Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Food Business Marketing | Strategy and Planning Tips to Build Real Food Brands
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| 128. The Real Story Behind a Good Brand Story | 17 Apr 2025 | 00:10:20 | |
If you’ve ever felt unsure about how to tell a compelling brand story, you’re not alone—and there's good news! You might just be starting in the wrong place. In this episode, I share the story behind crafting a meaningful and memorable brand story. That includes why your brand story should support your strategy—not come before it. You’ll learn how to use the 3Cs framework (Company, Competitors, and Consumers...in that order!) to uncover meaningful insights that make your brand story stand out and connect. Tune in to discover:
Whether you’re writing your story for the first time or refining what you've been using so far, this episode will help you write a story that inspires action and loyalty. Let's go shake up shopping carts! Katie Mleziva Brand Strategy Resources: 122. Start Standing Out With These 4 Steps (Food Brand Strategy Blueprint Part 1) 123. Organizing All Your Ideas to Build a Cohesive Brand (Food Brand Strategy Blueprint Part 2) 124. Unlock Your Food Brand’s Full Potential (Food Brand Strategy Blueprint Part 3)IG: @realfoodbrands LI: let's connect! | |||
| 127. Looking for Your Competitive Advantage? Start With Strategy | 10 Apr 2025 | 00:11:43 | |
If you want to stand out in a crowded market, attract the right people, lead your team, and build your food business with confidence, it all starts with strategy. In this episode, host Katie Mleziva shares why brand strategy isn’t just for big brands with big budgets—it’s how smaller, purpose-driven food businesses gain a real competitive edge to scale. Whether you're updating your packaging, pitching to retailers, or working to gain clarity about where you want to take your business, your brand strategy is the foundation that serves as your guide and your glue to tie it all together. In fact, a well-defined brand strategy can be a competitive advantage because most smaller brands don't take the time or know how to do the work and end up blending in to the sea of sameness. You’ll learn:
If you’re tired of second-guessing your brand positioning or feeling stuck when people ask what makes you different, this episode is your pep talk and practical starting point. ✨ Ready to stop spinning and start leading your brand with clarity? Learn more about doing a Brand Audit with Katie. | |||
| 118. Is Pivoting Too Often Hurting Your Food Brand? | 22 Jan 2025 | 00:12:23 | |
Have you ever felt stuck in reaction mode, pivoting too often when things don’t go as planned? Today, we’re diving into 3 ways pivoting too soon might be hurting your food brand more than helping it. We’ll explore why consistency is key to building a memorable brand and how constant changes can drain your budget and energy. Of course, pivoting has its place, but the trick is knowing when to hold steady and when to adjust. Planning does not have to come at the expense of action. Without any sort of strategy or plan, how will you know what actions to prioritize, and how to optimize if things don't turn out as planned? I encourage you to create a plan to Define, Align & Activate your brand strategy, and then LEAN IN with confidence for your own piece of mind, to manage your team better, and manage your expenses. If you could use guidance in the process, I am happy to support you! Contact me about a Brand Audit review session or my signature Brand Strategy System. You can get started by visiting my website www.realfoodbrands.com and send me a message if you have any questions! In case nobody told you today, your work in the food industry is important and I’m so glad you’re here. Now, let’s go shake up shopping carts! | |||
| Key Insights From Natural Products Expo West | 03 Apr 2019 | 00:30:04 | |
The Natural Products Expo West show is an exciting gathering of people dedicated to shaking up shopping carts, and the energy was infectious. The convention covers 555,000 square feet of booths and brings in over eighty-five thousand people over the course of a week. Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast host Katie Mleziva is back with insights on where the industry is headed and what trends you can tap into for your brand. In This Episode:
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| How Brand Strategy Brings Consistency, Efficiency and Value to Your Company | 20 Mar 2019 | 00:21:57 | |
In this episode of The Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host Katie Mleziva talks about why your brand strategy should come first as you launch or scale your food or beverage business. Katie shares four ways that documenting your brand strategy supports your business goals: clarifying your vision and setting your north star, streamlining decision making and aligning your team, preparing for buyer and investor meetings and saving you time and money. In This Episode:
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| 7 Ways to Optimize Your Social Media Marketing Plan -- with Kara Hanninen | 06 Mar 2019 | 00:40:41 | |
Kara Hanninen, Founder and CEO of Craveity Marketing, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss all things social media marketing, from choosing the right platform, to ads, to influencers...and more! In This Episode:
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| Food Industry Trade Show Tips to Maximize Success - with Alli Ball | 20 Feb 2019 | 00:46:12 | |
Alli Ball, Creator of Retail ReadyTM and Founder of Allison Ball Consulting, returns to the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss selecting the right food & bev industry trade show events and maximizing your trade show success, as well as tips to avoid common pitfalls. In This Episode:
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| Building Trust With Brand Consistency | 06 Feb 2019 | 00:44:25 | |
Ainsley Moir, Founder and Chief Brand Engineer of Engineer Your Brand, joins Katie Mleziva on the Real Food Marketing Brands Podcast to discuss the value of consistency in everything you do in both the front end and backend operations of your business in order to build your food or beverage brand.
