Harris Damashek

For me, food businesses used to rely only on local word of mouth, but… In today’s world, digital presence is the bridge between tradition and growth. That’s why Inoma Digital partnered with Soronko Kitchen and Bakery: Long Island’s go-to spot for authentic West-African & Continental cuisine. Here’s how we helped Soronko grow: 1️⃣ Built Brand Awareness ↳ Created an online identity that highlighted culture and authenticity. 2️⃣ Shared Founder’s Story ↳ Showcased heritage and culinary journey to deepen emotional connection. 3️⃣ Promoted Delivery & Catering ↳ Consistent content drove weekly orders and event bookings. 4️⃣ Engaged Customers ↳ Highlighted reviews, feedback, and stories to build trust.   5️⃣ Real Results ↳ 120% growth in weekly deliveries, 60% increase in catering, 50+ new reviews. 👉 Food isn’t just about taste. It’s about storytelling, visibility, and trust. Faizan Ahmed Inoma Digital #inomadigital #brandingstrategy #digitalgrowth #foodbusinessmarketing #westafricancuisine

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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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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 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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This year's Expo West 2026 conference in Anaheim this week clarified three shifts that should reshape how we think about #CPG competitive strategy in #natural food, #natural beverages, and #natural wellness retail categories over the next 18 months. 1. Founder-led fragmentation is creating new micro-categories With more than 3,300 exhibitors at Expo West and the natural/organic industry growing from about 325 billion to roughly 343 billion dollars in one year, hundreds of new entrants are carving hyper-specific need states—maternal mood support, hormone-aligned energy, “clean roots”—into what they position as distinct categories.
 CPG Implication: Established players and retailers will need clearer theses on which micro-spaces to back, and must tighten positioning and portfolio roles so they do not get lost in a sea of niche claims. 2. Experiential storytelling has become table stakes. From Chobani’s immersive activations to new maternal health brands designing experiences around real-life moments (postpartum, perimenopause, morning rituals), the winning booths compressed awareness, education, and trial into one story-first interaction.
 CPG Implication: Category plans should assume that packaging, in-store theatre, and retail media all need to work together as one narrative system that helps shoppers navigate, not just decorate, the aisle. 3. Influencer and creator ecosystems are baked into launch architecture. Brands treated Expo as a content studio—filming creator walk-throughs, founder stories, and UGC sampling moments that fuel social channels and retail media well beyond the show. From Jerry Rice promoting GOAT-style functional beverages to smaller brands leaning on niche practitioners, trusted voices are now built into how new products are introduced.
 CPG Implication: Launch timelines and budgets should be redesigned so creator partnerships, shopper content, and retail media are integrated from day one, rather than added as a late-stage amplification tactic. Across 20 years in health and wellness, these patterns feel less like Expo “noise” and more like an early read on how natural food, beverages, and OTC will need to show up in retail over the next 3–5 years Reach out or DM me to talk more about these emerging retail trends. Retail Cities CPG Integrated

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8 Comments

Why One-Off Ads Fail at the Shore. Single moments don’t align with Shore behavior. People are distracted, relaxed, and moving. One impression rarely sticks. Consistency does. Are you chasing moments or building patterns? Learn more about ‘The Brands That Tell You You’re at the Jersey Shore’: https://lnkd.in/eK-9fJ8f #totalreachmedia #trm #advertising #jerseyshore #jerseyshoreadvertising

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A good product doesn’t guarantee a strong position. Especially in ecosystems dominated by platforms. Here’s how manufacturers can reposition their value: 🧠 https://bit.ly/457uAjA #B2B #ProductStrategy #DesignLeadership

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