralose hashtag #NoAspartame hashtag

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Errol Schweizer has the right idea: Solidarity. This is a time for action, and Pod Foods is going to do our part. I have seen a lot of comments about how “innovation is in trouble” or “small scale retailers like Foxtrot don’t move the needle for emerging brands” Not true. Consumer demand for Foxtrot’s innovative products was strong from day one and it is still strong RIGHT NOW. We have two years of store level movement history on 250+ innovative SKUs from their stores to prove it. That demand didn’t go away yesterday, and for retailers ready to ACT, opportunity knocks. Fresh Thyme Market and Go Grocer : you both have HUGE opportunity to take on this business in Chicagoland. Central Market : Foxtrot’s stores in Dallas and Austin were ordering heavily until 2 days ago. These are your customers, if you can get them their product. MOM's Organic Market : Foxtrot’s cusotmers in DC/MD/VA were absolutely positively also MOM’s cusotmers and now they need a place to buy these items. Whole Foods Market Jeff Turnas Lee Robinson DoorDash Robyn Finster … you can capitalize on all of this demand in each of these three key markets if you want it. Of course, we would love to distribute all of this product to you. We have the inventory in these warehouses RIGHT NOW and we can deliver it to your stores tomorrow. We’re good at this. But if you would rather that one of your other distributors handles it…that fine with us also. Have them pick up the inventory and we’ll share all of the movement information with you so you can transition smoothly, we just want to see these brands thrive. This is not charity. This is a golden opportunity to gain market share. These innovative brands are the leading indicators of growth in the industry and if you carry them, you will improve your comp sales. Retailers, We have a box of innovation ready for you to sample with these brands in it, in case you haven’t tried them, and we’ll share movement and inventory data as necessary. Mateen Pouyafar Brady Becker Austin Benzinger Olivia Mazurek Maxwell Blessen Victor Guardiola Jordan Hicks Brittney Cook Kim Cook Lex Evan® Isabella "Bella" Hughes Semira Nikou Ashley Nickelsen Benjamin Witte Jonas Hanna Josh Schroeter … …Repost and get the word out. There is over $500k of sales here next month across your brands combined. Together that is enough for retailers to take action with. Caroline Grace Melissa Pashko Dirty Hands Green Spoon Sales SMB Sales & Marketing Total Quality Logistics Flowspace Clint Chao #innovation #solidarity #foxtrot #podfoods

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It's time for an update on the #Foxtrot Solidarity recovery plan, 2 days in: We at Pod Foods did our small part to initiate the conversation and the Industry has stepped up to the challenge. Anything is possible with this kind of collective spirit. Some of the heroic and smart actions already taken in the past 24 hours to turn this crisis into an opportunity: Fresh Thyme Market has samples en route of multiple excellent ex-Foxtrot brands for review to sell in their Innovation Program. Kristen Tucker Jonathan Lawrence Misfits Market has agreed to purchase some of the Foxtrot Inventory from each of the three warehouses in Chicago, Texas, and Baltimore and sell it on their platform. Jessie Kimsey Kelly Nigh DoorDash has already added multiple ex-Foxtrot items to several regions on their DashMart marketplace Robyn Finster Chex Finer Foods has offered to help purchase surplus inventory from multiple brands and sell to their customer base. Jeremy Isenberg Central Market is reviewing the products now to see how they can help turn this into a win-win opportunity for all of their stakeholders in Texas. David Leuthold Tomorrow we're meeting with new partners who have stepped forward with interest in how they can help Crafty John Kreller and Harvie Simon Huntley There are many more who will be added to this list in the coming days. The main message here is that in every crisis there is opportunity For any brands who delivered direct to Foxtrot without us or was using another distributor with them: you are welcome in this forum also and we can use the power of this industry to help you, too! Geem, heywell...and on and on and on until everyone is right. Brady Becker Austin Benzinger Olivia Mazurek Maxwell Blessen Victor Guardiola Lex Evan® Isabella "Bella" Hughes Semira Nikou Ashley Nickelsen Benjamin Witte Jonas Hanna Josh Schroeter Caroline Grace Melissa Pashko Dirty Hands Green Spoon Sales SMB Sales & Marketing Total Quality Logistics Flowspace Jake Benedict #innovation #solidarity #foxtrot #podfoods

