Episodes

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin discuss how businesses are handling today’s volatile political landscape. They share stories of companies that have taken a political stance and survived the mob as well as explaining why political activism is not necessarily the right move for every company. Mark and Justin recommend what to look for and understand before attaching your company to a group or cause. They explain the importance of going “All in” and recognizing that that you’re pu...

On this episode of CPG Insider, Mark and Justin discuss some of the scams that are perpetrated on CPG advertisers. With the ongoing economic shifts, these scams are becoming more and more popular. The guys share some tips to protect you from falling for some of the common schemes that are out there. They explain how these schemes target both small and up and coming CPG products. Mark and Justin also share how you can tell if something is a scam or not. Finally, they explain that while the scams ...

On this episode of CPG insiders, Mark and Justin are joined by Cody Whittick, from Kynship. Cody joins the guys to discuss social influencers and how they can benefit your product. They discuss the true measure of leveraging social influencers and what your focus should be before pursuing a social influencer. Cody explains the importance of the content and sheds light on why you should not focus on the follower count of the influencer. He shares what really matters when looking at social media ...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin address getting back to work and what that will look like. They discuss the importance of mitigating risk for both employees and employers. They explain the importance sticking to your company’s long-term goals and discovering what adjustments your company must make following the pandemic. Mark and Justin share why it is importance to stay on the gas right now and why the companies that have done so have been successful. Finally, discuss some of...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin are joined by Ashish Talati. Ashish leads an FDA practice and is one of the industry’s foremost experts on FDA regulatory matters. He is also very knowledgeable when it comes marketing law. Mark and Justin ask Ashish for his opinion of what can - and cannot - be said about certain products. They explore the importance of understanding what category your product will fall under and the difference between the categories. They address the differenc...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin share why you should not bail on advertising during the COVID-19 pandemic. They explain the affect this is having on American’s media consumption and how it’s a silver lining for advertisers. Specifically, they discuss where those opportunities to connect can be found. Mark and Justin also review two factors consumers need to buy a product: mental availability and physical availability. They explain the importance of expanding your mental availab...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin talk about buying advertising media for in an election year. They discuss the challenges advertisers can face with the increase in political ads and broadcasts, plus they talk about ways to effectively work in and around a more cluttered advertising space.

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin consider how consumer trends have changed significantly, with a long list of the brick and mortar stores closing in 2020 as evidence. CPG brands need to rethink how they view their business, in terms of where their consumers shop. They discuss the ideal business model of many digital-only businesses, and they talk about the CPG categories for which consumers prefer shopping online. They also consider how marketing for many online businesses expa...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin consider a question that clients often ask them. They run through a number of things to consider about your CPG product when you’re planning your creative and media strategy. This includes what kind of advertising it needs to effectively sell, where it is sold, who the target demographic is, as well as other constraints.

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin talk about guarantees ad why they can help sales for your products. Most ad agencies push concepts like “awareness” (in its myriad forms) and intent-to-buy as goals for their clients to achieve through advertising. Jekyll & Hyde Advertising is different, focusing on measurable, tangible metrics like increased sales for your products. Because of this, J&H is the only agency to offer a guarantee on their work for new clients. Learn more about the ...

On this episode, Mark and Justin discuss content marketing (also called native content or native advertising), focusing most on long-form advertising. They discuss how content marketing has changed and how it has stayed the same. People now feel entitled to getting information for free on the Internet, and content marketing takes advantage of that. They discuss some different ways to reach your targeted audience with relevant, in-depth information about your product. They dive a little deeper ...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark and Justin skim the surface of neuro-linguistic programming and how J&H utilizes scientifically proven techniques in their neuro-persuasive advertising. They discuss the conscious mind and how much information it can process, versus the volume that the unconscious mind can manage. They go through a number of techniques to help change consumer behavior. They talk about “power words” that can be used to better land an advertising message with a listener, vie...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark Young and Justin Girouard discuss 7 of the most common mistakes CPG brands make when starting to market their products. After decades of experience in the advertising industry, the team at Jekyll & Hyde have identified many common traps that challenger brands fall into when starting out in the CPG marketplace. Mark and Justin offer up some sound advice for new brands to avoid these pitfalls in order to put themselves on the path to growth.

