John shares insights on effective segmentation strategies, the role of surveys in gathering data, and the challenges brands face in accurately identifying their target customers. The conversation emphasizes the need for a systematic approach to understanding buyer motivations and the practical steps brands can take to enhance their marketing strategies.

Sound Bites

• “A strategist’s role is to ask ‘why’ and ‘what if’.”

• “The importance of behavioral insights.”

• “Reversing the order of customer analysis.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Buyer Psychology

02:34 Snack and Beverage Preferences

05:19 John’s Professional Journey

08:16 Understanding Buyer Psychology

11:07 Defining Buyer Psychology

13:54 Case Study: Customer Segmentation

16:30 Challenges in Understanding Customers

19:12 The Importance of Research in Growth

21:30 Understanding Consumer Motivations

27:43 The Importance of Brand Visibility and Attraction

29:34 Segmentation Strategies for Effective Marketing

35:27 The Role of Data in Customer Understanding

40:02 Practical Approaches to Gathering Customer Insights

Key Takeaways:

- Buyer psychology plays a crucial role in retail success.

- Personal recommendations can significantly impact purchasing decisions.

- Clean, inviting stores and knowledgeable staff enhance the shopping experience.

- Brands should leverage team members as product ambassadors.

- Effective packaging can turn a potential sale into a definite purchase.

Main Points

1. The Role of Buyer Psychology in Retail

Benjamin Tompkins introduces the concept of buyer psychology, emphasizing its importance in the food and beverage industry. He identifies three key factors that influence purchasing decisions: cyclical buying, the allure of new products, and consulted buying. For instance, Tompkins points out that shoppers often return for essentials like toilet paper and detergent, but they are also drawn to new products that spark their interest. This highlights the need for brands to constantly innovate and keep their offerings fresh.

2. The Power of Recommendations

One of the most significant insights from Tompkins is the concept of consulted buying. He illustrates this with an example of a customer considering a bag of pretzels. By simply recommending the product, Tompkins was able to influence the customer’s decision, leading them to purchase not just one, but two bags. This showcases the impact that personal recommendations can have in retail settings, particularly when team members engage with customers in a genuine and helpful manner.

3. Creating Positive Shopping Experiences

Tompkins emphasizes the importance of store aesthetics and team member interactions in enhancing the shopping experience. A clean and inviting store is crucial for attracting customers, but equally important is the ability of employees to share their personal experiences with products. For example, Tompkins shares his passion for board games, encouraging team members to recommend their favorites to shoppers. This approach not only fosters a friendly atmosphere but also drives sales through authentic engagement.

4. Leveraging Team Members as Brand Ambassadors

As Tompkins discusses, brands have a unique opportunity to turn retail associates into ambassadors for their products. By ensuring that team members are knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the products they sell, brands can enhance the likelihood of a sale. Target has started implementing team member-led sampling events, where associates share their experiences with products, creating moments of joy for customers and driving engagement with new items.

5. Optimizing Packaging for Conversion

The conversation shifts to packaging and its role in influencing buying decisions. Many brands invest heavily in eye-catching front packaging but neglect the back, which can be a critical moment for conversion. Tompkins suggests that brands should utilize this space to tell a compelling story or provide additional value, such as QR codes linking to exclusive offers. This strategy can capture consumer interest and encourage them to follow through with their purchase.

In this episode of the Why People Buy podcast, host Seth Waite interviews Ashley Nickelsen, the founder of B.T.R. Nation, a company focused on creating clean, low-sugar snacks.

Ashley shares her personal journey, including the challenges of navigating grief after losing her parents and how it inspired her to start BTR Nation. The conversation delves into the importance of understanding buyer psychology, establishing brand values, and the challenges of creating clean ingredients. Ashley emphasizes the significance of engaging with customers to gain insights and improve products, highlighting the need for transparency and education in the food and beverage industry.

Favorite Sound Bites

• “You have to be clear and concise.”

• “You gotta be on social.”

• “The packaging is so pretty.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Buyer Psychology in Food & Beverage

02:23 Ashley’s Journey and the Birth of BTR Nation

09:26 The Importance of Brand Values and Messaging

14:46 Navigating Consumer Expectations and Product Development

20:39 Staying Close to Customers and Understanding Their Needs

24:54 Key Takeaways for Food & Beverage Entrepreneurs

Get in Touch

• B.T.R. Nation website

• Ashley’s Linkedin

• Seth’s Linkedin

• Schaefer’s website

William Grand: About
NutriFusion: Website

Key Takeaways

• William Grand emphasizes the importance of nutrition in food products.

• The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated consumer demand for healthier options.

• Brands often face challenges in reformulating products to meet health standards.

• Consumer education is crucial for making informed food choices.

• The food industry is slow to change without significant consumer pressure.

• Innovative processing techniques can enhance the nutritional value of products.

• Transparency in ingredient sourcing is vital for consumer trust.

• The pet food industry is more health-conscious compared to human food brands.

• Seth and William discuss the need for regulatory changes in the food industry.

• Understanding buyer psychology can lead to better product development.