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| How to Find Your Unfair Advantage | 23 Jan 2019 | 00:19:50 | |
Join host Katie Mleziva as she outlines ways to identify theunique “unfair advantage” that sets your food or beverage brand apart from the rest of the market.
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| Living the Brand with J. Henry Bourbon | 09 Jan 2019 | 00:27:24 | |
Joe Henry of J. Henry Bourbon joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss the importance of setting a brand strategy and then delivering on your promises through consistent operational and marketing excellence in order to help your company stand out in a crowded marketplace.
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| How to Fuel Growth With Your Brand Strategy | 26 Dec 2018 | 00:16:11 | |
Join host Katie Mleziva as she discusses the ways a clearly defined brand strategy can keep you on track to meeting your goals and help you bring more value to your customers. In This Episode:
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| How Brooklyn Delhi Blends Cultures in Taste and Design | 12 Dec 2018 | 00:39:56 | |
Chitra Agrawal and Ben Garthus, founders of Brooklyn Delhi, join the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss taking inspiration from their personal backgrounds and leveraging their professional expertise in food blogging and packaging design firm to start their own food company.
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| Using Email Marketing to Build Your Brand | 28 Nov 2018 | 00:34:20 | |
Anna Sonnenberg, Owner of Sonnenberg Media, joins Katie Mleziva on the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss email marketing strategy as part of your integrated marketing plan, and why email is certainly not dead. In This Episode:
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| 117. Achieve Clarity, Confidence, and Consistency in Your Food Business with a Brand-First Approach | 10 Oct 2024 | 00:10:55 | |
In this episode, Katie Mleziva, Food Brand Strategist and host of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast shares how taking a brand-first approach can help you prioritize ideas and take aligned action to build a strong, cohesive food brand that stands out. Whether you’re just starting or have been in the business for a while, this approach ensures you lead with strategy, not just tactics. Key Takeaways:
3 Steps to Take a Brand-First Approach:
In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
Join the Conversation:
Work with Katie: If you’re ready to define your Brand Strategy North Star and make more aligned business decisions, connect with Katie to see if her 1:1 Brand Strategy Playbook program is a good fit. Or, if you’d like to start with an assessment of where you are today, learn more about the One Room Test. These spots fill up quickly, so don’t wait!
Now, let's go shake up shopping carts! | |||
| 3 Ways to Rally Your Team Around Your Brand | 14 Nov 2018 | 00:15:36 | |
Katie Mleziva, Host of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast offers three simple ways you can engage your team to help you build a strong brand. In This Episode:
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| How Soom Foods Is Building a Category One Relationship at a Time | 31 Oct 2018 | 00:39:48 | |
Amy Zitelman, Co-Founder of Soom Foods, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss building awareness and trial of the tahini category in the US market.
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| How to Build a Framework for Innovation | 17 Oct 2018 | 00:28:32 | |
Ryan Pintado-Vertner, Founder of Smoketown LLC, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss how solving problems for your customers fuels innovation. In This Episode:
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| How to Activate Your Brand Strategy | 03 Oct 2018 | 00:18:02 | |
Join host Katie Mleziva as she discusses the importance of taking a Brand Management approach to integrate your brand strategy into every aspect of your food business.
