Expo West Recap: Part 2 - Strategy on the Floor

0:00Danielle Calabrese:Welcome to the Emerging Brands podcast. Sharing the stories behind brands you'll want to shop next. I'm your host, Kelly Bennett. I am a New York City-based brand strategist for CPG Food and Beverage Brands. In each episode, I'll take you behind the scenes of founders that are building better-for-you products and bringing them to market. Also, I talk to brand builders, retailers, industry experts, and tastemakers who help bring those cool products to your shopping cart. You will hear stories of real-life founders, their launch strategies, and practical advice you could use to grow your own brand or simply discover what's next on shelf.

0:42Danielle Calabrese:And the best part is you could shop all the brands featured on the show. This podcast is brought to you by Glimpse. Glimpse is an AI-powered deduction management tool that disputes and recovers invalid deductions, winning brands thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours back to founders so that they can focus on what really matters most. If you're a brand selling in retail, go to tryglimpse.com backslash trial for 30 days free and let them know I sent you. Now, let's dive into the new episode. This is part two of the Expo West recap with Danielle Calabrese. This part two is going to focus on our clients who are at Expo and also how to best leverage Expo as an emerging brand, which I'm sure can feel really daunting because you're up against and buying for attention against the biggest CPG brands in the industry where people have super fancy booths and all the bells and whistle and you're just coming to market.

1:56Danielle Calabrese:But we also saw how those backpack brands, as they're called, can really gain some great traction from sampling, demoing, even just attending Expo West. And so, Danielle, I wanted to hear your insights. You've done Expo for so many years now. What do you find brands that are, again, like just coming to market or super young, but they're still coming and showing up? What do you think is like the best way for them to leverage the investment into coming to Expo West? Yeah, yeah, totally. So, you know, it's funny, like inside, cause I have, I have a Slack channel that I've got all of our launch lab clients and all of our one-on-one clients on.

2:47And we had so, there was a lot of chatter before the show and even after the show now as well too, just about like what everybody's doing and how they're getting in and all that. So I would say like, first and foremost, if you are on a super tight budget, definitely don't buy a badge for four or$5 ,000. Like you have to volunteer with a brand, right? So it's like, okay, first, how do we show up?

3:14Danielle Calabrese:Right. Volunteer with a brand or get in with a friend, or, you know, maybe you have somebody who has a retail store that can register because retailers only go for like a hundred bucks or something. So like you need to get creative on how you're going to get a badge. Um, number one, number two, I think the way you show up is everything. So just because you don't have a booth doesn't mean you can't have your product at expo. We had so many shared clients who were all over expo with no booth, right? Yes. Um, there was like, I did a podcast episode, like building up to it. And I shared most of the events that I was going to.

4:00And all of those events are, you know, like you can reach out to event organizers and ask them if you can sample, if you can be a part of their event. Most people are super open to it. So in all of like those, those fun moments oftentimes happen off the trade show floor as well. So the events are where you can get lots of content and create lots of in-person and social traction. So I highly recommend making sure that you have sample sizes. It's crucial. That's a great point that you need to leverage those social events that are happening off the trade show floor and sample sizes.

4:51Danielle Calabrese:I was again, another shared client of ours. Uh, I was messaging her just today. I'm like, you need to get sample sizes. Just put that on the radar for next year of her product. Uh, because I think it would be such a hit. So for an emerging brand, what do you think is like a good way to, or maybe ask you this way, what they should have ready or feeling like, okay, I have check, check, and check. Now I feel like I can go to Expo and network. Is it having samples ready or they have their branding ready? I know some clients, we had to tell them, you got to get your branding done. Your IG is set up.

5:33Danielle Calabrese:You have samples ready. But for you, what do you think is the most important critical pieces for an emerging founder to make the most out of it? I think how you show up depends on where you're at, right? That's fair. So like, okay, are you really close to getting ready to go public and maybe just need to step on the gas a little bit just to make sure that this event has like maximum visibility? I would definitely recommend that. So, you know, we had a couple of clients that were like, ah, like it was like a little bit tight, but we really push them to get socials and landing pages up and everything just to make sure that it's like, okay, you're going to be there.

6:16You're going to be networking. People are going to be trying your product. We also need to make sure that our socials are up because this is crucial, right?

