Eric Freedman

TREND ALERT:  Hyper-Personalization Through AI and Community-Led Co-Creation Consumers want to feel seen, heard, and in control. The “one-size-fits-all” era is over. From flavor profiles to nutrition benefits, buyers expect products to reflect their unique preferences, identities, and wellness goals. What’s powering this shift? AI technology, first-party data, and a new wave of creator economy tools that let fans co-create the brands they love. https://lnkd.in/gYjk54kq

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🚨THE APP IS OVER🚨 5 approaches for brand and marketing leaders in a post-app world. OK lets be clear - apps aren't going anywhere (yet), but they'll morph, how we interact with them will change ... Apple’s latest announcement quietly introduced something extraordinary: #LiquidGlass. A new visual language where your digital world literally floats in front of you, bending with light, shape, and movement. No app icons. No screens. Just space, layered with intelligence. It’s beautiful. It’s also a warning shot to every marketer, brand builder and CMO still chasing impressions, downloads, or click-throughs, we’re entering the beginnings of post-app world. Its #VisionPro' meets 'Minority Report' ... A future where consumers don’t open your brand on a phone, they encounter it in space, gesture to it, gaze at it, walk through it. We're entering the beginning of a more immersive experience. Imagine a world, where, for example, McDonald's in store kiosks are liquid glass, blending into the landscape rather than creating The Great Wall of Digital Screens. 😅 So what does that mean for brand and marketing teams? Here are 5 moves to get ahead: 1️⃣ Design for Presence, Not Just Attention Your brand doesn’t scroll by anymore. It lives in someone’s living room, office, or daily commute. The latest Haptic trailer for Appl'es move #F1 was a masterclass in 4D experience in your hand. Think: ambient brand layers, not ads. Atmosphere, not banners. 2️⃣ Make It Discoverable, Not Pushy In a spatial world, discovery isn’t fed, it’s found. Design for contextual triggers (location, gaze, time of day). Use AI to guide users to your value without asking them to search, #GEO, will make us all work harder to ensure our brand is searchable everywhere. 3️⃣ Prototype Spatial Brand Gateways Your next campaign might not be a video. It might be a branded 3D portal, a virtual coffee stand, or a product that appears when someone scans a friend’s hat. If it can’t be “opened” like an app, can it be entered? Imagine for healthcare - a world where you open the brand portal and get a holographic virtual appointment? 4️⃣ Blend Brand Utility with Play Don’t just layer product info on top of the world, make it usable. Again the F1 Haptic trailer is a beautiful example of this . . . Let people try it, test it, tap it, or gesture to interact. Gamify the discovery. Reward curiosity. Keep the user wrapped in your ecosystem. 5️⃣ Co-Create the Brand World Consumers won’t just view your content, they’ll shape your presence. Build branded tools, stickers, brushes or filters that let users leave their mark on your world. Make space for them in the experience, not just around it. The post-app future is not about screens. It’s about scenes, the brands that win will be the ones that show up beautifully, intelligently ... natively ... in this new world of liquid interfaces & spatial possibility. Ready to make your brand walk through walls?

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The fact that AI now recognizes tech-forward, Maker-focused models like LibDib as the future of distribution is a big moment—and a strong validation of what we’ve been building. The alcohol distribution landscape is changing—and AI is taking notice. We asked Google’s Gemini which distributors small and mid-sized alcohol brands should consider, and the response was clear: LibDib is a top choice. As LLMs like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity reshape how Buyers and Consumers discover products, it's more important than ever for brands to rethink their go-to-market strategy. Some predict 75% of online revenue will soon be driven by AI over traditional search. Check out what Gemini had to say and why LLM's matter for every brand. https://lnkd.in/e2GiPuVy

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Fun conversation here with Dave Williams of BUMP Williams Consulting. We covered a lot of ground — including: - How beer pricing tiers are shifting - Elasticity and psychological ceilings in beer pricing - The tools that are actually moving the needle (rebates, POS, etc.) - Whether consumers really do ABV-to-price math at the shelf - And how breweries can best navigate today’s fractured market Listen here: https://lnkd.in/g6WnzkBf

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You manage things, but you lead people. I recently sat down with Don Klusendorf on #RecipetoRevenue, and this simple distinction he made really stuck with me. With 40 years of experience in the produce and CPG industries (and a background playing basketball at the University of Illinois), Don knows a thing or two about what makes a team actually work. We dug deep into why so many companies struggle to move from "group of people" to "high-performing team." Some of my favorite takeaways from our conversation: 1. Define the Terms: You can’t be a "collaborative team" if no one agrees on what those words mean. 2. Just Start: Analysis paralysis kills momentum. Sometimes the best leadership move is to just take the first step. 3. The "Yes" Trap: A true partner doesn't just say "yes" to every customer request; they help solve problems before they arise. 4. B2B with an eye on C: Even in B2B, you have to understand the end consumer to truly add value. If you’re leading a team or looking to grow your business in the food and beverage space, this episode is a masterclass in leadership. Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gzTMiQFb #RecipetoRevenue #Leadership #FoodAndBeverage #TeamBuilding #CPG #ProduceIndustry

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I spoke with Patrick Coffee at the The Wall Street Journal this week about how CMOs are thinking about AI. These conversations often default to headcount and budget. The real shift is in how the work gets done. AI turns research from static to dynamic. Instead of locking questions upfront and regretting them after the readout, the model can adjust in real time. AI turns creative from time-bound to elastic. You’re no longer limited by a single production window or the versions you happened to get that day. Human talent decides what’s worth doing. AI removes the constraints.

