EDITOR'S LETTER

INTRO INTRO

DEAR STARTUP CPG COMMUNITY,

A few weeks ago, we had the pleasure of hosting the Second Annual Shelfies Awards. In an event that spanned in-person and virtual mediums, we came together as a community to celebrate some of the best-in-class emerging CPG brands. Now, in this magazine, we get to share the stories behind our winning brands and highlight the incredible work they’re doing to innovate in our industry.

We started the Shelfies Awards last year as our answer to a clear problem: the exclusion of startup brands in big-name awards. Because of the steep cost and labor barrier for big-name award nominations, emerging food and beverage brands often miss out on these opportunities – yet the recognition of a best-inclass award could be the catalyst to turn a new product into a moonshot. The Shelfies are free and easy to apply to, opening the doors for countless future opportunities. The Shelfies celebrate the small guys and recognize potential moonshots in our own community.

The Second Annual Shelfies Awards were made possible by Trax Retail. With both their on-demand and always-on merchandising capabilities and shelf data built on image recognition, Trax Retail sets itself apart from the traditional in-store execution and merchandising providers. They are dedicated to helping game-changing brands, like Startup CPG’s Shelfies Awards winners, win in retail.

Cheers,

Jenna Managing Editor, The Spotlight

Jenna is the Editor of The Spotlight magazine and works on Startup CPG’s marketing team. She is passionate about emerging CPG, also working as a publicist for Knack PR and a freelance copywriter for several CPG brands.