CPG Insiders – Details, episodes & analysis

What separates brands that scale at retail from brands that struggle to stay on shelf?

In this episode of CPG Insiders, Mark Young and Justin Girouard sit down with Scott Fuselier and Matt Jones from BCI (Buckeye Corrugated) to break down the real role packaging plays in retail growth, operational efficiency, sustainability, and customer experience. 

The conversation goes far beyond “just boxes.”

They unpack how leading brands use retail displays, power wings, pallet programs, fulfillment solutions, and sustainable packaging strategies to win with retailers like Walmart, Costco, Sam’s Club, Kroger, and more.

You’ll also hear:

•  Why packaging is a brand introduction — not just a container 
•  How packaging impacts retail sell-through and damage rates 
•  What brands need to know about EPR and sustainability regulations 
•  The operational mistakes that cost brands money at retail 
•  How turnkey fulfillment and display programs work 
•  Why “plug-and-play” retail execution matters 
•  The future of sustainable corrugated packaging 
•  How brands can reduce freight costs and improve efficiency 

If you’re a CPG founder, brand operator, retail leader, or packaging decision-maker, this episode is packed with practical insight.

Key Takeaways

•  Retail packaging directly impacts sales, retailer relationships, and returns 
•  Sustainability is becoming a retail requirement — not a nice-to-have 
•  Damage reduction can dramatically improve profitability 
•  Smart packaging strategy creates operational and retail advantages 
•  Great displays help brands win more floor space and visibility

Breaking into retail isn’t just hard—it’s brutally unforgiving. With only a fraction of new CPG products surviving beyond two years, what separates the winners from the rest?

In this episode, Mark Young and Justin Girouard sit down with Bruce Montgomery and Tracey Priest of Road2Retail to unpack what it really takes to succeed in brick-and-mortar.

They go beyond the usual advice and get into the operational realities most founders overlook—from pricing strategy and margin math to supply chain readiness, retail expectations, and the hidden costs of failure.

If you’re an emerging brand aiming for retail shelves, this conversation is a must-listen.

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, viewer or reader. Mark explains what implanting means, the reason for using “because” statements, embedded commands, metaphors and so much more. And they consider how advertisers can cut through all of the information that compete for consumers’ attention.

Some recommended resources:

Influence by Robert B. Cialdini

Pre-Suasion by Robert B. Cialdini

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman

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 growing digital advertising space means you can reach potential consumers on a smaller budget.

Mark and Justin discuss what your company needs to succeed with these kinds of consumers, the different reach of tradition and digital media, and how direct response can benefit your business.

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 viewpoints to make sure they align with your brand’s and avoid a potentially sticky situation down the line. They also stress the need to check and double check that your budget is in order, taking into account SAG-AFTRA fees and all that they imply. 

They finish up the show by sharing some of their own experiences working with celebrities and learning by trial and error. 

To contact Jekyll & Hyde, visit https://jekyllhydeagency.com/ or call 800.500.4210.

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 legal intricacies involved in one of the fastest growing categories in the CPG market, CBD products.

About the Guest:

Abe Cohn is managing partner and an Intellectual Property Attorney at Cohn Legal, PLLC, a law firm designed specifically to provide a boutique and highly individualized experience for entrepreneurs and startups.  Abe has personally counseled over 15 established startups in the food space and scores of other businesses launching in varied and diverse sectors. 

Follow him on Instagram: @cohnlg.

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 close a sale but to close a future contact opportunity.

They talk about the other event days and offer essential, insider tips on how to make NACDS the most successful for your company and product.

Special Guest:

David Biernbaum is an acclaimed consumer products and retail consumer goods strategist, consultant, and master broker of national retail sales, specializing in the health and wellness space, and driving success through a loyal network of independent brokers nationwide. Since 1977, David and his teams have brought success to more than 200 highly successful consumer brands by providing hands-on expertise and personal passion and energy, to help consumer goods clients build brands and increase retail sales and profits, without the “big agency” overhead and bureaucracy.

In addition, David is also an investor and board member who is always on the lookout for the next innovation, or brand. He is a “BrainTrust” panelist and blogger on RetailWire.com, a guest editor for CPG Trade Media, and a speaker on consumer goods and retail topics who is frequently quoted in Forbes, CNBC and in industry trade publications.

In 2010, David founded “Consumer Goods & Retail Professionals”, a LinkedIn group for members to share industry information, news, referrals and friendship that now has more than 70,000 connections. David resides in suburban St. Louis and is a devoted fan of the St. Louis Cardinals and St. Louis Blues, as well as the Tigers of the University of Missouri-Columbia, his alma mater. 

Visit his website, http://biernbaum.com/, and follow him on Twitter: @davidbiernbaum.

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.

About the guest:

Brandon leads a talented and energetic marketing team focused on the growth of the RangeMe marketplace. He brings with him a unique blend of CPG industry experience along with expertise in high-growth technology start-ups. Brandon has held senior marketing roles for over a decade, most recently at the retail analytics company Quri and, before that, Aria Systems. Brandon is a father, a husband and native San Franciscan.

Learn more at https://www.rangeme.com/

Follow Brandon on Twitter: @bleongSF.

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wbleong/