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Big move in CPG sauces: The Marzetti Company acquires Bachan's. My take: This one makes a lot of sense. Aside from the obvious revenue multiples, Bachan’s is exactly the kind of modern premium brand legacy food companies should be buying: -Authentic founder story -Cult-like brand love -Strong velocity in a crowded sauce category -Clear routes to "premiumize" For Marzetti, this is buying relevance and momentum in a category where taste alone isn’t enough anymore. Brands are desperate for story, culture, and shelf presence, which matter just as much. The real question for me isn’t so much "why" this deal happened, but what happens next: -Do they preserve the brand’s voice and edge? -Do they resist the urge to over-extend SKUs too fast? -Can they scale distribution without ruining off what made Bachan’s special? If they get that balance right, this is a playbook example of brand acquisition wins in 2026: spend the capital acquiring brands that already have demand, not ones that need to be “fixed.” Written by a human, not AI. ⚡

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It’s not a brand if it can’t outlive the trend. This isn’t just about liquidation. It’s a wake-up call for every CPG founder, investor, and marketer: - If you’ve built hype, but not trust... - If your margins depend on markdowns... - If your demand curve mirrors TikTok views... You haven’t built a brand. You’ve built a fad. I’ve seen it firsthand - brands chasing the PRIME-style virality, only to be buried under unsold inventory once the buzz fades. The most resilient consumer brands are rooted in: Believability = The promise feels real. Credibility = The product delivers. Trust = You earn repeat buyers. Advocacy = You grow through loyalty, not liquidation. You want longevity? Build substance. Don’t let the secondary market be your brand’s final resting place. Brilliant post that cuts through the noise. #CPGStrategy #BrandBuilding #BelievabilityMatters #ConsumerTrust #FMCG #SustainableGrowth #DemandPlanning #CPGLiquidation #Startups #FunctionalBeverages #GrowthLeadership

Can Big CPG Get Its Edge Back? Startups might be eating Big CPG’s lunch, but that doesn’t mean Big CPG is out of recipes. We recently partnered with Link Snacks, Inc. Jack Link’s to create Rare Breed, a new dog treat brand made from real meat. It’s unapologetically bold, built around modern meat culture, and a sharp break from the sea of pet clichés. Our team led everything from design strategy and naming to brand identity, packaging, and the full brand world that now lives across digital, retail, and lifestyle touchpoints. Rare Breed Pet proves that even the biggest companies can still move with the conviction of a founder. The best innovation doesn’t come from acting small — it comes from moving fast, trusting instinct, and protecting the ideas that make people a little uncomfortable. Jack Link’s did exactly that. They cut red tape, let the idea breathe, and guarded the edge that made it great. Most big ideas lose their punch after fifteen approval rounds, but this one didn’t. At Interact Brands, we’ve helped some of the world’s largest consumer brands take those same creative risks. Rare Breed is proof that scale and speed don’t have to be opposites, they can coexist when design leads with conviction. Big CPG doesn’t need another line extension. It needs more belief in bold ideas. Grab a bag (and one for your dog). Rare Breed is now in over 2,600 Walmarts nationwide.

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There’s one mindset that quietly limits a lot of early-stage CPG brands. (Many founders slip into it without realizing.) I call it the “I’ll do it all myself” mentality. And look—I get why it happens. No one knows your product, mission, or customers as you do. But building awareness and trust online isn’t about doing more. It’s about doing the right things—consistently. And that’s exactly where most founders get stuck. You already know you should: • Tell your brand story online • Share the “why” behind your product • Build thought leadership that gets retailers + investors to pay attention But those tasks quietly slide to “next month.” Then the month after that. And the one after that. Because all your focus goes into running the business and rightfully so, that's how it should be. And the truth is… things never “slow down.” That’s why most strategic founders bring in a ghostwriter who understands CPG — someone who can turn your ideas, expertise, and stories into content that builds visibility while you stay focused on growth. Because your time is your most valuable asset and doing things that aren’t the best use of it is a recipe for disaster. PS: If this feels familiar, DM me. I help CPG founders turn their ideas into content that builds audience, trust, and distribution.

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Panel highlight yesterday with Fast Company There is an emotional inflection point for consumers point that can shift entire industries. For GoodRx it’s the moment a customer goes up to the pharmacy counter to get their prescription and plays a game of roulette on whether they will be able to afford it. More than a billion prescriptions every year are left at the counter because the customer has to walk away in that moment. They have built a business to flip this script and empower the customer to know the price, make it affordable and give them access to the medicine they need. At Bobbie it’s the guilt can parent feels the first time they need to supplement with formula. Our hope is can flip that script and give them confidence in that choice with transparency, education, and access to support from our Care Team, our content and our services with lactation consultants. Ryan Sullivan always a pleasure!

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