I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again…it’s crazy how the number one brand in the entire convenient nutrition category (e.g. Premier Protein) can still have so much untapped organic growth opportunity! BellRing Brands (NYSE: BRBR) is a portfolio that owns a collection of convenient nutrition brands like Premier Protein, Dymatize Nutrition, Powerbar, and Joint Juice, which was previously wholly-owned by Post Holdings. A fast-paced and busy lifestyle is pushing consumers to switch to quick and he...
Nov 24, 2023•16 min
Remember those good ole days of Instagram when everyone shared an embarrassingly high number of food photos? Well…maybe it’s time to party like it’s the early 2010s again, but this time utilize those food photography skills in a useful manner. If Google Lens is best described as a search engine for the real world, then SnapCalorie would be that guy with a six pack your girlfriend has pictures of saved in her phone but told you not to worry about. SnapCalorie is an advanced computer vision-powere...
Nov 20, 2023•52 sec
After a month of owning MusclePharm…has FitLife Brands given us any hints of what’s to come next? For those unaware, the supplement brands that are within the FitLife Brands portfolio are categorized in three segments…NDS Products (which are a collection of brands mostly sold in the GNC franchise system), iSatori Products (which are a collection of brands sold through a diversified retail mix), and the recently acquired Amazon-focused brands within Mimi’s Rock Corporation. In total, the FitLife ...
Nov 17, 2023•12 min
Some stressed out entrepreneurs drown themselves in alcohol, my stress relieving “vice” is that nighttime bowl of ice cream. I subscribe to the theory that there’s no problem too large that sugar can't solve. But what if the problem was that sugar-loving consumers want to maintain the same taste of their indulgences but curtail their sugar consumption? For many indulgence focused CPG brands that offer sweets, sugar reduction remains a top priority. While adding sweeteners (usually the artificial...
Nov 13, 2023•54 sec
Is there still some Bang left in Jack Owoc’s fight for the company he founded? While the bulk of this content is going to be focused on reconciling what I previously predicted Monster Beverage would do with the Bang Energy asset to the actual turnaround strategy that Rodney Sacks (Monster Energy CEO) has been slowly providing details of within their quarterly earnings conference calls. And since Monster did just release their 2023 Q3 earnings report, I'll start this content off by running throug...
Nov 09, 2023•11 min
Remember that scene in Talladega Nights where the original driver leaves the track and Lucius asks the pit crew if anyone wants to jump in the car and go fast? Well…Celsius Holdings is the energy drinks version of Ricky Bobby! This is only the third quarter that Celsius energy drinks was fully integrated into the PepsiCo DSD distribution system after the August deal announcement. Celsius Holdings (NASDAQ: CELH) had quarterly revenue of $385 million, which was up 104% YoY. According to IRI last 5...
Nov 08, 2023•13 min
CELSIUS is climbing the energy drinks leaderboard, but to catch Monster Energy…maybe they need to think like Monster Beverage Corporation and The Coca-Cola Company. So, I’m scrolling through a slew of business news the other day and I see a Bloomberg article headline…seemingly taken from an interview with Celsius Holdings CEO John Fieldly that states “potential acquisition on the horizon.” While I'm quite certain John Fieldly wouldn't show his cards like that, I actually think a certain publicly...
Nov 06, 2023•10 min
Digital marketers at functional CPG brands better watch how they flex on Instagram. When Powerade reformulated its beverage to contain more electrolytes earlier this year, The Coca-Cola Company decided to take a few swipes at hated rival PepsiCo...owner of Gatorade. In one of these “Powerade vs. Gatorade” social media posts, it featured a side-by-side comparison of electrolytes and vitamins with the caption reading, “don’t underestimate our electrolytes” followed by a flexed arm emoji. Harmless ...
Nov 06, 2023•59 sec
If there’s one thing consistent about Glanbia each year, it’s that the global nutrition group always makes at least one acquisition. Glanbia Performance Nutrition is one of two wholly-owned segments of Glanbia plc (LON:GLB), a multibillion-dollar global nutrition company. The brands in the Glanbia Performance Nutrition portfolio include; Optimum Nutrition, BSN, think!, Isopure, Amazing Grass, and SlimFast. I'll use the recent earnings report, earnings call, and associated news to update you on h...
