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Q&A WITH CAS RELUCIO CATEGORY MANAGER AT KEHE Startup CPG WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR AN EMERGING BRAND TO WORK WITH A MAJOR DISTRIBUTOR LIKE KEHE? Cas Relucio For an emerging brand,
ready to apply to a large distribution network when they have a strong presence within their region. This tells us that the brand is growing organically and has been listening to their loyal followers. They’re also ready for large distribution when they understand how retailers vs. distribution deductions work. This is a huge differentiator for me; most of the time when brands present to me, they don’t understand what slotting fees mean or even manufacture chargebacks.
SCPG HOW DOES AN EMERGING BRAND KNOW WHEN THEY'RE READY TO APPLY TO YOUR DISTRIBUTION NETWORK? CR An emerging brand knows they’re
SCPG WHAT SETS A BRAND APART IN A PITCH? WHAT'S A PITCHING NO-NO? CR The best pitches I’ve seen come
working with a large distributor can open so many doors. Whether it’s in a local region or nationally, large distributors have greater access to a wide variety of retailers, ranging from mom and pop shops to ecommerce to large chain retailers, like Walmart and Target.
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from the founder themselves. They know
the brand inside and out. In most cases, I also look at their team. Sure, I can read the brand decks and listen to the pitch, but how strong is the brand’s team? How excited are they? How invested are they in the brand? A huge pitching no-no is not having a brand deck. This is a rookie mistake. It shows me how unprepared some brands can be when they meet with a buyer for the first time. You’d be surprised to know that some brands ask for a meeting, yet do not have any deck prepared. Another one is not being cognizant of time. It’s important to be respectful of a buyer’s time and give them at least 5 minutes towards the end to ask questions. Most importantly, be respectful and kind.