About NutriFusion
NutriFusion® was formed in 2008 and is headquartered in Naples, Florida and provides the nutrient-rich benefits of fruits and vegetables in everyday food products.

NutriFusion® sources only whole, non-GMO foods to create its concentrated micronutrient and phytonutrient-rich food ingredient blends. GrandFusion® blend’s are derived from fruits and/or vegetables can significantly increase the nutritional profile and marketability of food, beverage and supplement products.

Episode Summary

“More bang for your bite.”

In this episode, Seth Waite interviews Andrea Schwenk, the Chief Marketing Officer of Egg Life, discussing the motivations behind consumer choices in the food and beverage industry. Andrea shares the origin story of Egg Life, her role in the company, and how they are innovating traditional food products by using eggs instead of flour. The conversation delves into consumer insights, emotional connections with the brand, and the evolving trends in the protein market. Andrea emphasizes the importance of understanding consumer psychology and the need for brands to adapt to changing preferences while maintaining a strong emotional resonance with their audience.

Visit: Egglife

Connect: Andrea Schwenk

Chapters

“Egglife is like a swiss army knife.”

00:00 Introduction to Egg Life Foods and Andrea Schwenk

02:47 The Origin Story of Egg Life Foods

05:10 Andrea’s Role and Day-to-Day Responsibilities

08:20 Consumer Insights and Product Versatility

10:52 Expansion into Pasta and Consumer Use Cases

13:42 Understanding Customer Experience and Feedback

16:19 Shifts in Consumer Demographics and Preferences

19:00 The Protein Renaissance and Marketing Strategies

21:36 Building a Brand in a Competitive Market

24:24 Final Thoughts and Key Takeaways

Last week, Sidnee wrote a post on LinkedIn about the chaos of Starbucks selling out of Bearista cups in 4 MINUTES. That’s wild. Her post is below, and after reading that, you’ll see a part 2 that stood out to me about why the Bearista fervor works. And it’s more than just scarcity.

SIDNEE’S ORIGINAL POST (link)

Starbucks sold out of Bearista cups in 4 minutes (some stores before the store opened). Chaos ensued. Resellers hit eBay within the hour.

Was this a product launch disaster or marketing genius?

While every brand chases predictable launches with controlled inventory, Starbucks just accidentally (or deliberately?) created $200 secondary market value for a $29 cup.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:
• Original price: $29.95
• Resale price: $170-$1,000
• Sellout time: Under 5 minutes
• Customer sentiment: Mixed fury and obsession

They didn’t plan a collectible. They created one through scarcity.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝘀:

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝘀. When FOMO meets nostalgia meets limited supply, rational pricing dies. Adults will fight over a teddy bear cup like it’s Black Friday 1995. The collectible brain overrides the logical brain every time.

• 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 (𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁). Supreme built a billion-dollar brand on drops that sell out instantly. Stanley cups became weapons of suburban warfare. Now Starbucks has people refreshing apps at midnight for a cup with a bear on it.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲-𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗼𝘅. Angry customers are talking customers. Every “this is ridiculous” tweet is free marketing. Every “I stayed up until 3 am” social story builds the legend. Bad experiences become badge stories.

The genius (or disaster) move? They underestimated demand so badly it became the story.

No one’s talking about the coffee. Everyone’s talking about the cup they couldn’t get.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻:

Perfect launches are forgettable. Messy launches become mythology.

When you accidentally create a feeding frenzy, you’ve done something most brands spend millions trying to manufacture: You’ve made a $13 piece of plastic feel priceless.

The question isn’t whether this was good or bad for Starbucks.

The question is: Would you rather have happy customers or obsessed ones?

Because obsessed customers will set alarms for your next drop. Happy customers just buy their coffee and leave.

Sometimes the best product launch strategy is to not have enough product.

What camp are you in? Disaster or genius?

SETH’S POV

Brilliant breakdown, Sidnee. And that Bearista chaos perfectly illustrates something we don’t talk about enough:

The effort IS the value.

Here’s what kills me: We’ve been taught that friction destroys conversions. Remove every barrier. Make it seamless. One-click everything.

But watch someone drive to three different Starbucks hunting for that bear cup. Watch them set five alarms. Join Discord groups. Coordinate with strangers on Reddit. They’re not just buying a cup anymore - they’re on a quest.

And that quest? It creates something Amazon Prime can never deliver: emotional investment.

The psychology is fascinating. It’s called the IKEA effect - we value things more when we work for them. That table you assembled yourself? You’ll defend its quality to anyone who’ll listen. That Bearista cup you stalked across town? It’s not just a cup anymore. It’s a trophy.

I saw this with a beverage client recently. They accidentally shipped to only half their retailers. Customers started calling stores, driving across town, creating “sighting” posts on social. Sales at the stores that HAD product went up 3x. Not because of the scarcity - but because customers who worked to find it became evangelists.

They told everyone about their “hunt.”

The brutal truth: Starbucks didn’t create $200 secondary market value with a bear design. They created it by making thousands of people invest effort. And effort creates ownership in a way convenience never will.

