🤖Brandon Kaplan

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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PAINE SCHWARTZ ANNOUNCES NEW PLATFORM IN BETTER FOR YOU CATEGORY PUSH I keep yapping about Paine Schwartz Partners, as they continue to do interesting things in the CPG space - most recently, the NYC based PE fund announced a platform they're calling 'BetterCo Holdings' that is focused on investing in companies 'that are reshaping the food and beverage landscape through innovation, sustainability and a commitment to health and wellness.' Its first investments include: Crisp, an AI driven supply chain platform for cpg and Lucky Energy, which recently announced a $25m series B investment from the group just two weeks ago What is interesting to me is the sprinkle of tech alongside a classic beverage co. As someone running a platform that's not competitive to Crisp, but in the same ish direction, there are definitely lots of insights that Paine Schwartz can leverage across the portfolio from Crisp's data

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Bright Future for Bricks & Mortar Stores. Great piece covering Advise by John Walshe @ Retail Media Group, and highlighting: ·      Vast Majority of Grocery Sales still happen in Brick & Mortar Stores (80% plus) ·      CPG/ FMCG manufacturers are drowning in data and leaving enormous volumes and value on the shop floor, on the shelf, in the storeroom, with the competition, wasted… take your pick! ·      When manufacturers don’t engage with data they already have access to, they can’t automate processes, increase margins, increase efficiencies, reduce costs & retail talent. ·      Almost forgot… Manufacturers have to embrace AI, where it makes sense, like everyone else… 😊 See full article here: https://lnkd.in/erNY7bnH #cpganalytics #drowningindata #ecrireland #catmanglobal

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Consumers didn’t just buy Hoboken Farms’ pasta sauce — they bankrolled its next chapter. 🍝💸 The New Jersey-based brand has secured a $4M “unconventional” funding round, led not by traditional VCs, but by longtime fans and farm market regulars. Backed by this customer-driven capital, Hoboken Farms is rolling out a new Butter & Calabrian Chili sauce and accelerating a national retail push that’s already doubled sales and expanded distribution nearly 40%. The move comes as the $3.9B U.S. pasta sauce category heats up and shoppers seek cleaner labels, with all Hoboken Farms varieties now certified seed oil-free and free from added sugar. https://lnkd.in/g5NKbxwc #CPG #FoodAndBeverage #PastaSauce #StartupFunding #ConsumerBrands #BetterForYou #RetailExpansion #NoshNews 🍅🥫

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ODDITY STOCK NUKES 50%+ ON ADVERTISING ALGORITHM CHALLENGES, GUIDES TO 1Q26 REVENUES -30% Oddity's stock is collapsing as the company guided for Q1 revenue declines of 30% YoY. In the prepared remarks this morning, Oddity CEO Oran Holtzmann said: "We have never seen anything close to those acquisition costs" - starting in late january. Jeffries has already lowered its price target from $64 to $18

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Big milestone for Fulfil this week. Amazon and Whole Foods Market unveiled a new micro-fulfillment concept store in Pennsylvania that blends premium groceries with everyday goods — all powered by Fulfil’s advanced robotics platform. Inside the store, Fulfil’s autonomous ShopBots retrieve items across all temperature zones, enabling customers to order via QR codes and pick up groceries in minutes. This is a huge step forward in showing how physical AI and intelligent automation can reshape retail operations — bringing real scalability, precision, and efficiency to the last 100 feet of fulfillment. Excited to see Fulfil continue to define the future of how people shop. https://bit.ly/49cRXdt Congratulations Mir Aamir and Fulfil team!

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Last week, Kraft Heinz announced they would be removing all artificial dyes from their U.S. portfolio over the next two years. This is clear evidence that the "Better For You" movement is growing, and it’s not just a trend that will disappear after a few weeks. Consumers are increasingly concerned with reading the labels of their favorite products, my family included, and the food giants are listening. Thank you, Schwab Network, for inviting me to give my expert opinion on consumer trends. Check out the full segment link in the comments. #RogersOnTV #RogersHealy #Schwab #CPG #BetterForYou

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Moments like this mean a lot to Christopher Alspach and me. Looking at today’s KeHE Distributors Connect report reflecting yesterday’s sales and seeing reorders from partners like Earth Fare and Natures Pavillion Natural Food Market is meaningful for a growing coffee company. These opportunities never come out of thin air. They happen because buyers, store teams, and distribution partners create space for emerging brands and give them the chance to prove themselves with customers. Christopher has spent years refining these Pacific Northwest style light roast profiles. Seeing shoppers discover Oval Coffee Roasters and come back for another bag is incredibly rewarding. Women-Grown coffees. Naturally processed coffees. Half caff blends. All roasted here in New York City. Grateful to the retailers who continue supporting emerging brands and to the customers whose daily coffee routines keep this work moving forward.

