by Jeff Slater | Oct 7, 2016 | Foodpreneurs, Interesting Brands, Marketing Start Ups
Why dilute expensive whiskey with ice when you can chill it with a cube of frozen soapstone? When a group of entrepreneurs suffered from having their expensive whiskey diluted with ice cubes, they knew they had to fix a problem. They took a commodity and made it into...
by Jeff Slater | Sep 28, 2016 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Start Ups, Personal Stories
Over the last few months, I interviewed ten owners of small to mid-sized food and beverage companies to learn more about their marketing efforts. Some companies are in their first year while others are in their second decade. Having built a food business with my wife,...
by Jeff Slater | Sep 26, 2016 | Foodpreneurs, Interesting Brands, Marketing Advice, Marketing Start Ups
Among shelves filled with fancy water with the essence of lavender, vitamins or from deep below the ground in Bora Bora, is a water named Fred. Fred. Instead of gorgeous graphics or elegant bottle shape is a flat, flask-like product that is disruptive by being –...
by Jeff Slater | Sep 21, 2016 | Branding Issues, Foodpreneurs, Interesting Brands, Marketing Advice
Sheila wants to cook more homemade meals for her family but like many, is time constrained. Her hectic life is a constant merry-go-round. She has titles like full-time mom, wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and sales manager. Her days are filled with to-do lists that...
by Jeff Slater | Sep 12, 2016 | Branding Issues, Foodpreneurs, Interesting Brands, Marketing Advice
Some companies and organizations are made up of many brands, not just one. When I was VP of Marketing at ConAgra’s Snack Food division, the company had a portfolio of at least 15 snack food products they marketed. Each brand had its own look, feel and personality....
by Jeff Slater | Sep 9, 2016 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Start Ups
I am honored to be speaking today at the North Carolina Specialty Foods Association. This is an organization of small to mid-sized companies who gather to share best practices for selling high-quality specialty foods from barbecue sauce to burrata cheese. My friend...
