In his 13 years with the company, Sean Adams, SVP of Digital Commerce at Utz Quality Foods, LLC, the operating company of Utz Brands, Inc., has boiled their approach down to this simple philosophy: “Build sales overnight and brands over time.”

While that philosophy might be simple, succeeding at it is anything but. It starts by understanding the who and when of snacking. There are all kinds of consumers: foodies, functional eaters, adventurers. There are also all kinds of times for a snack: on-the-go, with friends, fueling activities, and more. Sean knows that success comes from aligning the Utz brand portfolio with the consumer and with the occasion.

According to Sean, “once someone tries Utz, they love Utz” therefore a big part of expansion is to reach consumers who might not otherwise have thought of trying their products. Search has been key to this bottom of the funnel marketing. They pair search with a balance of retail and social media in order to increase amplification. This combination of channels provides multiple venues by which to educate consumers about their products, especially in new markets.

As a legacy brand with an embedded culture of in-store sales and discovery, internal storytelling is key to getting buy-in for digital initiatives. Sean uses the same skill set that helps him cut through the noise with consumers to cut through internal noise when influencing internal stakeholders.

As a self-taught marketer with an entrepreneurial spirit, Sean focuses on finding a message that resonates with his target audience, and that focus has helped him lead Utz to become the fastest-growing salty snack brand of scale in eCommerce according to Circana 1.

Key Takeaways:

• Build sales overnight and brands over time
• Storytelling is your most powerful tool to get buy-in with consumers and internal stakeholders
• Know your objectives and ensure that your investments are serving them

1 Circana (Total E-Commerce with ePOS EMI-RMA Latest 26 Week Period Ending 4-21-24)

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Early in his career, Dan O’Leary realized that “If you don’t find some different paths, you’re not going to stand out at all.” Even though he has worked at a series of CPG and food companies, he has made a point of raising his hand for the complicated and unpopular opportunities. These choices gave him the opportunity to stretch, feel uncomfortable, and thus differentiate himself.

A role at Mizkan, followed by taking a role with Hostess gave Dan the opportunity to lean into his passion for building. Whether it be building brands, building teams, or building strategy, Dan considers himself a builder first.

One key to building brands is increasing household penetration and Dan learned to have a maniacal focus on customer acquisition during his time at Digitas. He shares a story about taking a whole new approach to increase usage for Philadelphia Cream Cheese. He took the lead from the consumer and embraced learnings about how they were using the product to create a new marketing strategy.

As a leader, Dan prioritizes communication. Even when he thinks he’s communicating too much, he has often realized he could do a little more. Now at J.M. Smucker, Dan sends a weekly email to keep the team informed about progress, united around goals, and clear about their next steps and objectives.

Mentorship both from his leaders and from his team has been key to helping Dan grow as a leader. One mentor, Jill Baskin, former CMO of Hershey’s, helped him realize that there are “a lot of times when good can be good enough and a lot of times when great is not good enough and you have to strive for excellent.” Another mentor was someone who reports to Dan and whose example of balancing parenthood and career helped Dan think about how to make the right trade-offs when he became a father.

Key Takeaways:

• Take opportunities to differentiate yourself and your resume
• Listen to and learn from your consumer about how they use your product
• Model balance to help your team make the right trade offs for themselves

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In this episode of BRAVE COMMERCE, Ben Goodwin, Co-Founder, CEO, and Formulator of OLIPOP, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to offer insights into the challenges and strategies involved in creating products that bring both enjoyment and health benefits to consumers.

As the conversation begins, Ben shares his early experiences consuming a standard American diet and dealing with health issues, which led him to focus on nutrition from a young age. This early interest guided him into the beverage industry, specifically focusing on functional beverages and probiotics. He shares how his work in kombucha and other fermented beverages sparked his fascination with the microbiome, the brain-gut axis, and their impact on cognitive function and emotional stability.

Ben then delves into OLIPOP's origins, explaining how the product is designed to mimic traditional soda while providing health benefits through fiber, prebiotics, and nutritional diversity. OLIPOP is positioned as the first fiber, prebiotic, functional soda on the market, aiming to offer consumers the familiar soda experience while improving their health.

The conversation touches on the challenges and strategies involved in creating a new market category, including the brand's focus on distribution, pricing, and accessibility. Ben explains OLIPOP's partnerships with insurance providers to make the product more accessible to those in high-need groups, as well as its participation in SNAP and its eligibility for HSA and FSA spending.

Ben also discusses OLIPOP's social media presence, particularly its successful use of TikTok as a marketing platform. He shares how the brand leveraged influencers and creative content to connect with younger audiences, as well as the balance between low and high funnel marketing strategies. Ben also sheds light on his approach to brand building including a focus on longevity, reflected in investments in channels like out-of-home advertising and connected TV.

Key takeaways:

● Understand and address consumer needs with empathy and without judgment

● Balance affordability and accessibility in product distribution

● Invest in strategies that prioritize brand longevity through genuine storytelling and brand

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