Not all friction is bad friction. Sometimes the chase IS the product.

The question isn’t whether to make things easy or hard. It’s understanding when difficulty becomes part of the value proposition.

Because a cup you bought with one click is just a cup.

But a cup you hunted for? That’s a story.

And stories are worth more than convenience every single time.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Curious Elixirs and JW Wiseman

04:21 The Journey to Non-Alcoholic Beverages

09:13 Market Insights and Consumer Conversations

13:56 Product Development and First Milestones

18:35 Creating Unique Flavors and Ingredients

23:09 Pricing Strategy and Customer Experience

27:47 Building Community and Customer Success

Takeaways

• Curious Elixirs aims to provide sophisticated non-alcoholic options for social settings.

• The journey to creating non-alcoholic beverages began with personal experiences and conversations with consumers.

• Market research revealed a significant demand for quality non-alcoholic drinks.

• Kickstarter success was a pivotal moment for Curious Elixirs, marking a significant milestone that led to increased media recognition.

• Product development focuses on flavor innovation and the use of high-quality ingredients.

• Pricing for non-alcoholic beverages reflects the complexity of their production.

• Building a community around the brand is essential for customer success.

• Curious Elixirs products are designed to be shared and enjoyed socially.

• The brand aims to change perceptions about non-alcoholic drinks over generations.

• Customer service and adding value are key to retaining customers.

Visit: Curious Elixirs

“Fixed income” is the biggest lie in premium food marketing.

We see 55+ retirees and think: limited budget, coupon clippers, price sensitive. Meanwhile, they’re sitting on 40 years of accumulated wealth and spending it exactly how they want.

The food industry’s obsession with millennials is making them miss the most valuable customers in the market.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆:
• Americans 55+ control 70% of disposable income in the U.S.
• Average net worth: 3x that of households under 35
• Discretionary spending on food: Higher per capita than any other age group
• Brand loyalty: Once they find what they love, they stick for decades

They’re not pinching pennies. They’re investing in daily pleasures.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲’𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿:

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 “𝗳𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲” 𝗺𝘆𝘁𝗵. Yes, their monthly income is predictable. But so are their expenses. No mortgage. Kids through college. That “fixed” income is mostly discretionary. And they’re spending it on whatever makes Tuesday feel special.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗼𝗳-𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝘀. They’re not buying time-savers. They have time. They’re buying joy-makers. That $8 artisanal cheese isn’t an indulgence. It’s an investment in making lunch worth looking forward to.

• 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘁𝘆. Millennials chase trends. Retirees build rituals. Find your way into their routine and you’ve got a customer for life. Literally. They’re not switching brands at 75.

They don’t want senior discounts. They want premium experiences.
They don’t need cheaper versions. They want better stories.
They’re not worried about saving money. They’re focused on savoring life.

While everyone fights over price-sensitive millennials juggling student loans and mortgages, retirees are quietly outspending them on premium everything.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝘀𝘆𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻:

Fixed income doesn’t mean fixed spending.

It means predictable cash flow with fewer obligations. That’s not a limitation. That’s liberation.

And liberated customers with 40 years of savings? They’re not your budget buyers.

They’re your best buyers. If you’re smart enough to see them.

The 30-second shelf test that reveals everything about your food brand.

Stand in a grocery aisle for 30 seconds.
Watch how people shop. 👀
You’ll learn more about your brand than you can imagine.

I do this with every brand I evaluate
(yes, I’m that weird guy at the grocery store LOL)

The results are brutal but honest.

Here’s what those 30 seconds reveal:

👉🏻 Second 1-5: Can they find you?
If shoppers walk past your product twice, you’ve already lost. Your packaging is wallpaper.

👉🏻 Second 6-10: Do they understand you?
Watch their face. Confusion = death. If they’re squinting at your package trying to decode what you are, they’re already moving on.

👉🏻 Second 11-15: Does your promise matter?
They picked you up. Now what? If they can’t connect your benefit to their life in 3 seconds, back on the shelf you go.

👉🏻 Second 16-20: Is your price justified?
The flip to check price. Then the pause. If they can’t immediately justify the cost based on what they just learned, you’re done.

👉🏻 Second 21-25: Do they trust you?
The ingredient scan. The brand check. Looking for reasons to say no. Most brands give them plenty.

👉🏻 Second 26-30: The decision
Cart or shelf. That’s it. No second chances.

The harsh reality?

Most brands fail by second 10.

They’re so busy listing certifications, telling their founder story, or cramming in every possible benefit that they forget the shopper who’s already late for daycare pickup.

The brands that pass the test?

They answer one question clearly: “What problem do you solve for me?”

Everything else is just noise in aisle 7.

Next time you’re in a store, run the test on your own brand.

You might not like what you see.
But at least you’ll see what shoppers see.

And that’s where fixing it starts.

The conversation delves into successful marketing case studies, the importance of understanding buyer psychology, and how data-driven strategies can lead to success. They also touch on the role of AI in marketing and the need for a deep understanding of customer motivations to drive effective marketing campaigns.

