Hey, CPG Fast Track!

Quick update this week.

• WILD Brands founder: Join us Feb 26!
• TRIP founder: Watch the session
• Expo West: Organizing a meetup
• Welcome, new members: Three of them!
• Viral Loops: Anyone try it?

Here we go...

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🐔 Mark your calendars: AMA with WILDE's CEO!

It's finally rescheduled!

​Wilde is a leader in the protein-enhanced snack space — and its founder is here to help YOU!

• You should have gotten a calendar invite recently
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• Event is Thursday, Feb 26 at 12 ET
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• As always, we'll make it a conversation

Frustrated by the lack of real nutrition in chips, Jason Wright went all-in on an idea everyone said would never work: make a chip out of real chicken.

After years of rejection from retailers, investors, and even consumers, he pushed forward with a relentless belief in his vision. Ten years later, WILDE has built an entirely new snack category and is now in 20K+ retail doors nationwide with 994% 3-Year Growth.

He'll explain how he did it.

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🛜 If you missed our call with TRIP founder Olivia Ferdi...

​TRIP is a leader in the "calming beverage" category — and after closing a $40M funding round, it's now valued above $300M.

We had a great call with cofounder/CEO Olivia Ferdi.

​Watch the replay here.

Some topics discussed:

• Define a New Category: Trip created the "calming beverage" category from a personal need, positioning it as a solution for "everyday chaos" to achieve broad appeal beyond a niche audience.
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• Use Distribution as Marketing: An aggressive omnichannel launch (DTC, grocery, on-premise) built brand awareness and premium perception, using placement in high-end stores to tell a story of fashion and innovation.
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• Leverage Strategic Partnerships: A partnership with the Calm app provided Trip with a unique retail exclusive.
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• Prioritize Product Quality: Your hit products can be a surprise. Trip’s top performer is Elderflower Mint, which nobody would have expected.

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❓ Who will be at Expo West?

Every year, CPG FT members tend to meet up there. We love to see it.

​Jaclyn started this thread. If you'll be there, chime in!

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👋 Say hello to three new members!

• ​Mackenzie, founder of Maja. "We are a plant-based & gluten-free brand of baking mixes and overnight protein oats. Since our baking mixes are also allergen free, our treats make sure that no one gets left out of the party."
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• ​Hilary, founder of Syll Botanics. "We're a performance-driven, minimalist skincare brand built around the idea that great skincare should feel easy, not overwhelming."
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• ​Evan, founder of Oyits. "Oyitz is a snack brand rooted in the legacy of NY deli flavors, community and fun — starting with the first product in development: a latke chip. Tagline: “Delish & Deli-ish”
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And in other member news: Congrats to Carla on her first production run and official website launch!

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🔎 Has anyone used Shopify's Viral Loops integration?

​Andrea's asking.

"Has anyone used Viral Loops integration into Shopify? If yes, are you liking it or did you ditch it?"

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Have a great week, and talk soon!

Jason + the CPG FT team