CPG food & beverage
Brand Strategy
You’ve got a product idea and maybe even started formulating— but you’re not sure how to turn it into a brand. That’s where I come in.
Launching a CPG food or beverage brand? Start with brand strategy.
Launching a CPG food or beverage brand? Start with brand strategy.
Launching a CPG food or beverage brand? Start with brand strategy. Launching a CPG food or beverage brand? Start with brand strategy.
Why brand strategy comes first
Building a CPG food & beverage brand isn’t just about your product — it’s about launching a brand people want to shop.
But before your brand name, logo, packaging, or even choosing flavors… comes brand strategy.
This is where I come in.
Within 4 weeks, I’ll work with you one-on-one pre-launch founders to turn your product idea into a brand. Your brand strategy becomes the roadmap that defines what makes you different, why people will buy, and how you’ll build buzz and stand out on shelf.
Don’t spend thousands on packaging & choosing flavors before you know who your brand is.
You’ll then use this roadmap to make every early decision— sharing it with your food scientist for formulation direction, shaping your content as you build in public, handing it to your designer for branding and packaging, pitching early investors, and landing your first retail partners.
And I don’t hand over the strategy and leave. I stay with you as you put it into action — advising you through each step, connecting you with the right partners, and helping you launch with buzz. You get the roadmap and an industry insider in your corner.
As a first-time founder, you’re juggling a lot. And with a high failure rate in CPG, it’s easy to make early missteps from confusing messaging, inconsistent branding, or missed retail opportunities can slow your launch before it even begins. That’s why brand strategy before launch changes everything.
Working with me goes beyond strategy— it’s about industry access, community, and putting your brand in the right rooms early.
First time CPG food & bev founder?
Here’s a high-level view of how your brand comes to life and why starting with strategy saves time, money, and missteps.
1. Brand Strategy — Your First Step: This work is your pre-launch roadmap to turn your product idea into a brand. This work comes before naming, design, manufacturing, or flavors. This shapes every decision that follows.
2. Trademark: Protect the brand you’re building with a proper search and filing.
3. Formulation & Manufacturing: Choose the right partners once you know who you’re for and what sets you apart.
4. Go-to-Market Strategy: Pricing, margins, channel clarity, and distribution strategy.
5. Branding & Packaging: Packaging becomes your first salesperson — but it must be rooted in your strategy.
6. Financial Strategy: Plan your path from pre-launch to your first $1M in revenue.
7. Social Media: Start building buzz early with your founder story and behind-the-scenes.
8. Photography: Capture the lifestyle, e-comm, and founder visuals needed for launch.
9. Shopify Website: Create a home base and start building your waitlist.
10. Activations, Sampling & Seeding: Get your product into real hands early to gather feedback and build community.
11. Early Retail: Identify stores that make sense for your stage, price point, and category fit.
12. Document the Build: Founders who build in public gain attention sooner — from consumers, buyers, investors, and media.
Bottom Line: Brand strategy is step one.
Everything that comes next depends on the clarity you build upfront. If you want to launch more confidently and avoid costly pivots — you need your strategy in place first.
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Brand Concept: Explains what your brand is, why it exists, and what makes it stand out in the market
Founder & Brand Story: Connects your personal journey with the problem your brand solves
Media Bio: Provides a press-ready intro that highlights your key selling points
Consumer Problem & Solution: Defines the customer need and how your product is their answer
Brand Differentiators: Pinpoints the unique features that set your brand apart
Brand Messaging to Test Pre Launch: Outlines the core messages that communicate your value and builds buzz. use for content, sampling, tasting to test messaging before packaging
Brand Opportunities: Identifies trends, whitespace, and positioning that give you an edge
Brand Values: Clarifies the principles that guide your brand and connect with consumers
Brand Voice & Personality: Inspiration for visual branding & packaging design
Pack Claims: Short phrases on your packaging that quickly tell shoppers what your product is and why they should care before they ever read the ingredients
Brand Name Concepts (if needed): Naming options that capture your identity and are memorable
Tagline Concepts: Distilling your brand into a short and punchy line
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Launch Product & Flavors: Defines the lead product that represents your brand and drives your launch
Customer Lifestyle Profile: Describes your early adopters, their habits, and how your product fits their life
Consumer Selling Points: Highlights the must-have features that drives sales & reorders
Buyer Use Cases: Shows real-life scenarios where your product becomes the go-to choice
Sales Channel Strategy Consultation with Danielle Calabrese, founder It’s All Happening so you can understand the best sales channels for you brand and product
Retail Positioning for Launch (with consulting from Nicole Krasnow Smith): Along side myself, I bring in a retail buyer. Nicole will work with you to differentiate your product, think about potential competition, and help you navigate how you position your brand. There's a difference between a new brand, and a category disruptor, and Nicole will help you make waves.