Takeaways

• Understanding buyer psychology is crucial for effective marketing.

• Personal preferences in food and beverage can influence marketing strategies.

• Data-driven marketing helps in making informed decisions.

• Successful case studies demonstrate the impact of targeted marketing.

• The food and beverage industry has unique challenges and opportunities.

• Leveraging first-party data enhances customer profiling.

• AI can simplify marketing, but may limit creativity and strategy.

• Effective marketing requires understanding customer motivations and behaviors.

• Schaefer has evolved to focus on food and beverage marketing.

• Building strong partnerships with clients is essential for success.

Toom is the number 1 fastest-growing food company in America.

6,291% growth in 3 years.

The difference? They took 10 years to become an overnight success.

Most founders think speed is everything. Launch fast. Scale fast. Exit fast. They see the Minneapolis farmers market as a starting point to rush past.

Matt Joyce saw it differently.

8 years of R&D just to reach the starting line. Product molding on shelves. A $40k packaging machine that didn’t work. Getting booted from their first co-packer. Moving back into his parents’ house after quitting Target HQ.

While competitors were “disrupting” garlic, Toom Garlic Dips was learning how to make it shelf-stable.

This obsession with getting it right created something nobody else could replicate.

Example: The first California garlic shortage in 35 years hit. Most brands would’ve folded. Toom had already built relationships with multiple suppliers. They’d learned that lesson the hard way years earlier.

COVID cancelled demos and Expo West. Their packaging supplier went under. Each crisis that would’ve killed a younger brand just made Toom stronger.

The math tells the real story:
- Years 1-8: Foundation (aka “failure”)
- Year 9: Finally crack the formula
- Years 10-13: 6,291% growth

But here’s what really matters:

You can’t build the fastest-growing food company by being fast. You build it by being unkillable.

Every setback made them better. Every failure taught them something competitors would have to learn later. Every extra year of struggle was actually a moat.

While everyone else rushed to market, Toom built a foundation that could handle exponential growth.

The lesson? Stop racing to the starting line. Start building something worth finishing.

Sometimes a decade in the making is precisely the right speed.

Malcolm Gladwell wrote it’s impossible to beat Heinz ketchup. Two college kids who couldn’t cook took it as a dare.

In 2004, Gladwell published his famous New Yorker piece explaining why Heinz owns 60% of the ketchup market. The perfect balance of sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and umami. Impossible to improve.

Brown University seniors Mark Ramadan and Scott Norton read it differently.

“We had never really cooked anything,” Norton admits. But they started making ketchup in their dorm anyway.

Their first batches were disasters. Too sweet. Too chunky. Nothing like Heinz. So they did what any rational person would do when facing a 150-year monopoly: They invented a British aristocrat.

Sir Kensington. A completely fictional Victorian merchant who supposedly served Catherine the Great ketchup at his manor. Meeting the Emperor of Japan over Kobe beef. Pure fiction.

But it sold $4 ketchup.

Glass jars instead of squeeze bottles. Scooping instead of squirting. Everything Heinz wasn’t. They weren’t competing on taste - they were competing on story.

Three years in, reality hit. Ketchup was bleeding money. But their mayo? Outselling ketchup 10-to-1.

Then came the Museum of French Fries.

No marketing budget? They preserved 100 french fries from NYC restaurants in resin. Opened a pop-up museum. Cost: $15,000. Media coverage: Everywhere.

By 2017, Unilever came calling. The company that makes Hellmann’s wanted the tiny brand stealing their premium customers.

Price tag: $140 million.

The kicker? After the acquisition, Unilever quietly killed Sir Kensington’s ketchup. The product that started it all. The impossible challenge to Heinz. Gone.

But the mayo empire lived on.

Gladwell was right. You can’t beat Heinz (Kraft Heinz) at ketchup.

But two kids who couldn’t cook proved something better: Sometimes the way to win an impossible game is to change which game you’re playing.

They spent 7 years trying to prove Gladwell wrong about ketchup. Turns out they were building a mayo empire the whole time.

What impossible challenge are you taking too literally?

My friend buys Dunkin’ coffee to drink while waiting in the Starbucks line. 👀

That sentence tells you everything about how Dunkin’ built a $9 billion empire.

While Starbucks sells you an experience, Dunkin’ sells you time. One charges $7 for a handcrafted moment. The other charges $2 to keep you moving.

Dunkin’​ didn’t stumble into this. They designed it.

“America Runs on Dunkin’” wasn’t just a tagline. It was a declaration of war against the coffee shop experience. No couches. No wifi passwords. No barista asking about your weekend.

Just making and getting your order. Fast.

I’ve been studying their evolution, and it’s a masterclass in knowing exactly who you are:

They went from donuts to breakfast sandwiches to energy drinks. But every addition follows the same rule: Can someone order it in 10 seconds and eat it with one hand while driving?

The regional loyalty is insane. In New England, Dunkin’ isn’t a preference. It’s an identity. People get married at Dunkin’. They name their dogs Dunkin’. They’d vote for Dunkin’ for president.

