The CPG Scoop's Podcast

Elizabeth Pigg, originally from Chicago and now based in Los Angeles, boasts over two decades of leadership in digital-first marketing and communications. Throughout her career, she has made an impact on iconic brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, AXE and Lagunitas during her tenure at Edelman. Her extensive skill set encompasses marketing strategy, social media, eCommerce, and public relations, making her a versatile expert in navigating the dynamic marketing and communications landscape.In 2020, Elizabeth joined That's it. as the Chief Marketing Officer, where she played a pivotal role in revitalizing the company’s eCommerce, advertising, influencer marketing, and social strategy. Transitioning in 2024 to the role of Chief Communications Officer, Elizabeth now oversees the complete communications ecosystem, leveraging her passion storytelling to deliver compelling and newsworthy narratives to a broader audience.Outside of her professional endeavors, Elizabeth engages in diverse creative interests as a violist, vocalist, and voiceover artist. Elizabeth also serves on the Board of Directors for Angels Nest—an organization dedicated to supporting young adults aging out of foster care.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Elizabeth:People are using Tiktok as a search engine now to hear honest opinions from influencers and "de-influencers". CPG brands need to be transparent on all sides of the industry. Looking at the big picture of 2024, it will be a crazy year of AI reaching its tipping point at the same time as the election.

Stacey Hartnett, Vice President of E-Commerce & Marketing at Chomps, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Stacey attended the University of Connecticut School of Business, majoring in Marketing and International Studies, & forged a path for herself in sales through an account management development track at News Corp. Here, Hartnett acquired an understanding of traditional shopper marketing tactics in a rotational program byworking with clients like Mars and Post, kickstarting her passion in the CPG space.After 2+ years, she forecasted a shift in traditional marketing tactics and budgeting as companies slowly began to lean into the digital space. Hartnett joined Rise Interactive, a growing Chicago boutique digital agency. After 4+ years of Rise and a desire to focus solely on CPG, Hartnett accepted a role with Chomps in 2019 as a digital media buyer. Her role quickly evolved, to Vice President of E-Commerce & Marketing, in which Hartnett oversaw all E-Commerce and ROI strategy as it relates to digital marketing. Based in the Chicago office, Hartnett’s primary areas of focus at Chomps include a data- driven approach to testing, innovation, growth planning and channel development, with a passion for building strong teams and effective cross-functional collaboration.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Stacey:How will brands meet the ever-changing demands of consumers?In the CPG world and omnichannel space, you have to do a lot more and get a lot more creative to build that ongoing relationship with your consumer.How Chomps has grown from DTC to retail distribution since 2011.

Neha Mallik, Head of Connected Commerce at Mizkan America, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!With over fifteen years of experience in leading e-commerce and digital marketing initiatives for CPG manufacturers, Neha is a passionate and driven connected commerce leader who thrives on developing and executing innovative and impactful strategies for online and offline channels. As the Head of Connected Commerce at Mizkan America, she oversees the media to shelf strategy and connected commerce strategy, category management, marketing, business development, and digital shelf catalog management for various brands and categories.Her mission is to propel Mizkan America's market leadership and growth agenda by leveraging her expertise in digital marketing, retail media networks, customer engagement, social media, planning, and analytics. She has a proven track record of delivering results and driving revenue for e-commerce and Amazon platforms, as well as creating and managing effective content and media campaigns. She also has a strong pioneering spirit and a collaborative approach, working with cross-functional teams and external partners to achieve shared goals and objectives.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Neha:How Mizkan America is navigating the collapse of the funnel and reaching their consumersTaking testing & learning with consumers to the next levelHow the CPG industry will continue to pivot to digital in 2024

Jessica Bernheim, Sr. Director of Marketing and Strategy at Daring Foods, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Previously, Jessica was Head of New Product Development at Upfield, the largest plant-based food company in the world. In that role and in her previous brand manager roles, she has launched a number of new products including Country Crock Plant Butter, which became a category leader in just a few years. Prior to that she was a management consultant at EY-Parthenon, where she worked on corporate strategy projects and commercial due diligences. In her current role at Daring, she is responsible for developing the strategic framework that determines which categories they launch into. She works closely with the team as they go from concept to trial to launch and develops the sales materials used to sell-in the product to retailers. She works closely with Daring’s marketing team to define their target consumer and key messages, and she leads consumer research for the company. Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Jessica:How early stage companies will be impacted by inflationDaring’s role as a next-gen plant-based powerhouseWhy she believes consumers are going to be more careful about spending in 2024