6:22Danielle Calabrese:Yeah. Your LinkedIn needs to be up. You need to be connected to your, to your brand. Your social handles need to be up, whether that's Instagram, TikTok, or both. and then your bio needs to be crystal clear, your wait list, you need to have your like email capture up and running. Like it's really important and make sure you capture as much content as possible. If you have sample sizes, like great, give them out, film people trying the product, right? Walk. Everybody loves the clear backpacks these days. Like if you, if you have small samples, Like you can throw in a clear backpack and get attention that way and get people to like, be curious about what's inside the backpack.

7:04I think though, that there's, there's this common misconception with, within the industry that like, if you're not showing at the show, it's, it's just kind of like, it's a waste of time. It's like a, you know what I mean? You're just sort of like, it's, it don't bother with it, you know? and I just I really disagree I think look you can't be everywhere right right and not every show is right for every brand I do like fancy fair for example is an amazing show it's not right for every brand though and if you are a region if you're super regional and you're not trying to necessarily pick up distribution and the show is on the east coast but you're focused on the west coast, maybe that isn't like, if you're, if you're tight on cash, maybe that's not the best.

7:58Right. Right. Um, the thing about Expo West though, is it is the blockbuster event of the industry of the year. Right. Right. And even if you're not exhibiting, it's still really worthwhile while to go. And I, I know it's an investment if you don't live here. Like I have the luxury of living here. So like, that's why I always go because I live in Southern California and it's easy and cheap for me to go and attend and participate. So like, maybe I would feel differently if I lived on the East coast, I'm not sure, but it really is just such a crucial event to participate in if you really want to be in this industry?

8:47Danielle Calabrese:I would say for myself, this was the year that I fully invested in going on my own, like my own company, my own brand, a media. So I have a media pass, which is great. But I would definitely already get a sense of the ROI just as a service provider because of the networking. And just already I had two clients start today on their brand strategy. And what I saw on the floor, even though I didn't even cover everything, was so helpful in the calls. And I could just tell my clients also appreciated that I was there and that I was seeing all the innovation. And they genuinely thanked me. They're like, thank you for going because either of them were able to go.

9:37Danielle Calabrese:They're so early on. They're like this. It really meant a lot that you were there because I know that you saw so much great things and like you're bringing that knowledge into our brands, which I thought was so cool. And I didn't even necessarily think of that in particular, but that was a really great thing that I saw right off the bat. Such a good point. That's why I like I hear people get kind of like jaded about like skipping Expo and like whatnot. And I hear you. So it's, you know, it can, it can, it's big and blockbuster-y and expensive and, you know, I get it, but it is so much value in it.

10:15There's a reason that that many people attend, you know, we just, we don't get that kind of opportunity throughout the year, especially if you work from home, you know?

10:26Danielle Calabrese:Right. So that's a really good point. for for people again who are just starting out it sounds like to make the most of it at least if you are a backpack brand meaning that you're not showing yet and you have your cute clear backpack or your cooler backpack at least having samples yeah for people to try I think a good example of that of a share client is know me she brought her sauces and got some great feedback she had examples printed out of her new packaging. Yes, which are so cute. You guys have to check it out. So good. It's fully up on her social, right? Like she's done the full review on that.

11:08Danielle Calabrese:Yeah, she did a full one right before Expo. Check it out. Another Benita founder. Yes, who's so great and so focused and like hustles. Benita Studios did their branding, did a beautiful job. And it was so cool because then we were able to, And this for me was really special. Again, I'm still new to going to Expo, but I found such value already of walking the floor with you and then walking the floor with Megan of Benita Studio and the fact that we have so many shared clients. We're all looking at things from a different perspective. Danielle, well, you, Danielle, are looking at it from distribution.

11:50Danielle Calabrese:I remember we passed a booth. You were like, oh, they have a four pack. So that means that they're doing X, Y, and Z. And that to me was so cool and nerdy. And like, I wouldn't have thought of that. And then Megan's walking the floor and she's looking at everything from design. And we, all three of us have a shared client that we saw some good comps that are coming to market that weren't on our radar yet because they literally just launched at Expo. That's also a thing. Like there's some products you don't know of until you walk the floor. Yeah, yeah, totally. And I feel like this is also something that gets glazed over or people kind of like roll their eyes with, but people are like, oh, launching at Expo.

12:33No, like you can launch at Expo. You can actually launch your brand at Expo. The thing that I think the reason, partially though, the reason why people don't always do this is because when you're gearing up for a launch, it can be a little bit scary to commit to a booth because so many things can happen with your production, but right before you launch. Right. Like, like we were just talking about earlier, my client is Brizio Nick, like literally we ran the production two days before expo. So like, imagine if he was exhibiting, we would have been having, we would have been having a heart attack.