Why? Because Dunkin’ never pretended to be something it wasn’t.

While competitors added 40+ flavors and sizes, Dunkin’ kept it simple. Small, medium, large. No “venti” confusion. No decision fatigue at 6 am when your brain isn’t working yet.

They even turned their limitations into strengths:

Can’t compete on ambiance? Make it about speed.
Can’t match artisanal quality? Make it about consistency.
Can’t create Instagram moments? Make it about real moments... getting to work on time.

The math is beautiful:
- Average transaction: 90 seconds
- Average Starbucks transaction: 5 minutes
- Those extra 3.5 minutes? That’s 3-4 more cars through the drive-thru

My friend drinking Dunkin’ while waiting for Starbucks isn’t confused. They’re optimizing. Dunkin’ for the caffeine hit. Starbucks for the afternoon meeting.

Different jobs. Different brands. Both winning.

Sometimes the best strategy isn’t competing for the same occasion.

It’s owning a completely different one.

McCormick paid $4.2 billion for French’s mustard in 2017.

Not because they needed another condiment. Because they understood the spice rack strategy.

Here’s how the kitchen real estate game really works:

Spice companies keep buying condiment brands for one reason: Own multiple shelves, own the kitchen. McCormick & Company now touches your spice rack, your condiment shelf, and your baking cabinet. That’s not diversification. That’s domination.

But French’s played a different game to get there.

While Grey Poupon was teaching America to say “Pardon me,” French’s stayed in the squeeze bottle. They chose volume over margin. Democracy over luxury.

The genius? They never sold mustard. They sold the hot dog experience.

1904, St. Louis World’s Fair. French’s doesn’t set up a mustard stand. They put their mustard ON hot dogs. They weren’t selling a condiment. They were completing an experience.

That strategy still works 120 years later.

Think about it: You don’t buy French’s because it’s the most premium mustard. You buy it because hot dogs feel naked without that yellow squiggle. They own the moment, not the product.

The math reveals the strategy:
- Own the everyday moment (hot dog at the game)
- Skip the premium positioning (let Grey Poupon have it)
- Build volume through ubiquity

French’s went from Colman’s to Reckitt to McCormick, increasing value each time. Why? Because spice companies understand something most don’t:

Your kitchen has limited real estate. The brands that own multiple shelves own your loyalty. When McCormick owns your spices AND your condiments, switching costs compound.

Here’s what kills me:

Everyone’s chasing premium positioning. Artisanal this. Small-batch that. There’s definitely a time and place for it. Meanwhile, French’s is selling 100 million bottles by being proudly ordinary.

Sometimes the best strategy isn’t to be special.

It’s to be essential.
Which makes you pretty special, right?

What everyday moment could your brand own?

After being rejected for a shoe design job at Nike, Travis Grillo had a revelation. His family had a 100-year old pickle recipe that focused on freshness. Cucumbers, salt, water, vinegar, garlic, dill, and grape leaves.

It was simple, fresh, and led to an amazing crunch.

Travis turned his rejection into a revelation by making batches of pickles using the family recipe and taking them to the Boston farmers markets. Using a hand-built wooden cart, he sold pickle spears for a dollar for two spears. Sell out by noon.

Within a year he had a loyal following and was selling products in local Whole Foods Market.

While Vlasic and Mt. Olive were pumping out shelf-stable pickles with enough preservatives to survive nuclear winter, these guys were making pickles that expired.

Everyone said they were crazy. Fresh pickles can’t scale. The logistics are impossible. Grocery stores won’t touch them.

But here’s what the pickle giants missed:

People will pay 3x more for food that actually tastes like food.

Now they’re in 15,000+ stores. No preservatives. No compromise. Just pickles that taste like your grandmother made them, if your grandmother had a $50 million pickle empire.

The math tells the story:
- Farmers market: $20/hour profit (if it didn’t rain)
- Wholesale: Lower margins but predictable volume
- Scale: Fresh supply chain nobody else would build

They convinced retailers to give precious refrigerated space to pickles.

Every “that won’t scale” became their competitive moat.

I’ve watched hundreds of food brands try to go from farmers' markets to retail. Most fail because they compromise their way to mediocrity. Make it shelf-stable. Add preservatives. Cut costs.

Grillo’s did the opposite. They made retail work for their pickles, not the other way around..

Because their product was so good, their fans begged for it.

The lesson isn’t about pickles. It’s about conviction.

Your biggest constraint might be your biggest differentiator.

What “impossible” thing are you refusing to compromise on?

While StarKist and Bumble Bee were busy selling the same tuna your great-grandma ate in 1930, two roommates in LA noticed something: Americans were buying European tinned fish brands.

Classic arbitrage opportunity hiding in plain sight.

Becca Millstein saw what everyone else missed. The entire canned fish category was “dusty” - her word for stale, brandless, zero innovation. Just monoliths with no brand loyalty fighting over pennies.

So she did what any music marketer would do. She created the Beta Box.

Before sourcing a single fish, Fishwife built branded boxes and filled them with competitor samples. Hired an illustrator. Created the identity. Tested desire before product.