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Pre-launch Content Hooks: Storylines that builds buzz and audience
Instagram Bio: Explaining how to fill our your social media bios
Brand Activation Series: Creates a repeatable plan for activations that build buzz and visibility
Brand Partnerships (with Nicole Krasnow Smith): Along side myself, I’ll bring in Nicole who will provide ideas and execution strategies on how to show up in your community, on menu, and more. Not only is it important to get on shelf, but you need to sell! Partnerships is truly the combination of sales and marketing.
What's inside your brand strategy...
What's inside your brand strategy...
Your Brand Strategy will…
uncover what makes your product unique and stands out on the shelf
find out who’s your buyer and how to reach them
create buzz with content, activations, and first retailers
What’s Included
4x Brand Strategy Meetings— Clear direction, confident decision-making, and a strong foundation you can build on ($1600 value)
Retail Positioning, Packaging & Partnerships Consultations — You’ll receive retail feedback through a strategic review with Nicole Krasnow Smith, who works directly with emerging brands as they prepare for launch and retail ($600 value)
Sales Channel Strategy Consultation — A dedicated consultation with Danielle Calabrese, founder of It’s All Happening, to determine the right sales channels for your product ($300 value)
Ready-to-Use Brand Strategy Deck— You’ll walk away with a complete, founder-friendly brand strategy deck, your roadmap for launch ($5000 value)
Invitation to Continued Advisement— Select clients are invited into continued advisement post-strategy. This offers ongoing guidance as you execute — including pressure-testing decisions, making warm introductions to trusted partners, and navigating launch with momentum ($5000 value)
Investment: starts @ $4997
payment plan available
How it works...
How it works...
Week 1
Brand
We define what your brand is, why it exists, and why people will care.
This week builds the strategic core that guides everything that follows (1 hour)
Week 2
buyer
We shape your product, use cases, and positioning so it’s easy to say yes to by consumers and retail buyers (1 hour)
Week 3
buzz
We focus on brand awareness, discoverability, and strategic partnerships and collaborations (with Nicole Krasnow Smith) to drive trial, visibility, and sell-through (1 hour)
Week 4
STRATEGY
A launch-ready roadmap and introductions to the right strategic partners to help you execute. (1 hour)
You’ll Work with Industry Experts
Nicole Krasnow Smith
Nicole will consult on your retail positioning, packaging, and partnership strategy. Nicole has spent her career growing and discovering emerging brands. With experience in sales, marketing, partnerships, and scouting, she has taken her love and passion for great branding and innovative products, into directly working with brands as they prepare for retail and launch.
Danielle Calabrese
Danielle will consult on your sales channel strategy. With 16+ years in CPG, Danielle has scaled brands from zero to $40M, revived a legacy brand, guided 100+ brands to $100M in sales, and secured dozens of SKUs with top distributors and retailers. Danielle advises founders helping them build smarter, not harder. She is the creator of Launch Lab, a program for first time, early stage founders and the host of the It's All Happening, Women in CPG podcast.
kelly bennett
Kelly Bennett will be your brand strategist. With 15+ years of experience working with early-stage brands, she helps founders turn better-for-you product ideas into brands people want to shop.
Brand Strategy
pre-launch
create your audience early with a list of people excited to buy at launch
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You’ll have a roadmap and an industry insider in your corner as you launch
Launch with buzz by Building in public on social, activations, and community before hitting shelves
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Exclusive Client Features
Sneak peek events
Clients have exclusive opportunities to showcase their products at invite-only Sneak Peek events—placing your brand in front of industry leaders, media, buyers, investors, and tastemakers before launch. Hosted twice a year in New York City.