Reza Mirza, CEO of Icelandic Glacial, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Reza Mirza brings over 20 years of consumer product experience as  Group CEO of Icelandic Glacial, a leading super-premium natural spring water. Prior to Icelandic Glacial, Mirza was President of Activate Drinks. Mirza has also held several management positions at Nestle Waters North America and at Colgate-Palmolive in New York and with Bosch in India. Reza graduated with a degree in biochemistry from the University of Madras, India, An MBA from the International Management Institute, New Delhi, and a Masters in International Business and International Affairs from Columbia University in New York.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Reza:The brands that have FOCUS and talk to their target audience in a way they understand are the most successful.Understanding what about your brand resonates with the consumer will make your brand stand out.His predictions in the marketing space for 2024 (hint: it has to do with trends, trends, trends!)

Ian Baer, Founder of Sooth, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Ian Baer, Founder and Chief Soothsayer of the strategic insights platform and marketing consultancy Sooth, has been solving marketing’s greatest challenges for over three decades. He has spent his career helping major brands achieve extraordinary success and challenger brands box above their weight class in leadership roles with Publicis Groupe, TBWA, Rapp, Deutsch, and others. He was named to Campaign US’ Digital 40 over 40. He is a contributor and thought leader for industry-specific and national publications including Adweek, Fortune Magazine, New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters and CNBC. Additionally, he is a frequent speaker at leading national conferences including Advertising Week; Social Media Week; Digiday; DMA Annual Marketing Forum; and the 4A’s. He sits on the Customer Experience Advisory Board at Ithaca College and has participated in numerous televised interviews for platforms including LiveNOW from FOX, NewsNation, TalkTV, Fox5 New York, Piers Morgan, and Televisionation.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Ian:People who feel emotionally connected to a brand stay customers for 20 months longer.The outsized impact that Gen Z is having in changing how people buy is the biggest trend that we should all be watching.AI is going to have an increasingly important impact. If brands use it properly, they can anticipate needs and pick up on patterns.

Katie Gallo, Director of Revenue Enablement, and Polly Gleneck, Head of Global Customer Advocacy & Revenue Enablement, at Syndigo join Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop! Katie is a dynamic and results-driven sales enablement and customer advocacy professional with a passion for strengthening teams, empowering customers, and driving business growth through collaborative leadership. When she's not focused on her work, she's going on adventures with her husband and her dog, trying new Gluten Free baking recipes, and re-watching TV shows from the early 2000's!Polly is a results-driven leader with a focus on commercial success through collaboration with marketing, customer success, and product teams. She is passionate about creating a customer-centric environment, emphasizing their journey and outcomes.  When she's not working, you'll find her in her happy place—exploring America's stunning National Parks, public lands, and oceans. She's all about traveling, hiking, painting, and just hanging out with her husband, Gabe, and son, Parks. Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Katie & Polly:Data is the backbone of everything.Making sure your product is going to market in the right way while remaining authentic will be a game-changer for 2024.You should be talking about and implementing automation and AI to stay on top of the game.

Hamid Saify, SVP of Digital Retail at Liquid Death, joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!At Liquid Death, Hamid oversees revenue growth across a wide range of digital partners. Hamid was the first VP of Marketing at Liquid Death and helped drive the rapid rise of the brand as one of the fastest growing beverage brands in history.Prior to Liquid Death, Hamid worked in advertising, working on brands like Nestle, PlayStation, Volkswagen, Taco Bell, Zillow, and many others.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Hamid:How Liquid Death takes a nonconventional approach when planning their marketing for the yearHamid's favorite execution that Liquid Death has done that catapulted them into virality. (Hint: It involves Tony Hawk's blood?!) People trust people more than they trust brands, so tap into a built-in audience.

John Merris, CEO of Solo Brands, joins Jennifer and Risa for a "fireside" edition of CPG Scoop!John specializes in scaling the entrepreneurial potential of business, a passion that began with his first startup venture, a home automation brand he founded after college and successfully exited in 2013.  John and his wife Cindy live in Southlake, Texas with their five children, and together founded Fostering Hearts, a 501 (c) (3) charity dedicated to supporting foster children through their participation and education in the arts.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with John:How the "half baked" idea of the Snoop Dogg x Solo Stove collaboration came to be one of the best marketing campaigns of 2023.There is nowhere that you can't look to potentially find your next campaign.At the end of the day, value creation in any form is ultimately what drives consumers to your brand.