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Nestlé missing top-line consensus, while keeping 2024 guidance unchanged Sequential improvements expected on the back of a lot of one-offs (frozen, NHS...) & innovations/ marketing spend acceleration on billionaire brands in the back of the year Historic growth drivers have now significantly decelerated (mostly US, Pet, Coffee) while challenges have remained (NHS, Food) Will the innovations/ marketing spend acceleration on billionaire brands coupled with better execution be enough to fully put Nestle on the mid-single digit growth path? Answers in the next quarters Full details below: Nestle Q1 FY24 results summary • NR: CHF 22.1bn • OSG (organic sales growth): 1.4%; Volume: -2%; Price/ mix: 3.4% • Volume impacted by soft consumer demand, particularly in North America, and the temporary supply constraints for vitamins, minerals and supplements • By product category: Purina PetCare was the largest contributor to OSG, fueled by continued momentum for science-based premium brands, Purina ONE, Fancy Feast and Friskies Result by zones: • North America: CHF 5.8bn net sales; OSG -2.5% (Volume: -5.8%, Price mix: 3.3%) • Europe: CHF 4.6bn net sales; OSG: 4.4% (Volume: -0.2%, Price mix: 4.6%) • Asia, Oceania and Africa: CHF 4.2bn net sales; OSG: 3.6% (Volume: -0.4%, Price mix: 4.1%) • LATAM: CHF 3.1bn net sales; OSG: 3.1% (Volume: -0.8%, Price mix: 3.9%) • Greater China: CHF 1.2bn net sales; OSG: 3.7% (Volume: 2.1%, Price mix: 1.5%) • Nestle Health Science: CHF 1.5bn net sales; OSG: -1.8% (Volume: -3.6%, Price mix: 1.9%) • Nespresso: CHF 1.5bn net sales; OSG: -1.8% (Volume: -3.6%, Price mix: 1.9%) Results by division: • Powdered and Liquid Beverage: CHF 5.8bn net sales; OSG 1.6% (Volume: -1.4%, Price mix: 3.0%) • Water: CHF 0.7bn net sales; OSG 4.3% (Volume: -1.6%, Price mix: 5.9%) • Milk Products & Ice-Cream: CHF 2.6bn net sales; OSG -0.6% (Volume: -2.3%, Price mix: 1.7%) • Nutrition & Health Science: CHF 3.7bn net sales; OSG 0.7% (Volume: -2.5%, Price mix: 3.2%) • Prepared dishes & cooking aids: CHF 2.6bn net sales; OSG -4.2% (Volume: -6.5%, Price mix: 2.3%) • Confectionary: CHF 2.0bn net sales; OSG 6.3% (Volume: 0.4%, Price mix: 5.9%) • PetCare: CHF 4.6bn net sales; OSG 4.3% (Volume: -0.4%, Price mix: 4.7%) Analyst Consensus: Missed analysts’ consensus for OSG FY24 guidance: Confirmed • OSG: ~4% • Underlying operating profit: Moderate increase • Underlying EPS: Increase between 6-10% Interesting quarters ahead for Nestlé 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀/ 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #cpg #fmcg #strategy Frederic Fernandez & Associates

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The last two years have been a golden time to innovate in #cpg with #emergingbrands. The next year looks like more of the same. Golden because consumers and retailers want it, and very few brands & companies are actually doing it. Lowest levels of Mintel tracked innovation since 1996. There's a million reasons why, but seriously it's a huge opportunity. Zigging while everyone else is zagging works. It's easier to get attention, distribution, and the lack of competition lets you run farther, faster, & more efficiently. I suspect that innovation pipelines are starting to fill up again, but it takes 18-24 months to really get chugging. There's still a big window in many categories. Retailers were voracious for innovation at #expowest2024 and they remain so. The window is there, but the challenges to get through it in some ways have never been harder. https://lnkd.in/gPdvTcqa

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𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗨𝗦 𝗙𝗼𝗼𝗱 We expect the world largest food FMCG players to accelerate plants closure in a context volume keeps dropping as price elasticity materializes, especially in the US, which is the most exposed to the current de-consumption/ downtrading trend (cf. last quarters results of the world largest food FMCG companies) US Food (which is nothing less than ~25% of the global FMCG market) is the most exposed for few reasons: 1) Food has the some of the lowest gross margin in the FMCG industry so the operational deleverage (the profitability decline driven by volume decline) is there one of the most violent (it is not uncommon to see 200bps volume decline for a F&B business translating into ~80 bps profitability decline - the challenge is some US food businesses are declining 1-3% now for 2 years) meaning that on-going manufacturing footprint adjustment is critical to maintain a competitive cost-base 2) Food has recorded some of its poorest volume performance over the last 2 years in the US (cf. performance of Campbell's, General Mills, Kraft Heinz but also US entities of some of the world largest food companie - e.g. Mondelēz International) 3) The overall in a context where the average US consumer calories in-take is ~4000 calories (where it should be 2000 calories) & where GLP1 drugs penetrations (currently 13%) keep increasing The overall could objectively create a perfect storm More details in our Q1 2024 results publication: 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀: 𝗤𝟭 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗢𝘂𝘁 https://lnkd.in/eqtWZjxV 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰 (𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲) 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 Exciting times To read our last publication on how to accelerate organic (volume) growth: 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢𝘀: 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 (𝗩𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗲) 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗢𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝗦𝗵𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆 - 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗭𝗕𝗕 𝘁𝗼 𝗭𝗕𝗚® (𝗭𝗲𝗿𝗼-𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱-𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵) https://lnkd.in/eV5d39VE 𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀, 𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝘂𝘀 & 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗠𝗖𝗚 𝗖𝗘𝗢 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿: https://lnkd.in/ea4gy65y #fmcg #cpg Nestlé The Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo AB InBev Unilever Procter & Gamble Mondelēz International Kraft Heinz L'Oréal Danone The HEINEKEN Company Bel Reckitt Kenvue Sanofi Haleon Pernod Ricard Diageo General Mills Campbell's Conagra Brands The Hershey Company JDE Peet's Ferrero Mars Lindt & Sprüngli https://lnkd.in/eRRHKVXN