Nov 03, 2023•11 min
Will upcoming changes to Atkins Nutritionals help them survive in the “Age of Ozempic”? In this latest episode, I'll utilize the 2023 Q4 Simply Good Foods Company (NASDAQ: SMPL) earnings report, earnings call, and supplemental presentations that were filed on 10/24/2023 as the backdrop to provide broad nutritional snacking market insights. In Q4 of fiscal 2023, both Atkins Nutritionals and Quest Nutrition performed in the top-tier of categorical competitors in retail takeaway, with Quest Nutriti...
Oct 30, 2023•12 min
There seems to be an “anything goes attitude” emerging within the beverage industry. Want to make an alcoholic Mountain Dew? Sure! Want to create a caffeine-free Monster Energy with alcohol? Sounds wonderful! And if you want to make fun of a product concept on April Fool’s Day one year…and reveal commercial plans for basically the same thing the next year, we’re here for it! Well…if you haven’t heard yet, White Claw will be launching a non-alcoholic premium seltzer soon. White Claw 0% will come ...
Oct 30, 2023•52 sec
Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! As another quarter recently ended within the functional CPG space, it’s seemed only right that I ask my good friend and Market Insights Director at SPINS, Scott Dicker, to join me again for another one of our legendary holistic categorical deep dive sessions. Since this is our fourth quarterly installment of the Josh &a...
Oct 25, 2023•39 min
With the per capita sales volume of ketchup falling slightly over the last five years, the Heinz marketing team members knew they needed to collectively step-up big time. Knowing that remixing some played out CPG industry strategy wasn’t going to work...Heinz turned to the United States Mint for inspiration. Thankfully, we aren’t going to see more green ketchup again either! Instead, Heinz is remixing the decadelong “State Quarters Program” that was estimated to increase demand by nearly $3 bill...
Oct 23, 2023•52 sec
Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! This is going to be a sort of special edition Pivotal episode because it was filmed onsite at this year’s NACS Show in Atanta. While my guest certainly doesn’t need an introduction at this point, I would be remiss not to give major props to John Fieldly. Since taking over as CEO in 2017, Fieldly has built Celsius into o...
Oct 16, 2023•18 min
Even if you don’t understand those trendy TikTok dances, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a mix of skill and hard work, along with timing and luck that goes into capitalizing on these new kingmakers of the world. If you can consistently “catch lightning in a bottle” by holding consumer attention with the help of these digital platform algorithms, congratulations…you’ve just become one of the most sought-after assets in the world. What’s the conversion rate on billions of views, likes, comments, and s...
Oct 16, 2023•52 sec
Is there a more riveting “what could be next” story playing out right now across any part of the CPG industry then with the brand portfolio Congo Brands? For those unfamiliar, here’s a quick recap on the Congo Brands portfolio and its "creator/celebrity" partnerships...PRIME is the current star performer, selling ~$550 million of hydration beverages across large tracked channels over the last 52 weeks, and was created along with Logan Paul and KSI. Alani Nu is no slouch though, selling approxima...
Oct 12, 2023•13 min
Remember in the movie "Hustle & Flow" when Terrence Howard's character said "it's hard out here for a pimp." Well...I have no idea about that, but I do know legacy CPG brands are having a hard time coming up with effective ways to stop consumers’ infinite scroll. Their latest effort revolves around using the power of going gross. By introducing weird flavor combination LTO products, legacy CPG brands are using a branch of cognitive science called scheme theory against consumers. But instead ...
Oct 09, 2023•49 sec
Stay with me here for a second, but the pursuit of the ultimate Pokémon card is a thrilling adventure that ignites the hearts of collectors. It encompasses the joy of discovery, the excitement of serendipity, and the satisfaction of completing a quest. Now…swap Pokémon card for PRIME Hydration drink or that’s how I envision Logan Paul pitched the idea! PRIME just launched its newest limited-edition flavor Glowberry…which on its own wouldn’t warrant my attention, but this go-to-market strategy is...
Oct 02, 2023•53 sec
Everywhere you turn, iron-clad sports nutrition brands of the past are now showing cracks in their armor. So, should the recent BPI Sports news have really surprised you? I’m going to let you in on a not so little secret within the supplement industry. Supplement brands are competing for every dollar from consumers who have a heightened sensitivity to costs, and though the supplement consumer has proved once again that it’s highly resilient…gone are the days of generating a reliable, perpetual g...
Sep 27, 2023•12 min
It has been over six months since my last MusclePharm bankruptcy update, but don’t misinterpret that silence as somehow indicating the court proceedings must have been good vibes only. If you followed my Bang Energy bankruptcy content, you know that process took around 260 days. But it was complex, involving creditor claims in the billion-dollar range…and had that infamous hostile takeover element to it! Surprisingly enough…the MusclePharm bankruptcy has taken even longer, though with far less i...