They sold out immediately.

The genius wasn’t the fish. It was the positioning.

While Bumble Bee competed on price, Fishwife competed on identity. Colorful tins. $32 for a 3-pack of tuna. Supply chain stories about 100-year-old Spanish canneries.

They weren’t selling protein. They were selling permission to care about your canned fish.

Then the pandemic hit. And “girl dinner” became a thing. Suddenly, aesthetic ready-to-eat meals weren’t just convenient... they were content.

The challenges came fast:
- Cofounder Caroline Goldfarb left (and sued)
- Scaling from DTC to 1,800 retail locations
- Convincing people to pay 10x for tuna

But here’s what kills me:

Fishwife now has 350,000 community members. They sell “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in lifestyle merch. For a seafood company.

When you build a brand people identify with, they’ll literally wear your sardine t-shirts.

The math reveals the opportunity:
- $2.6B category with little brand loyalty
- European positioning arbitrage
- Pandemic timing for ready-to-eat
- Community > commodity

Millstein calls out the next dusty categories: oatmeal, cereal, canned beans.

The playbook is simple: Find categories where nobody cares about brand. Add story, design, values. Capture premium pricing.

Sometimes the best innovation isn’t creating something new.

It’s making people care about something they never thought about.

Your biggest opportunity might be hiding in the most boring aisle.

Oreo doesn’t make 47 different cookie flavors because they’re creative geniuses. They do it because they discovered something most brands miss: Limited editions create urgency in a category that has zero urgency.

Think about it. Nobody needs cookies today. You could walk past that Oreo display for months.

But slap “Limited Edition Birthday Cake” on the package? Suddenly, you’re grabbing two. That’s why Oreo has released 231+ different flavors of Oreos. Even when their original (OG) cookie is killer.

I’ve been studying their playbook, and it’s brilliant:

They launch a new flavor every 6-8 weeks. Not because people are demanding Wasabi Oreos (yes, that was real). But because “new” gets you to notice a product you’ve walked past 100 times.

Each limited flavor drives trial. Even the weird ones. Especially the weird ones. Because curiosity beats logic every time in the snack aisle.

Here’s the kicker:

The original Oreo still makes up 70% of sales. All those wild flavors? They’re just expensive billboards that drive you back to the classic.

Most food brands think innovation means replacing what works. Oreo knows innovation means giving people a reason to remember what they already love.

They’re not selling cookies.
Nabisco is selling little moments of surprise in your predictable grocery run.

The math is simple:
- Core product provides stability
- Limited editions create excitement
- Excitement drives foot traffic
- Traffic buys the original
- $3 billion flows in

Meanwhile, most brands are still arguing about whether to change their 20-year-old recipe.

What would happen if you stopped trying to fix what works and started creating reasons for people to rediscover it?

I watched a mom stand in the cereal aisle for three whole minutes yesterday. Paralyzed. Not because she couldn’t decide between brands… but because every brand was screaming everything at her at once:

“High protein! Keto-friendly! Gluten-free! Non-GMO! Sustainably sourced! Kid-approved!”

She grabbed something and by the time she put it in the cart… she already looked disappointed.

This is what happens when brands make shoppers work for it. You think you’re being helpful by listing every possible benefit. You’re actually creating a part-time job called “figure out what matters to me from this wall of claims.”

Nobody wants that job, especially not at 6 p.m. after work with kids melting down in the cart.

What exhausts shoppers

🛒 Decoding what your product actually does
🛒 Comparing 47 similar options with no clear difference
🛒 Translating features into benefits that matter to their life
🛒 Remembering why they picked you last time (spoiler: they don’t)

Not “great for everyone!” but “Keeps you full until lunch.”
Not “made with superfoods!” but “The only bar that won’t melt in your gym bag.”

When you know exactly who you’re for and why they care, you can end the feature parade and start solving a real problem.

The One-Job Promise (OJP)

Anchor everything to a single buyer's job:

Buyer Job → Clear Benefit → Proof → Context

• Buyer Job: What they’re hiring you to do (satiety, no-melt, calm gut, kid peace).

• Clear Benefit (front-of-pack): One plain-English promise.

• Proof (visible): A number, a badge, a test, or a short quote.

• Context (two words): The moment it matters (Desk, School, Gym, Drive-thru).

Formula to steal: 1–2–Proof
1 benefit. 2 words of context. Proof they can see.

“Stay Full ’Til Lunch” — Desk — 12g Protein + 8g Fiber
“Won’t Melt on You” — Gym Bag — Passed 95°F Melt Test
“No Tummy Drama” — School Snack — Low FODMAP Certified

Build your claim hierarchy (and cut the rest)

1. Promise (front): Your OJP in ≤6 words.

2. Reason to believe (front/side): One metric or certification.

3. Objection killers (side/back): The two things that stop the target buyer from saying “yes.”

4. Nice-to-haves (back/website): Everything else. If it doesn’t help the target decide now, it moves off the front.

The Claim Diet: If a claim doesn’t support the Promise, it’s either backstage or gone.