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| Why Marketing Research Is the First Step to Success | 19 Sep 2018 | 00:30:30 | |
Carrie Arndt, Senior Research Executive at MMR Research Worldwide, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss ways good marketing research can help you stand out from the competition and connect with your ideal customers. In This Episode:
Quotes: “Format and structure have a huge influence on success.” — Carrie Arndt “It is important to visually represent the experience of the product while staying aligned with the promise of the brand.” — Carrie Arndt “Emerging brands need to ground themselves in their own identity.” — Carrie Arndt Resources: | |||
| How FMI Emerge Helps Brands Find More Shelf Space | 05 Sep 2018 | 00:24:56 | |
Julie Pryor, Director, Emerging Brands at Food Marketing Institute, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss FMI Emerge and helping emerging food and beverage brands gain more shelf space.
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| 10 Steps to Creating an Effective Creative Brief | 22 Aug 2018 | 00:20:16 | |
Learn how to write a creative brief that helps align your creative team with your strategy in order to achieve your business goals.
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| 7 Steps to Naming a Product or Company | 08 Aug 2018 | 00:20:08 | |
Episode 11: Brainstorming a product or company name can be hard work, but having a process to inspire you and tie your efforts back to your strategy make your efforts more efficient and effective. In this solo episode, Katie explains how to develop a name that is both creative and strategic. In This Episode:
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| 3 Tips to Assess New Business Opportunities | 25 Jul 2018 | 00:20:21 | |
Layne Booth, Owner and Operations Catalyst for Small Businesses at The Project Booth, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss profitably scaling your business and questions to ask when assessing new opportunities. In This Episode:
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| Why a Clear Brand Strategy Matters When Seeking Financing | 11 Jul 2018 | 00:37:53 | |
Tera Johnson, Founder of teraswhey and the Food Finance Institute, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss food financing and why a clear brand strategy is crucial when building your business and approaching investors.
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| 116. How Trying to Build Your Food Brand Could Be Holding You Back | 10 Sep 2024 | 00:12:17 | |
Your Brand Strategy requires careful word choice, and so does how you talk about your plans with your team and partners. Listen to this episode for one easy, but important shift that will instill confidence in your brand! I'm your host and Food Brand Strategist, Katie Mleziva. I spent years in Brand Management at big companies before I left the corporate world to follow my vision of working with smaller, more entrepreneurial brands . Together we can use a Brand Management Mindset™ to shake up shopping carts and help more people get access to real food! In this episode: 1) The reason I encourage you to swap "we're trying to" for "we're working to." 2) Why your word choice matters when you're sharing your plans. 3) What my dad apparently has in common with Yoda :) 4) Other weak words you may want to swap for stronger ones or eliminate altogether. If you’re ready to bring your vision to life and create an integrated plan to make all of your day-to-day decisions easier and more aligned, we can talk through whether my 1:1 Brand Strategy Playbook program is a good fit. Or, if you’re working to prioritize all the ideas in your head and you want to carve out space to do this with me in a strategic way using my IdeaSetting™ framework, let’s book that 90-minute Idea Sounding Board session - it will give you so much clarity on the next steps that align with your goals. If you’re at a point where you have a clear vision but are at a crossroads and need some strategic time together, I’d love to hear from you. You can email me at katie@realfoodbrands.com . Now, let's go shake up shopping carts! | |||
| How to Define Your Ideal Audience Using Personas | 27 Jun 2018 | 00:15:34 | |
Join host Katie Mleziva as she breaks down audience personas and gives practical steps to identifying your ideal customer.
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| Package Design that Pops Off the Shelf | 13 Jun 2018 | 00:28:55 | |
Nancy and Bob Frame, Owners of Nancy Frame Design and the creative minds behind the Whole Foods 365 package designs, join the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss what makes good food package design and common pitfalls to avoid.
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| 6 Steps to Developing an Integrated Food Marketing Plan | 30 May 2018 | 00:26:20 | |
Katie outlines six key steps to building an integrated marketing plan for your food or beverage business, and gives examples to help you create or refine your own plan. In This Episode:
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| How to Set Up Your Next Buyer Meeting for Success | 16 May 2018 | 00:24:17 | |
Allison Ball, Founder of Allison Ball Consulting, joins the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to discuss practical ways to land meetings with retail buyers, improve your sales pitch and how to follow up after.
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| Why Your Food Brand Should Be on Amazon | 02 May 2018 | 00:27:49 | |
It's no secret Amazon is interested in the food business. Today we're talking about the impact of e-commerce on food distribution and how you can use Amazon to grow your business with Jennifer Ruscin, CEO of Jennifer Ruscin Enterprises.
