Consumer Brand Builders

Business Based on Social Entrepreneurship Ideas Develops Strong Customer Loyalty

A SOCIAL REASON!

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building, Entrepreneurship

What is Social Entrepreneurship? It depends upon who you ask and when. The definition keeps changing over time and broadening to include an ever-widening group of enterprises that have a positive social impact. What they all have in common is that they either directly...

Brand Positioning Examples in the CPG Space are Price Sensitive

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building

What is brand positioning? It’s relatively easy to identify your CPG product’s value proposition. But positioning your product in the harsh retail environment is quite another story. Think of the value proposition as a broad description of your products features,...

What Is Inside Sales vs. Outside Sales in the CPG Space?

ONE THROAT TO CHOKE!

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Sales

Depending on what you’re selling, how much you are selling at a time, and how you’re selling it, you will have different approaches to how the sale is made. You may also have different approaches to how the initial sale is made vs. how the subsequent sales are made....

How to Trademark a Logo for Your CPG Brand

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building

There are many sites and companies out there that will take your money and file a trademark on your behalf with the USPTO. They will walk you through the process which typically involves searching to see if anyone else has already trademarked your logo, documenting...

7 Sales Strategy Tips to Increase Your CPG Sales Territory

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building, Sales

Effective CPG sales strategy planning requires a knowledge of, and respect for, the harsh realities of the retail marketplace. It’s a multifaceted landscape into which your product must fit, survive, and thrive. Due to the physical nature of the distribution system,...

What Does Customer Service Mean To You? An Interview with the Founders of Barefoot Wine

SERVICING ALL THE PLAYERS

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building

We are interviewed on this subject on a regular basis. The interviewers are usually podcasters, radio show hosts, or magazine writers. They are interested in practical and doable advice from a successful CPG producer. They want to know what customer service is for a...

How To Calculate Net Sales and not get Fooled by the Numbers

IT COSTS MONEY TO MAKE MONEY!

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building

One of the biggest mistakes we see being made by new CPG branded product producers is they simply follow the net sales calculation formulas designed for accounting. This formula seems plausible and to the inexperienced, it may even seem complete. But it’s far from...

The Risks of Rebranding May Outweigh the Benefits

“WHAT HAPPENED TO MY BRAND?”

by Michael Houlihan & Bonnie Harvey | Brand Building

To rebrand or not to rebrand? That is the question! Whether it is nobler to be new and different or tried and true? More than a few brands have disappeared as a result of well-meaning rebranding and repositioning. This is especially true of CPG brands. Unlike personal...

Consumers are “Voting” for Earth Friendly Products

JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON …OR GET RUN OVER BY IT!