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💥 The biggest drinks acquisition story of the year isn’t a bourbon brand or a celebrity tequila. It’s a boxed party punch that started as a business-school project — and is now on the verge of being acquired by Anheuser-Busch for $700 million, based on a report from the Wall Street Journal. BeatBox Beverages is a case study in how cultural relevance, distribution strategy, and community building can turn a niche idea into a generational brand. Here’s why ABI wants it — and what every drinks founder should take away: 🔶 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗰𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀. BeatBox didn’t try to win the wine category. They didn’t chase “better-for-you” or premium cues. They chased fun — music festivals, tailgates, nightlife, sporting events. On Shark Tank, Mark Cuban understood this a decade ago: “You don’t sell wine, you sell fun.” 🔶 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝗻 𝗭’𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿, 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. The 500ml Tetra Pak wasn’t a packaging trick — it was the unlock. At about $4–$5 per unit and 11.1% ABV, it gives younger legal-age drinkers what they want: Flavor exploration, value, and something you can pass around with friends. 🔶 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗧𝗗. BeatBox over-indexes with millennial and Gen Z drinkers, Hispanic and African American consumers, and the festival-going audience — but half their customers are over 40. Their Discord community has thousands of superfans coordinating real-world meetups (!!), which is unheard of in beverage alcohol. 🔶 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. Most brands talk about consumer pull. BeatBox rebuilt its entire distribution architecture from scratch, leaving wine and spirits distributors for beer houses that could service convenience stores. That was the turning point that unlocked real velocity and national scale. 🔶 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘆 — 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹. BeatBox raised about $24 million total, far less than many fast-growth RTD brands — yet still built a 12-million-case, $100-million-plus business with triple-digit annual growth. That discipline makes them an especially attractive target for a strategic buyer. ABI’s reported interest is simple: They need brands that resonate with younger legal-age drinkers. BeatBox has what legacy alcohol desperately wants — cultural relevance, flavor leadership, and community at scale. It’s not just a potential acquisition. It’s a signal. The brands winning the next decade won’t be the most premium. They’ll be the most connected. Listen to the Business of Drinks episode with Beatbox co-founder and CEO Justin Fenchel for the story behind how this brand was built. 👇 #BusinessOfDrinks #RTDs #GenZConsumers #BeverageInnovation Scott Rosenbaum Caroline Lamb

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If you are looking ways to incubate new products or brands to develop the data required for more traditional sell-in, be sure to read this piece by Simpactful's Senior Consultant, Kyle Gustafson.

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Most brand-entertainment deals follow a familiar pattern. Jersey patch. Courtside signage. Quick selfie post. Too often, the impact fades fast. The smart ones dig deeper. They ask: 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒂𝒏𝒔' 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒔? I saw this firsthand while leading #Bibigo's global activations, including Los Angeles Lakers games, KCON Co. Ltd. events, Seventeen TikTok challenges, and Squid Game tie-ins. Strategic partnerships with touchstones of Korean culture brought mandu to game nights, K-pop sets, and binge sessions. Courtside murals blended LA street art with Korean flavors. Even Lakers legends like Sasha Vujacic enjoyed game-day mandu dumplings, sparking real connections. It worked because the moments felt organic. ◆ Fans posting game-day spreads under Lakers purple. ◆ KCON crowds grabbing mandu during Seventeen sets. ◆ Viewers pairing dumplings with Squid Game episodes. At KCON LA 2025, #Kfood evolved from novelty to daily life. Fans joined TikTok challenges and snapped selfies with Bibigo dishes—making it part of their world.​ Fans wove it into their routines, from arenas to apps. Lesson learned: 𝗜𝗳 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱'𝘀 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱. In streaming terms, it should blend like the next episode, not interrupt like an ad. #BrandPartnerships #KFoodGlobal #EntertainmentMarketing #LakersBibigo #RitualMarketing

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