Sep 26, 2023•15 min
They say that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” but I’m not sure this one passed the vibe check. When my creative director Grant Furness showed me the twitter jokes circulating around in late-May about Swift Lifestyle, I thought can you imagine the conversation that brand owner had with his design agency…or most likely the international freelancer on Fivver. It’s like “Hey Bro! I want my sports nutrition brand to look like GHOST Lifestyle…you know one of the most recognizable compan...
Sep 25, 2023•43 sec
MyProtein is in the early stages of rolling out a global rebrand, but is it impactful enough to make the future clearer for the THG Nutrition division? On September 14, 2023, THG (aka the company formerly known as The Hut Group) updated the public markets by releasing its 2023 first half earnings report. I’ll be utilizing that financial information, along with notes I took listening to the earnings conference call, and any relevant publicly disclosed information to obviously update you on the re...
Sep 19, 2023•14 min
In my Biosteel content from July 6, titled "BioSteel Sales Misstatements & SEC Investigation | Canopy Growth Next Steps with Sports Drink", I knew major decisions would need to be made for brand survival, but I completely overlooked the probability of a BioSteel bankruptcy…mostly because Canopy Growth CEO said he still had “great confidence” in the sports drink brand. But on September 14, 2023, Canopy Growth announced that in an effort to simplify its business and reduce cash burn, it had ce...
Sep 18, 2023•10 min
Even Edward Bernays would be impressed with whoever is behind the onslaught of propaganda against PRIME. First, several school districts in countries like Australia, Canada, and UK issue parental warnings or straight up ban the drinks. Plus, Canada supposedly recalled PRIME…even though the beverage brand doesn’t distribute into the country yet. And you might think crazy international folks, but even American Karens are urging the legislative branch to put pressure on the FDA. But shout out to Se...
Sep 18, 2023•47 sec
Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! For the past several months, you’ve probably noticed that branded beverage cooler over my shoulder. I call it my “get shit done” cooler because it’s stocked with mostly C4 Smart Energy drinks but also a variety of other functional beverages that contain the brain energy ingredient Cognizin. Whether it’s signals from gro...
Sep 13, 2023•44 min
I’m going to let you in on a not so little secret within the supplement industry. Supplement brands are competing for every dollar from consumers who have a heightened sensitivity to costs, but the supplement consumer has proved once again that it’s highly resilient. And while the level of investment funding and quantity of M&A transactions are down this year (compared to the previous few years), things have fared relatively well for the supplement industry. The markets are rightsizing, loft...
Sep 12, 2023•24 min
CPG brands must understand how quickly and dramatically they can be dragged into cultural battles that impact the bottom line. Does that mean CPG brands should deemphasize purpose-driven moves around identity and culture? It depends…mostly predicated on what I like to call The Rule of Nike. Because the fact is that most consumers want CPG brands to serve their basic needs by understanding what they care most about, not try to win at every flavor of the week’s cultural moment. But in those cases ...
Sep 11, 2023•47 sec
Pivotal is an interview-style segment that tackles topics in consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) from the business leaders that live it EVERY DAY! If I asked you to make a list of the fastest-growing supplement brands of the 2020s, I’d consider you downright silly if you didn’t include the name Bloom. Excuse the punny joke, but if you weren’t aware…business is absolutely “bloom’in” at the supplement brand that Greg Lavecchia (Bloom CEO & Co-Founder) created wi...
Sep 06, 2023•52 min
If I was a writer at one of those big clickbait paywalled media companies, this content’s title might read “AI unveils Satan’s new energy drink!” To decode that a bit, and no I didn’t make this energy drink name up, but Europe-based HELL Energy recently decided to let advanced AI systems craft every aspect of its newest product offering. AI started by formulating the perfect (and complaint) performance energy drink. It then digitized three flavor variations, tasted them, and utilized predictive ...
Sep 04, 2023•57 sec
It has been just over two years since I last created a piece of content focused on Thorne Healthtech, so it’s probably long overdue for an update…especially considering something big just happened! Outside of that August 2021 IPO deep analysis on Thorne Healthtech, the only other YouTube mention of the company was in this year’s annual outlandish supplement industry event prediction content. But if you read the headlines (and remember that prediction), you know that I was mostly correct. Thorne ...
Aug 31, 2023•12 min