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| What You Should Know From the 2018 Good Food Expo | 18 Apr 2018 | 00:17:48 | |
The annual Good Food Expo brings together thought leaders in the natural food industry. Join host Katie Mleziva as she shares key takeaways from successful brands, buyers, incubators and investors to support building a strong brand.
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| How to Start Building and Documenting Your Brand Strategy | 04 Apr 2018 | 00:12:27 | |
When rooted in the Brand Strategy, your day-to-day marketing efforts bring your brand’s purpose and plans to life in order to engage consumers, inform operational decisions and ultimately, achieve your business goals. When athletes prepare for a game, they do more than just spend time in the gym or on the field. Sure, they need to build up their bodies to compete, but they also spend a lot of time building up their minds. They watch tapes of their opponents to get to know their playbook. Then they build a strategy for how they’re going to overcome their opponents. Okay, now think about yourself as you compete in a crowded grocery market. When you do your homework to understand the landscape and competition it helps you create the game plan for how you can carve out a unique position for your product based on your ideal consumers’ needs. Taking the time to go through these steps will inform and refine your brand strategy and help you make stronger connections with consumers and stakeholders.
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| Why Real Food Brands is Launching a Podcast About Food Marketing | 28 Mar 2018 | 00:08:15 | |
To say that food is important would be an obvious understatement. To say that eating the right kind of food is important is unfortunately still something that is less of a given to many people. With supermarkets and street sides loaded with options of unhealthy, unnatural, and frankly harmful options, it can be hard to rise above the noise. If you’ve started a natural food business, you have even more reason to be seen and stand out from the competition. This is why your marketing strategy is so crucial. Katie Mleziva has started the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast to help you develop your brand and make an impact!
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| 115. Your Big Shift: From Selling a Great Product to Building a Strong Brand | 08 Jun 2024 | 00:17:14 | |
Are you selling a product or building a brand? Everyone has to start somewhere, but in this episode, Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares what it means to go from making a great product to building a strong brand that stands out. Here's what's in this episode - you can find all the links on the episode web page.
Stay tuned for news coming soon on new ways to work with Katie to create the foundation for a strong brand that will help you reach your vision! In the meantime, you can get all the links and read the full show notes here. | |||
| 114. Intentional Marketing: getting ON the shelf, IN the cart, and OUT of the pantry (or fridge!) | 18 Apr 2024 | 00:16:07 | |
Have you thought much about the fact that you need to sell your product THREE times before someone can use it at home? I don’t share this to be depressing because sometimes one sounds like enough! And if it sounds like more work, it’s just the reality of breaking down the process that’s already happening and being intentional with your marketing and sales plans to leverage your brand strategy foundations. I’m talking about first selling into a retail buyer, then selling at shelf once you’re there to get into somebody’s cart, and then selling from their fridge or pantry or snack bin to get it on the plate or in a lunchbox or wherever it ends up getting eaten. And then as part of that, delighting people so that they want to buy it again and again. We don’t want it to get lost in the back of their pantry. So, our three steps of intentional marketing and sales include: Get ON shelf First, getting ON the shelf, you have to create a compelling story that your brand and product line is going to make a positive contribution to the retailer’s and buyer’s goals. Once you’ve completed your brand strategy you’ll actually have a differentiated strategy (beyond your product tasting delicious) to help that retailer see why you are going to add to incremental sales as part of them bringing you in. Next, we are getting INTO the cart. And that means standing out on either the shelf or through your online listing. We talk through multiple ways to do this so that you’ll grab attention and engage them to flip over the package or click on more pictures as they seek to learn more. Last but certainly not least…getting the product OUT of the pantry or fridge. This is a very under-discussed topic in my view is the conversation around promoting in-home use so they won’t forget they have the product and will actually enjoy using it. The LAST thing we want is for it to get stuck in the back of the pantry or fridge until past the expiration date. I share an example of a website that sent me a post-purchase email that did a great job engaging me with a product I purchased and inviting me to reorder. Sometimes I forget to re-order brands I know and love so it was appreciated. One caveat, if you’re selling on your company’s website you can skip that first gatekeeper step that you have with retail or some aggregate online sales platforms, but the concepts are still really good to think through to be intentional about each step of the