13:10You know what I mean? Because like, because it's like, okay, we've paid all this money for this booth. Are we actually going to have product, you know? So people can be like a little bit scared to do it logistically that way. But if you know you're going to have your product somewhere in January or February, and like you feeling confident, I don't know, like consider it because it is a way to have a total splash in entry into the industry to your peers. So people overlook it because they think, oh, well, it's not consumer facing, right? But the thing is, is number one, yeah, it is though, because all of those people are still going to buy your product.

13:52But number two, going back to what we were talking about in the previous episode about the industry being low hanging fruit to help you gain visibility quickly, because they're the most, industry people are going to be the most disengaged and interested in your product because they're from the industry, right?

14:15Danielle Calabrese:Right. They get it. Yeah. So I actually disagree. I don't think that Expo West like isn't consumer facing. I mean, technically it's not, but like all of those people still shop at the grocery store. Totally. And they're sharing on social. There's so many more creators also at the show creating content who have followers who like how they choose brands. And I also had a call with a client a shared client of ours and she was like oh Danielle already told me I have to get my booth for next year and I was like yeah no you do and I'm really excited about it and so we had a fun moment because she walked the show this year she didn't have any samples yet and so that was like a really cool moment also for you to just say that to her she was like I feel like I'm now in the mix Like it meant a lot for her to walk the floor, get a sense.

15:10Danielle Calabrese:And that's what I was telling other clients too. I'm like, if you can come at least walking the floor and getting a sense of the industry you're stepping in. It's really easy to be siloed in what you're building and kind of have these blinders on, which is important at times. But then I think it's really important to understand the big scope, right? Of like all the different innovation happening to really help you see like, okay, this is my innovation. This is my lane. This is what I'm going to own. This is what I'm going to double down in. And these are also the products that could play with my products, right?

15:48Danielle Calabrese:Which is super powerful. Yeah, exactly. And who we're talking, we're talking about Morgan Benton of Yes. A rabbit hole, which is going to be such a fun, cool vegetable snack brand. I'm so excited. I know I'm excited. And I think I loved chatting with her today about this because it was like, like watching her have like a light bulb moment. Oh, wow. This is the industry because she actually has, she has, I always tell her she's very, she's positioned very uniquely. like we had a whole conversation about this today. She has this really cool produce slash snack stand little mini grocery store in NorCal called Fruitful Farms.

16:33And so she's a retailer and she is launching this brand, which is so cool. Rabbit hole. You have to check them out on social media, but she's, she's all about it. She's all in. She's like, yeah. She's all in. Yeah.

16:48Danielle Calabrese:And that was really cool also to see her get a sense of this world that she's stepping into now as a brand, right? Because she understands it as a retailer. And now she's able to step in as a brand and having, like you said, that light bulb moment was so cool. I'm really excited for Rabbit Hole. Now we could say the name. Yeah. I'm really, really excited. She called her husband after the first day that she was there. and she was like, babe, get on a plane. Like you need to come. And she made him fly in. I'm obsessed with that. Yeah. To be there because she was like, oh, you have to come. Like you can't miss this, you know?

17:26So good.

17:27Danielle Calabrese:So good. I love that. Okay. So that's our recap from the client side. So stay tuned for part three of our epic Expo West recap where we're going to talk about some trends and fun finds and some things that we're working on behind the scenes that are really leaning into what we see is hot next in CPG Food and Beverage. So stay tuned for next episode. This episode was brought to you by Glimpse. As we know, building a brand is not as sexy and glamorous as it looks on social media at times. A lot of those unsexy problems come into play when brands start to scale in retail distribution. Founders are always incredibly excited to see their products on shelves at major retail chains, but they don't realize all the hard work that starts to begin.

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19:22Danielle Calabrese:With a team of in-house deduction experts who come from some of the most successful and profitable CPG companies and custom built AI with 100 % accuracy and precision. You'll recover money that you never should have had leaked in the first place. If you're a brand selling in retail, go to tryglimpse.com backslash trial for 30 days free and let them know I sent you. Thank you again for listening to this episode of the Emerging Brands Podcast. It really means so much to me that you listen to this show, share it with your friends and support it. If you are a CPG food and beverage founder and you're ready to launch a brand, people want to shop, head to withkellybennett.com for the details.

20:15Danielle Calabrese:And as always, thank you so much for listening, shopping the brands featured on the show and following brands I'm working with. It means so much. See you on the next episode.