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#RTDs are all the rage in the #Beverage industry these days. Rightfully so. New spirited concoctions hitting the market seemingly every week, attracting young consumers at college campuses, night clubs and beach parties all across the country. But for beverage companies, just getting in the mix won't cut it. In this article, our AlixPartners beverage experts explore the foundational drivers behind the RTD revolution and provide valuable advice for those who want to cash in. Enjoy the read... #CPG #Growth #Strategy #WhenItReallyMatters

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Todays big Mars news feels to me like a big deal for the consumer food, personal care & health & wellness M&A market. Often it takes just one big rock to fall to start an avalanche in either the IPO or M&A markets. Analysts have been pointing to core brand growth challenges at big CPG & US retail for a while, and the growing pressure that brings to either buy (or divest) for better growth rates, or to consolidate for efficiencies. That pressure is at a bursting point, and I think we'll see a lot of both. With the fed likely sending rates lower, it seems like '25 and '26 are about to get real crazy on all ends of the #emergingbrand through #bigcpg M&A spectrum. Good time to be a quality consumer M&A banker, LOL. What do you think and see out there on this question?

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Biologicodemographics (Multiclusivity or Skinclusivity part 2). OK. I just made up this term. As an analogy to sociodemographics, biologicodemographics refers to biology and demographic characteristics of a specific group of individuals, such as skin types, age, gender, environment, etc, which are crucial for decision-making processes when purchasing and using products. It allows both brands and consumers to enter into an intimate dialogue on products and ingredients solutions vs. personal biological needs/wants. Not just individual products, but combinations of products, and combinations of ingredients based on biological probabilities. There is so much about our skin biology and the science of healthy skin, that we know. Melanin. Barrier. Repair. Sensitivity. Moisture. Aging. And more. But I had to admit this. The beauty sector however still generally formulates products for the median consumer, average skin biology, a one size fits no one very well approach. We've made tremendous progress on oily/dry/sensitive, but other biology types are a bit of an after thought. Consumers just don't have the resources, time, or luxury to experiment with their skincare that just don't work for them. Adding complexity, societies and people are blending. We're going to need to define new, more relevant ways to describe multiclusive skin biology types. And genetic testing is changing the way we speak about ourselves. Aren't we all more or less multicultural, and isn't all of our skin somewhere along a continuous spectrum? Biologicodemographics doesn't exist. But it should.

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🚀 Mars-Kellanova Deal: A Game-Changer in the Global Snacking Industry Mars $36 billion acquisition of Kellanova is a bold move aimed at diversifying its product offerings and expanding into the rapidly growing savory snacks market. With Kellanova’s iconic brands like Pringles, Cheez-It, and Pop-Tarts, Mars is set to complement its existing portfolio and position itself as a leader in the global snacking category. This acquisition adds approximately $13 billion in annual sales from Kellanova, increasing Mars' total revenue to over $63 billion annually. 🔗 Key Highlights Brand Synergy: The combined portfolios create a snacking powerhouse, opening up opportunities for cross-promotion and innovation. Cultural Alignment: Both companies share a strong values-based leadership approach, ensuring a smooth integration process. Regulatory Screening: The deal is expected to withstand regulatory scrutiny, with analysts noting that while large, the acquisition should not raise significant antitrust concerns due to the complementary nature of the companies' product lines​. Financial Commitment: The deal’s valuation includes a premium of 44% over Kellanova’s 30-day trading average, reflecting Mars' confidence in long-term growth, despite the high investment​ 💪 Biggest Strengths Mars: Mars’ biggest strength lies in its proven brand-building capabilities and its leadership in the global confectionery market. With a 13.3% share of the global confectionery market, Mars has consistently demonstrated its ability to grow and sustain brands through strategic innovation and marketing. Kellanova: Kellanova’s strength is its diverse and globally recognized snacking portfolio, which includes some of the most beloved snack brands in the world. The company operates in 21 countries and markets its products in over 180 countries, giving it a vast global footprint​. ⚠️ Top Challenges Achieving Financial Returns: Mars will need to drive significant growth and cost synergies to justify the high acquisition price (16.4x of Kellanova’s last twelve months (LTM) adjusted EBITDA) Innovation Pressure: Refreshing Kellanova’s mature brands to meet evolving consumer preferences will be crucial. Navigating Market Dynamics: The competitive snacking industry requires Mars to stay agile and responsive to market changes. 👥 Consumer Impact Consumers can expect an expanded range of snacking options, improved global availability of Kellanova’s brands, and a stronger focus on “better-for-you” products and sustainability initiatives. This landmark deal sets a new precedent in the snacking industry, signaling a shift towards greater consolidation and the continued importance of innovation in driving growth. It’s a pivotal moment that will likely influence the future of snacking on a global scale. #Mars #Kellanova #Acquisition #BusinessStrategy #SnackingIndustry #ConsumerGoods #Innovation #Sustainability #Regulation #Strength Peak North

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