FoodNavigator-USA Podcast William Reed Ltd

An end may be in sight for the capital crunch that has slowed innovation, growth and M&A activity in the food and beverage space in recent years, according to one investment insider, but she warns the timeline is longer for closing deals and the bar is higher for small and midsize companies or startups to successfully exit than pre-pandemic.

As the media landscape has become more fragmented in the past ten years, social media has emerged as one of the most influential sources of information on the consumer path to purchase and many companies are shifting advertising dollars accordingly – but new research from the marketing communication agency HUNTER suggests going all in on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and other social media outlets may not be the best marketing strategy for food and beverage brands.

Food and beverage brands should focus on the fundamentals of growing slowly and strategically to set up long-term success while also complementing a founder's vision with a team of experts with diverse skillsets, Seth Goldman, co-founder and chief change officer at Eat the Change, shared in the first episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s Founders’ Fundamentals podcast.

Today's niche diets, social media blips and internet search spikes could be tomorrow's must-have functional ingredients, breakout snacks or new kitchen staples -- the trick is spotting them early and knowing whether they represent long-term trends or short-term fads and how best to position a launch or brand to capitalize on consumer demand.

More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and extension activities that will help the now $69.7bn US industry continue to grow.

Consumer tolerance is running out for food and beverage companies raising prices to offset inflation, based on volume and sales declines reported by several large CPG manufacturers during the most recent round of quarterly earnings calls.