Five-Second Shelf Test (use this before your next print run)

Stand six feet away. Give yourself five seconds.

• Can a stranger say what it does, who it’s for, and why it’s credible?

• Is the benefit the biggest thing on the pack?

• Is proof scannable without turning the box?

• Do color, icon, and photo reinforce the job (not just the brand palette)?

• Which two elements would you remove to make the promise even clearer?

If you can’t pass this in five seconds, neither can your buyer.

Make it memorable next time (so they remember why they chose you)

• On-pack memory hook: Repeat the Promise on the opening flap or inner seal.

• First-purchase insert: One card, one line: “Use me when ____.” (their moment)

• Post-purchase trigger: Email/SMS that repeats the Promise + proof and offers a subscribe option aligned to the moment (e.g., weekday lunches).

Packaging checklist (save this)

• Single promise in ≤6 words

• Two-word context (moment) present

• Numeric or third-party proof visible from the front

• The two biggest objections addressed (side/back)

• No claim on front that doesn’t support the promise

• Color/iconography match the job and moment

• Five-second shelf test passed by a stranger

Make the choice obvious. Do the thinking for them.
Because if shoppers have to work to understand why you matter, they’ll grab whatever’s on sale.

What’s the hardest shopping decision you’ve had to make lately, and what would’ve made it an easy “yes”?

🥣 If you’re in food & beverage and want help applying the One-Job Promise to your brand, I hold weekly office hours for founders and brand managers.

The winners know exactly who they’re for and why those people care.

I’m Seth — Partner at Schaefer, where I help food & beverage brands find their precision customers through buyer psychology. Before this, I built a startup from $0 to $8M in annual revenue in 18 months (and learned some hard lessons about growing too fast for the wrong people).

My philosophy is simple: stop wasting 60% of your marketing budget talking to everyone.

Here’s what drives me crazy:

******************
Me: “Who’s your target customer?”
Them: “Millennial moms”
Me: “All of them?”
Them: “Yeah!”
Me: “Why?”
Them: 🤷

******************

That conversation? It happens every week. And it’s killing brands.

Because “millennial moms” isn’t a segment. It’s lazy thinking that leads to generic messaging nobody remembers and media plans that burn cash.

What I believe: motivations > demographics

Demographics tell you who holds the wallet. Motivations tell you why it opens.
The mom buying your snack bar because it keeps her full during back-to-back meetings has nothing in common with the mom buying it because it tastes like childhood. Same age bracket. Same product. Completely different humans solving completely different problems.

Demographics tell you who holds the wallet. Motivations tell you why it opens.

Why broad segments fail (fast)

• Message misfit: You ship “healthy for the whole family” when your best buyer wants “no crash between Zooms.”

• Channel waste: You pour budget into TikTok because “millennials,” while the real purchase moment is the 11:30 a.m. desk snack.

• Pricing confusion: You argue over $2.49 vs. $2.99 when the job is actually “replace a $6 café run.”

My approach: ask better questions

• “What would they choose if you didn’t exist?” (Your real competition: doing nothing, coffee, a banana, another aisle.)

• “What job does your product do in their life?” (Your actual value: satiety, nostalgia, social proof, convenience.)

• “Why do they choose you over doing nothing?” (Your true differentiator: faster, simpler, tastier, cleaner, cooler.)

Add these for precision:

• “When and where does the decision happen?” (Moment > media; shelf, app, gas station, lunch desk.)

• “What’s their objection in that moment?” (“I’ll crash,” “Too much sugar,” “My kid won’t eat it.”)

• “What proof removes that objection?” (Macros, third-party badges, quick demo, review snippets.)

• “What must be true in the first 5 seconds?” (One benefit. One proof. Zero friction.)

Three real-world customer needs (and how to win them)

1. Desk Fuelers
   Context: 10:58 a.m., two calls until noon, brain fading.
   Job: “Keep me full and focused without a sugar crash.”
   Fears: Hidden sugar, crumb-bomb bar, weird aftertaste.
   

   Your move:

• Promise: “4 hours of steady energy.”

• Proof: protein/fiber + glycemic claim + review from a knowledge worker.

• Placement: office micro-markets, LinkedIn retargeting, Amazon “subscribe & save.”

• Creative: tidy desk, calendar view, one-hand bite. No crumbs.

2. Memory Seekers
   Context: Sunday shop, treating themselves/kids.
   Job: “Give me childhood flavor with adult standards.”
   Fears: “Clean” = bland; “fun” = junky.
   

   Your move:

• Promise: “The cereal aisle you grew up with—minus the junk.”

• Proof: clean-label badges + side-by-side sugar swap + UGC “my kid asked for seconds.”

• Placement: endcaps, recipe TikToks, mommy-blog newsletters.

• Creative: nostalgic color cues + modern typography.

3. Adventure Snackers
   Context: Trailhead/gym checkout.
   Job: “Packable, tasty, won’t melt or mush.”
   Fears: Messy, chalky, too sweet.
   