Michelle Sweezey of Massimo Zanetti Beverage joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!A self-proclaimed numbers nerd, Michelle is passionate about analytics and testing new technologies. Michelle serves within the Insights team at Massimo Zanetti Beverage, one of the largest vertically integrated coffee manufacturers in the world; providing coffee solutions from seed to cup. Michelle directs the digital presence of brands such as Chock full o’Nuts, Hills Bros, Kauai Coffee and Segafredo Zanetti, planning omnichannel programs within their top brick and mortar and ecommerce retailers through the lens of the consumer. When she steps out of the CPG space, you can find this former nonprofit leader actively involved in local volunteer organizations, keeping her daughters out of trouble, and sharing cups of coffee with friends. Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Michelle:As marketers and sales people, we have to constantly look at the CPG space with our eyes open and be consumer-obsessed.The brands that are doing the best are the ones that find ways to make ads more personal and targeted.If you don't know the consumer you're targeting and the social commerce behind it, your brand may fall behind in reaching your audience. 

Jen Bryce of Unilever joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Jen is the Retail Media enterprise lead at Unilever across all brands and partners in the US. She joined Unilever five and a half years ago to bridge the gap between Brand, eCommerce and Shopper Marketing and infuse media strategy and excellence into their Pure Play and Omnichannel plans.She has been in the media industry for over 20 years, starting her career in traditional media and quickly getting immersed in digital media at the onset. She has deep experience in strategic planning, execution, and analytics across every media channel and has led integrated media teams on various brands and industries.At Unilever, her primary focus is to strengthen their Retail Media partnerships, lead Retail Media investment negotiations, and drive sophistication in their partners’ capability that will unlock sales growth opportunities across the portfolio. She also leads the center of excellence in the US for Retail Media and drive integration to deliver on the end-to-end performance marketing needs of National and Commerce media. She is infusing strategic excellence in Unilever’s Retail Media planning and building Media partnerships that are consumer-centric and data-driven. She has been on the frontline of the convergence of Commerce and Media, transforming their partnerships and bringing greater impact to their business.And we love this quote from Jen, “I’m proud of the work we’ve done as an industry to accelerate media standards and capabilities. I’m excited for the evolution to continue with new opportunities for brands to connect with consumers. ‘It's not the destination, it's the journey’ and the journey has just begun!” Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Jen:Retail media partners will need to collaborate with media partners to see growth.Data suggests that everything we're doing online drives consumers in-store.AI is going to allow us to bring an enhanced shopper experience in a more personalized fashion.

Katie Moro of Productsup joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Katie is a collaborative SaaS leader who specializes in helping customers manage digital media assets & product data resulting in a comprehensive marketing campaign, increased share of marketing budgets and the generation of new revenue streams. She has 13+ years experience in digital advertising developing skills that include building trust & rapport with cross-functional technical teams, putting the customer first, and managing time-based goals through prioritizations/sequencing.Our favorite takeaways from this episode with Katie:How businesses can adapt to the fast-paced CPG environment What Katie's word, fast, will look like and mean in 2024Why there should be control with the empowerment of automatization

Jonathan Rhyan of KIND Snacks joins Jennifer and Risa on the latest episode of CPG Scoop!Jonathan Rhyan is the Senior Director of Omnichannel Marketing for KIND Snacks. In this role Jonathan oversees all National & Account Specific Omnichannel Marketing programming, Perfect Digital Shelf, Perfect Digital Store, Digital Test & Learn Roadmap, Advanced Analytics, and the 1st party data strategy for the KIND brand in the United States.Jonathan joined KIND Snacks over 4 years ago armed with a background of experience in a variety of Marketing, Digital & Insights roles.  Having worked primarily in the beauty and personal care categories on brands such as Revlon, L’Oreal, Schick, & Banana Boat, he brings a unique perspective to KIND’s efforts in building the Omnichannel Marketing Discipline as well as growing the KIND brand.

KC Glaser joins Jennifer and Risa on this episode of CPG Scoop to talk all things marketing, digital coupons, and, of course, pickleball. KC has nearly two decades of experience helping smart people solve big problems in various capacities: traditional marketing, brand marketing, strategy, innovation, loyalty, and more. In each professional role, he has been a catalyst for change by focusing on the future, whether it be developing new engagement platforms for Buffalo Wild Wings, literally flipping the DQ Blizzard on its head or shifting a paper-heavy portfolio of coupon tactics to a digitally driven performance marketing engine for General Mills. He has a passion for people, and the two questions that he believes ultimately get us there are “why?” and “how CAN we?”