journey from buyer to breakfast table! If you’ve already completed your brand strategy, that can influence each step of the way. We need to think about selling in your products to get them on shelf or on the website, then popping off the shelf/website so that they can get it into carts. And finally, we want to remember how we can stay top of mind in the pantry so that your brand will actually get invited back to their table. Whether it be a lunch table at school, a fancy dinner table…whatever kind of table your product and your brand is positioned for we want to get them there and delight them and have them invite you to join them on a regular basis, leading to increased purchase frequency and velocity. To recap what you’ll learn in this episode: 2) an easy-to-implement breakdown to make these complex topics easier to work through piece by piece while staying integrated and bringing your brand to life. 3) an example of a well-done email I got to remind me what I had sitting in my pantry waiting for me to enjoy! 4) ways we can work together on creating your brand strategy to position your brand to stand out, including a 60-minute Brand Strategy Session, my self-paced program + mini Mastermind called Brand Strategy Streamlined™, a more in-depth 4-week 1:1 process called Brand Strategy Playbook, and a Live small group Course option (please see link in resources). Resources Thanks for being here, now let’s go shake up shopping carts! | |||
| 113. The Power (Struggle) of Focus...and How Your Brand Strategy Can Help | 20 Jan 2024 | 00:25:31 | |
In almost every client meeting or strategy session I hear food business owners relay concern over how many things are competing for their attention -- and how exhausting it can be. Some share they are diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, and some just feel like they are being forced to wear too many hats at the same time every. single. day...and are searching for ways to stay positive about the business they love. Recognizing the power of focus is a good start, but not as easy as just saying, "stay focused," right?! With your brand strategy and business plan in mind, you can use this episode to think about ways to protect your focus and ultimately your time, energy, and ability to get the right things done on a day-to-day and annual basis to reach your goals. In this episode I share some useful tips (not all are what you might expect to hear on a food business podcast!) and ways to help maintain focus on what's important now and next so that you can activate your brand strategy and reach your Vision & Goals. -- How documenting your Brand Strategy provides clarity and cohesiveness, which leads to having confidence to prioritize plans. --The myth of multitasking and why splitting your attention can get in the way of aligned action and sticking to your strategy. --Why prioritizing the 8 Strategic Imperatives is a good first step to setting priorities that will keep you focused. -- What focus and consistency have to do with building a strong brand. --Why your Purpose, or WHY, can pull you back if you hit hard times or lose focus. -- What I've learned about ADHD & ADD and focus and why hyperfocus can be a superpower. --How understanding the Executive Functions, or admin areas of your brain, can help you identify your individual opportunities to build focus . --A nudge to embrace your team's diverse-thinking brains as a way to strengthen to your Brand Strategy Activation plans. Resources --Ep84: Why Being Consistent Isn't Boring...It's Brand Building! —Brand Checkup Scorecard Plus, monthly emails with tips and resources —Real Food Brands Marketing Round Table Facebook group (Free) —Brand Strategy Streamlined self-paced program + Monthly Q&A calls –Let’s connect on Instagram As always, please reach out to me with any feedback, questions, or to book a strategy call. You can contact me here. Thanks for listening, now let’s go shake up shopping carts! Katie | |||
| 112. Welcome Back! Doing the Right Things at the Right Time in Your Food Business | 11 Dec 2023 | 00:18:31 | |
The Real Food Brands Podcast is BACK and I'm so glad you're here. The topic of doing the right things at the right time is always a good concept to keep top of mind, and in this episode, you'll hear me (Katie Mleziva, your food brand strategist) talk about:
Resources to continue positioning your food brand to stand out. --Brand Checkup Scorecard (Free) --Ep 68: Turn Your Marketing Plan Into a Consumer Connection Plan --Real Food Brands Marketing Round Table Facebook group (Free) --Brand Strategy Streamlined self-paced program --Let's connect on Instagram
If you have questions or ideas for future show topics (interviews are by invitation, but feel free to share those ideas as well) please send an email to Katie@RealFoodBrands.com. Thanks for listening, now let's go shake up shopping carts! | |||
| 111. What to Do When Something Is Out of Alignment With Your Vision...and the Shift I'm Making | 25 May 2022 | 00:21:26 | |
Have you ever noticed something in your business isn’t working as you planned, or as it once did? Sometimes things that made sense just aren't a good fit anymore. We spend so much time and energy trying to keep pushing forward that it can be hard to step back and admit when things aren’t working the way we want them to—and decide what to do about it. Today on Episode 111 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks through what to do when something in your business is out of alignment, and what she’s doing about that in her own business to make an adjustment. In This Episode:
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| 110. 6 Copywriting Tips to Help Food Brands Stand Out with Celsea Jenkins of Grassfed Copy | 11 May 2022 | 00:31:50 | |
Have you ever thought about the difference between content and copy? And how each works differently to connect with your reader depending on if you’re talking about a website, social media, ads, packaging, etc? Today on Episode 110 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva has a conversation with Celsea Jenkins, the owner of Grassfed Copy about the art and science to writing great copy that converts people from readers to taking an action. Celsea shares Katie’s passion for health and wellness – and clear messaging – and the episode highlights their shared enthusiasm! Listen to hear Celsea’s six copywriting tips to help your food brand stand out. In This Episode:
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| 109. Thinking BIG and Making It Happen with Monique & Chevalo Wilsondebriano | 27 Apr 2022 | 00:37:58 | |
Sometimes you need to let yourself dream and think big. Instead of letting other people tell you how things work and why you can’t do something, it can pay off to look at things from a new perspective. It helps, of course, to have a great story, which is something that brand strategy work can really help with. Today on Episode 109 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Monique and Chevalo Wilsondebriano, owners of Recipe for Retail and the Charleston Gourmet Burger Company. We’ll learn how thinking BIG took them from a backyard BBQ...to a food business idea...to a product...to a brand that’s on the shelves of Whole Foods, World Market, Costco, Wal-Mart, and more...to winning QVC’s Choice Food Award. In This Episode:
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| 126. Running In Circles? The Power of a Fresh Perspective | 02 Apr 2025 | 00:09:16 | |
Have you ever felt like you’re doing all the things—but still not making progress...like you're just running in circles? In this short and lighter episode, I share a personal (and slightly ridiculous) real-life story that turned into a powerful reminder: sometimes the answer isn't about pushing through—it's about finding a way to shift your perspective. Whether you're stuck on messaging, spinning on a new product idea, or just generally overwhelmed, this episode is a mindset reset for food business owners who need a new view to get moving again. 🎧 Tune in to hear: → Why doing more isn’t always the answer → Tips to gain a fresh perspective → What a porta-potty taught me about problem-solving (yes, really) → How a simple shift in direction can unlock clarity in your business and your brand strategy Clarity often starts with curiosity—and sometimes, all it takes is stepping to the side to get the fresh perspective you need. Want more support? Set up a Brand Audit Session to get personalized insights on how to strengthen and align your brand. Contact Me for more details. 🎧 Resources: Ep 61 - Lessons From an Uphill Climb Katie's Instagram - let's connect! Katie's LinkedIn - let's connect! Real Food Brands Brand Checkup Scorecard Real Food Brands Marketing Roundtable Facebook Group
Let's go Shake Up Shopping Carts! Katie Mleziva Food Brand Strategist | |||
| 108. 6 Brand Strategy Tips for Small But Mighty Food Businesses (Part 2) | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:23:58 | |
As you’re working to build your food business or farm, brand strategy and brand development may seem like something that can wait for later. The thing is, brand strategy work goes far beyond your logo or fonts or colors. When you’ve done the work to create your brand’s North Star, it serves as the guide and the glue for everything you do on the front AND back end of your business. It helps you make decisions that will deliver a consistent, cohesive, and relevant experience to your consumers. More importantly, it can help them know how to talk about your brand to others and drive better word-of-mouth marketing. Today on Episode 108 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva builds on the last episode and offers three additional tips based on a presentation she recently shared with the cohort of the Food Finance Institute’s food business accelerator program. This is a two-part series because Katie wants you to be able to really consider the tips she’s sharing and think about how they apply to your natural food business or farm. In This Episode:
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| 107. 6 Brand Strategy Tips for Small But Mighty Food Businesses (Part 1) | 30 Mar 2022 | 00:23:28 | |
Brand strategy work is something that is second nature for big brands, but not as common for small brands. There’s so much to do when you’re wearing all the hats that it can seem like something you’ll get to “next.” While big brands have access to brand managers and agencies, we can help even the score by providing streamlined versions of the concepts they use to focus on the key parts of the process to help you build a brand that stands out no matter who you’re lined up next to. Today on Episode 107 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, Host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares a presentation she recently shared with the cohort of a food business accelerator program. This is a two-part series because Katie wants you to be able to really consider the tips she’s sharing and think about how they apply to your food business or farm. In This Episode:
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| 106. How Riemer Family Farm is Growing a Regenerative Brand | 16 Mar 2022 | 00:31:08 | |
A common approach for food and farm businesses is to think about offering a great product rather than building a strong brand. The thinking is that if a product is good enough, taste will ultimately win and of course, people will buy. While this is understandable as you perfect your craft, great taste and quality are expected these days so we don’t want your products to be seen as an interchangeable commodity. There’s so much more to your food brand’s story, so let's uncover it! Today on Episode 106 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva talks to Jen and Bryce Riemer, and Anastasia Wolf-Flasch, all of Riemer Family Farm, about their journey to define a brand strategy that invites people into a story of caring for and renewing the land through a multi-generation farming business. In This Episode:
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| 105. New Episode Index to Help Your Food Brand Stand Out | 02 Mar 2022 | 00:11:31 | |
With over 100 episodes of the podcast now available, we thought it would be a good time to go back and highlight some of the great content you may have missed to help you find the right resources at the right time for your food business. To help, we’ve put together a list of some of our best episodes organized around the Brand Strategy Streamlined process: Define/Refine, Align, and Activate (and a few other categories to help you really navigate the topics...100+ episodes is a lot of content!). Today on Episode 105 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva highlights this new resource along with can’t-miss episodes from the podcast archives and a few tips at the end for your own content repurposing efforts. In This Episode:
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| 104. What Is a Brand Positioning Statement? | 16 Feb 2022 | 00:27:27 | |
If you want to understand brand positioning, think of Kia, Volvo, and Tesla. Sure, all three are car companies but they’re each very different brands with their own unique, loyal audience, product benefits, and customer experience. All of these factors combined for each brand create a very different offer for each and attract different groups of people as loyal fans of their brand. Today on Episode 104 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva goes into detail about how to write a brand positioning statement and how to know if yours is strong enough to make your brand stand out. In This Episode:
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| 103. How Consumer Attitudes and Behaviors Related to Food Are Shifting with Sarah Marion of Murphy Research | 02 Feb 2022 | 00:31:19 | |
We’ve been through a lot of changes in the past few years, and as a result, consumer behaviors are shifting. But as a food business owner how do you know what changes are temporary and what changes are here to stay? And how can you meet the evolving needs of your consumers? In Episode 103 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva sits down with Sarah Marion, the Director of Syndicated Research at Murphy Research. Sarah shares how consumers have shifted attitudes and behaviors related to food, fitness, and mindset over the past few years of pandemic-living as well as considerations for food business owners who want to meet these changing needs. In This Episode:
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| 102. Are you inviting people into a brand story or sharing brand history? | 19 Jan 2022 | 00:18:46 | |
Have you thought about the difference between brand story and brand history? While your brand history can certainly be a part of your brand story, the history is about the past and the story is about the future, and what you’re inviting people to be a part of. Today on episode 102 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva shares her guidance on writing a brand story and sharing brand history for your food business, plus 3 tips to make your brand story more compelling to create a lasting connection with your audience. In This Episode:
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| 101. Brand Strategy 101: Positioning Your Food Brand to Stand Out | 05 Jan 2022 | 00:27:52 | |
After episode 100, Katie’s daughter suggested that she “start over,” and it only seemed fitting that episode 101 should be a brand strategy 101—an intro-level class, so to speak. Today on episode 101 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva goes over the five W’s of how Brand Strategy can help you go from making a great product to building a strong brand that is well-positioned to stand out: WHAT, WHERE, WHO, WHEN & WHY. In This Episode:
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| 100. Celebrating 100 Episodes With Gratitude, Gear & Giveaway! | 22 Dec 2021 | 00:16:49 | |
When we launched the podcast in March 2018, we didn’t know exactly what the future would hold but we took a leap. It’s been a steady build over the past few years and we’re so thankful for all our listeners and guests who have made this show an enriching and rewarding experience as we work collectively to help more people get access to real food. Today on episode 100 of the Real Food Brands Marketing Podcast, host and Food Brand Strategist Katie Mleziva reflects on one hundred episodes, shares her motivation behind working with food business owners 1:1 as well as by building a community, and announces a giveaway to celebrate the milestone. In This Episode:
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