On this episode, Mark and Justin Girouard, Director of Accounts at J&H, talk about direct response advertising in the modern CPG space. They compare the original, typical model of direct response with what it can look like now, thanks in large part to the Amazon marketplace. Consumer behavior has changed, making people more willing to purchase things directly without ever seeing or touching them ahead of time. This opens up a lot of possibilities for direct-to-consumer companies, and the growin...

On today’s episode, Mark and Robb delve into the murky waters of utilizing well-known celebrity talent within a campaign. A recognizable face and voice in a TV or radio spot can help snag the attention of consumers, driving sales of your product, but there are many things to take into consideration before taking that leap. They discuss the steps that a brand should take before committing to using a celebrity for their campaign. They advise researching a celebrity's political and social viewpoin...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Abe Cohn of the Cohn Legal Group shares his expertise involved with start-up companies and registering trademarks for brands and products. They discuss what makes it more likely for trademarks to gain approval with the Patent and Trademark Office, and what challenges companies can face when naming products. They also consider some of the legalities to be considered before starting a business. They take the conversation deeper as they explore the trademarking and...

On this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark welcomes David Biernbaum back to the show to discuss NACDS. They talk about what to expect from NACDS and how manufacturers trying to get into retail should approach the event. They also offer valuable tips to those attending who already have a place on retailer shelves. They talk about what buyers are looking for in the 12-minute meeting at Meet the Market, as well as what kinds of questions and answers you should have for buyers. You’re going in not to cl...

This episode, Mark invites Brandon Leong of RangeMe onto the podcast to discuss what the platform does to help manufacturers get retail distribution. With nearly half a million brands and a million products listed on the platform, they act as a connecting point for both new and established products with retail buyers and service providers. Mark and Brandon break down the process of working with RangeMe and the ways they facilitate all the things you can do to help your business to get on shelves...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome Steve Anderson, President of Hockfield & Associates, Inc., to share some important information about getting a product into Walgreens. As a manufacturer’s rep that works primarily with the major drug chain, he has an insider perspective that is essential for growing CPG manufacturers to understand. They cover why a well-versed broker is so beneficial for manufacturers introducing products into retail, as well as maintaining their position and finding succe...

On this episode, CPG Insiders welcomes Joe Tarnowski and Sarah Davidson from ECRM to the show. ECRM brings efficiencies and effectiveness to the buying & selling process, by connecting buying and supplies of various categories (food service, CPG, etc.). Joe (VP of Content) and Sarah (SVP of Grocery) expand on the elements of the ECRM program and how vendors can get the most of out of their meetings with buyers. They offer some suggestions on how to be prepared for their different programs. Vis...

Mark and Robb invite Joshua Blake onto the show to discuss the complex ecosystem of the Amazon marketplace. They talk about why it is now in your best interests to have your product or products represented on Amazon, especially if you’re trying to earn shelf space in a brick and mortar store. They also cover a number of challenges that come with selling on Amazon, including resellers, price control, brand image and more. Joshua offers some advice for handling potentially issues. Joshua walks t...

Mark and Robb welcome Roberto Carli of Alloy, a company that works with manufacturers of consumer products to overcome challenges with data and inventory. Retailers are pushing fewer vendors these days, but buyers understand that innovation and higher margins come from smaller players. That means it has never been easier for small companies or startups to break into major retail, if they’re prepared. Mark, Robb and Roberto talk about why vendors need to find access and to actually use retailer...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome master broker David Biernbaum back to the show to discuss the timing of getting your product onto retail shelves. They explore a number of practical recommendations on how to impress buyers during your meeting, as well as the technicalities of what to expect once you have a contract with a retailer. As a manufacturer in the CPG industry, it always helps to have a broker working with you who understands the business already. If you’re lucky enough to get a ...

On this episode, Mark and Robb welcome Amanda Igrisan, Social Media Director at Jekyll & Hyde, to discuss the ins and outs of social media marketing. They talk about how to best use social media, how to handle negative comments and why social media marketing is more than just putting content out for people to see. Social media is a good place for brands to develop their personality, but you also need to build an audience. Amanda discusses some elements of achieving this successfully. They talk...