Kimberly McGee and Lela Davidson, Executive Co-Chairs of NextUp Northwest Arkansas join Jennifer and Risa in this extra special episode of The CPG Scoop. In this episode, Lela and Kimberly talk about the opportunities the Northwest Arkansas chapter of NextUp has provided them, their definition of leadership, and how they create a safe space to elevate other women.Kimberly has been with Walmart for over 15 years, first starting in their technology division. She has since had the pleasure of working across the entire enterprise, having the opportunity to work in HR before her current role. She currently is Walmart’s Senior Manager in their Center for Racial Equity leading their racial solidarity strategy. Kimberly is passionate about community service and empowering women to succeed on a personal and professional level. When she first started with NextUp, she had an opportunity to start their mentoring program. She now serves as Executive Co-Chair for the Northwest Arkansas chapter alongside Lela.As Business Innovation Officer for Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Lela develops new commercial projects and partnerships for the museum and it’s performance venue, The Momentary. Before joining the museum she was EVP Account Leadership & Client Partnership for Saatchi & Saatchi X, overseeing conversion marketing of world class brands for Procter & Gamble, Spin Master, Samsung, and others. Prior to that, Lela was part of an ecommerce startup where she built a country music entertainment and lifestyle media property and partnered with Nashvllle artists and their labels to create artist branded footwear and apparel. Lela began her career as a CPA and analyst for Arthur Andersen. Her NextUp journey started in a strategic role, working to build cohesion across the organization. From there, she moved into a community partnership role and communications before taking on the responsibility of Executive Co-Chair.

Frank Blake joins Jennifer, Risa, and special guest host Bryan Gildenberg of The CPG Guys Fast Forward on this "Legendary Leaders" edition of The CPG Scoop. Together, they discuss marketing challenges, data strategy, and the evolution of social commerce. Frank served as Chairman and CEO of The Home Depot from January 2007 through November 2014, and then as Chairman through January 2015. He previously served as Deputy Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy. Prior to that, he served in a variety of executive roles at General Electric, including Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development. Frank’s public sector experience also includes having served as general counsel for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, deputy counsel to Vice President George Bush and law clerk to Justice Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court. Frank serves on the board of directors for the Georgia Aquarium, Macy’s, Unifi, Inc. and Agnes Scott College.  He recently completed tenure on the Delta Air Lines, Proctor & Gamble, and Grady Hospital Boards.  He holds a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a jurisprudence degree from Columbia University School of Law.

Adam Russack, Director of Agency Partnerships at Bazaarvoice, joins Jennifer and Risa to talk about the opportunities and challenges in the CPG space, including retail media networks and omnichannel marketing. Adam discusses his background in retail and CPG, emphasizing the importance of partnerships and driving growth. Adam comes from a retail family, with his dad and my uncle both being third generation retailers in New York. Career wise, he comes from a mixture of performance marketing and ad tech partnerships. At Bazaarvoice, Adam partners with agencies to power successful commerce experiences and campaigns for brands & retailers.

Michael La Kier, Vice President of Brand Development for the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), joins Jennifer and Risa to discuss the current landscape of the CPG and retail industries. Michael has helped build some of the most iconic consumer-loved and shopper-relevant brands, including Save the Children, Powerade, My Coke Rewards, USA Today, and IGA. Prior to IGA, Michael was the Founder and President of What Brands Want LLC, a boutique strategic marketing consultancy which served the CPG and retail industry. Before What Brands Want LLC, Michael held various roles in shopper marketing, loyalty, digital marketing, and brand management during an impressive 15+ year career at The Coca-Cola Company. Today, he is responsible for strategic partnerships to help independent retailers nourish families in their local communities.

Tony Fung joins Jennifer and Risa for a discussion covering a lot of ecommerce ground.  Tony started his career on the agency side supporting KC, Frito Lay, Unilever, Danone and more before joining Bob Evans Farms, a Post Holdings company.  Tony discusses the constant evolution occurring within omni-channel commerce, and the importance of staying up to speed at both a macro and micro level.  He chooses "hybrid" as his word describing the current state of commerce; and expands on how convenience is driving hybrid shopping habits, and the importance of putting the consumer at the forefront of the conversation.   

Sam Nehme, Performance Lead at Mediacom, joins Jennifer and Risa for a great conversation talking about the evolving state of commerce marketing.  Sam chats about tapping into new and exciting ways to tap into data to improve performance, how true opportunity comes from the art *and* the technique, balancing all aspects while keeping the brand top of mind, and how continued innovation is leveling up measurement capabilities as walled gardens start coming down.