   Your move:

• Promise: “Trail-ready fuel in two bites.”

• Proof: melt test, pack test, athlete quote.

• Placement: REI/indie outdoor, Strava clubs, gym fridges.

• Creative: macro of product structure + glove-hand grab.

From “who” to “why”: a simple framework

Target = Motivation + Moment + Constraint

• Motivation: What outcome are they paying for? (Satiety, nostalgia, status, health.)

• Moment: Where/when do they decide? (Desk, cart, car, scroll.)

• Constraint: What limit rules them? (Time, sugar, price, portability.)

When you understand the why behind the buy, everything changes. CAC drops. Conversions lift. Merch velocity improves because your promise matches the job and the moment.

What changes in practice

• Positioning: One crisp promise per motivation (not per persona).

• Creative: Lead with the job; make the proof scannable.

• Media: Buy the moment, not the audience label.

• Retail: Win the shelf with “1-2-Proof”: one benefit, two words of context, visible proof element.

• Measurement: Track moment-fit KPIs—add-to-cart rate in the target window, repeat within job cohort, share of wallet vs. nearest substitute.

A quick self-audit for your next campaign

• What job are we promising to do?

• How do we prove it in 5 seconds?

• What’s the default substitute if we didn’t exist?

• Where does the decision actually happen?

• Which objection kills us most often, and how do we neutralize it?

• What’s our first repeat trigger (and did we engineer it)?

• What would make a satisfied buyer tell a friend in this job?

• What single metric tells us we’re winning this job?

How we do this at Schaefer

We map your precision customers by buyer psychology, pressure-test the “jobs” with first-party data, and then build messaging, creative, and channel plans that sell to those people in those moments. Fast, focused, documented.

That’s precision marketing. And that’s what I help brands achieve.

🥣 If you’re in food & beverage and tired of talking to everyone while converting no one, let’s connect. I hold office hours weekly for founders and brand managers ready to find their precision customers. Reply here, reach out on LinkedIn, and I’ll share an invite.

I've worked with hundreds of food brands, and 90% start with the same flawed approach: "Our customer is women 25-45 with household income over $75k."

That tells you nothing about why they buy. 🤦🏻

What's a marketer supposed to do with that information besides target a large, generic group of potential buyers? They’re nearly marketing to everyone!

Let’s break down what those demographics tell you…

"Our customer is women 25-45 with household income over $75k."

1. “women”

   1. Way too diverse to influence marketing and buying decisions

   2. Any decisions you make based on gender are wildly assumptive

2. “25-45”

   1. What are you learning about your customer from this information?

   2. How similar are two 25-year-olds… let alone a 25-year-old and a 45-year-old?

3. “household income over $75k”

   1. This info is interesting, but not actionable

   2. What’s the difference between $75k and $85k? Why draw the line there?

   3. The real conversation is disposable income, and even then, it only matters if the person has a reason to buy the product.

   4. I’m not discounting the fact that being able to afford the product/service is important… but more often than I’d like to admit, we find low-income households buying premium products based on their motivations and values.

If you’re trying to build your next campaign… this ICP (ideal client profile) is going to leave you scratching your head… and making a lot of assumptions.

What Really Works

Here's what actually works: segment by the problem you solve in their life.

Take oat milk. Most brands think they're segmenting when they say "health-conscious millennials." But when you dig deeper, you find at least 5 distinct segments buying the exact same product:

🥛 The lactose-intolerant who just wants to enjoy cereal again

🥛 The environmentalists reducing their carbon footprint

🥛 The coffee snobs who think it froths better

🥛 The trend followers who saw it on TikTok

🥛 The parents dealing with a kid's dairy allergy

Same shelf. Same product. Completely different jobs to be done.

This is why traditional (demographics-heavy) segmentation fails.

Demographics assume similarity where none exists. A 32-year-old mom in Denver and a 32-year-old mom in Detroit might have nothing in common when it comes to why they choose your product.

But when you segment by motivation, patterns emerge:

The convenience seekers → They'll pay 40% more to save 10 minutes

The nostalgia buyers → They want what grandma made, just easier

The health optimizers → They're solving a specific problem (energy, gut health, weight)

The values voters → They're buying your mission as much as your product

Once you know which segment someone belongs to, everything changes. Your messaging becomes laser-focused. Your product development has direction. Your retail strategy makes sense.

Finding Your Real Segments

Here are 4 simple ways to find your real segments:

1. Ask the replacement question: "What would you choose if our product didn't exist?" The answers reveal what job you're really doing.

2. Map the journey backwards: Start with why they bought, then work back to how they found you. Different motivations = different paths.

3. Look for the extremes: Your most passionate customers and your most recent defectors. They'll tell you what matters most.

4. Test your segments: Can you predict behavior? If you can't predict what message will resonate or which retailer they'll shop, your segments are too broad.

And the brands crushing it right now? They've moved past "millennial moms" and found their precision segments. They know exactly which problem they solve for which person.

And that's when marketing gets surgical instead of scattershot.

Because when you know the why behind the buy, you can stop talking to everyone and start converting someone.