by Jeff Slater | Apr 19, 2026 | Interesting Brands, Marketing Advice
Most food companies start with a consumer insight, a trend report, or a gap on the shelf. Row 7 Seed Company started somewhere else entirely. They started in the dirt. Founded in 2018 by chef Dan Barber, Cornell University plant breeder Michael Mazourek, and organic...
by Jeff Slater | Apr 12, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
Why food and beverage brands should take foodservice seriously Most food and beverage brands treat retail as the finish line. Get on a shelf at Whole Foods or land a regional chain, and you’ve made it. Foodservice, if it comes up at all, gets dismissed as...
by Jeff Slater | Apr 5, 2026 | Interesting Brands, Marketing Advice
What’s in your consideration set for energy bars? Every week, I walk the energy/granola/power bar aisle at Whole Foods in Raleigh and make the same set of decisions. The aisle is long. The options are endless. There are 213 choices. And yet, I always come out with...
by Jeff Slater | Mar 29, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
When founder Joelle Weinand decided to build a better-for-you chocolate milk, she wasn’t just chasing another wellness trend. She was chasing permission. Permission for adults to enjoy something they loved as kids without guilt. Permission to be a little weird...
by Jeff Slater | Mar 22, 2026 | Marketing Advice
And Why Followers No Longer Matter Like They Used To I have spent most of my career in marketing. Forty-five years of building brands, shaping strategy, and advising companies across food and beverage, CPG, and beyond. I understand audience psychology, positioning,...
by Jeff Slater | Mar 15, 2026 | Foodpreneurs, Marketing Advice
The functional beverage space is more crowded than ever. Every day, consumers face an endless array of options promising energy boosts, gut health benefits, and clean ingredients. Olipop, Poppi, and newer entrants are battling for shelf space in natural foods...