Emerging brands podcast
Clients may be invited to share their founder and brand story on a leading industry podcast listened to by fellow founders, operators, retailers, and emerging brand fans.
the founders table
Clients receive exclusive access to intimate, invite-only gatherings in New York City with founders building standout emerging brands, along with continued advisement as they put their strategy into action.
Your Next Step: Brand Strategy
Who I work with
First-time CPG food & beverage founders
pre-launch brands
delicious products
founders ready to turn a product idea into a brand
Working with me, you’ll get…
Clients
cotto
Reimagining classic dips
Frankly Good Coffee
Air roasted, small batch, ethically sourced
She’s the sauce
Sauce, with benefits.
Have an industry expert in your corner
Hi! I’m Kelly Bennett a New York City–based brand strategist for pre-launch CPG food & beverage founders and host of Emerging Brands Podcast®.
I got my start in CPG by bootstrapping a nationally recognized plant-based restaurant. Before we opened the doors, I built community through social media, activations, and partnerships—launching with a waitlist, national press in Forbes, CNN, and LA Times, and multiple locations.
With 15+ years of experience working with founders across hospitality, food, beverage, and lifestyle, I’ve developed a framework that helps first-time founders turn early product ideas into brands people want to shop.
When you work with me, you’re not just getting strategy — you’re gaining a partner who’s been on both sides of the shelf. My process connects every piece of your brand so you can launch with confidence and community already in place. Launch with confidence, stand out on shelf, land first retailers.
Once your strategy is complete, you’re not on your own. You’ll have access to check-in calls and warm introductions within my network to help you move seamlessly into launch execution.
Most founders spend thousands redoing packaging, messaging, and positioning after realizing they weren’t clear on who they were for. But skipping strategy costs you more.
This process saves you time, money, and stress by getting it right the first time— and positions you for growth with a cohesive brand that connects deeply with your audience and stands out on shelf.
FAQ
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Brand strategy is the foundation—it’s your plan for how your brand stands out in the market, what makes it different, and how to create excitement around it.
Branding is the visual expression of that strategy—your logo, packaging, website, and beyond.
That’s why I love collaborating with Izzy of House of Wynn. She brings my clients’ strategies to life visually with creative that truly connects. Some of my favorite collabs include She’s the Sauce, Frankly Good Coffee, Dripspoon—and even my own rebrand.
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The sooner, the better. Whether you’re still formulating your product, planning your launch into specialty retail, or making the leap from restaurant to CPG—you need a clear strategy from the start. It sets the direction for everything that follows: packaging, marketing, sales, and more. Starting here helps you avoid expensive missteps later.
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Ideally you’re in the process of starting or refining your product
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Your brand strategy is the foundation for everything that comes next, including:
Trademark registration
Brand design & visuals
Packaging
Social media & marketing campaigns
Pitching to potential investors
Working with manufacturers
Connecting with retailers
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COGS modeling, pricing builds, and margin scenarios are not included in my scope. Those fall under financial strategy and operational planning rather than brand strategy. That said, I completely agree they’re vital for an early-stage brand. I highly recommend Danielle Calabrese of It’s All Happening & The Good Food CFO affordable software tool that helps founders model COGS, pricing, and margins.
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I offer flexible payment plans designed for emerging brands. Please note that all sales are final.
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Your investment covers all 1-on-1 brand strategy sessions, in-depth brand research, a comprehensive brand strategy deck, plus a follow-up meeting to review everything and next steps.
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Think about the cost of not having a strategy. From your brand designer and co-packer to your social media manager and potential investors—they’ll all want to know your brand strategy. Without it, you risk spending more money and time fixing misaligned messaging, packaging, and marketing as you grow. A clear strategy upfront saves you costly mistakes.
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I schedule client meetings Tuesday through Thursday, 10am–3pm EST. If you need a different time, just ask—I’m happy to work with your schedule whenever possible.
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Brand Concept
Clear description of the difference that makes your brand stand out.Founder & Brand Story
Sharing your story in a way that drives engagement, builds demand, and creates recognition once you hit shelves.Pre-Launch Brand Messaging
Define the core messages that build buzz, grow your audience, and create demand before launch.Brand Values
Identify the principles that guide your brand and resonate with your consumer.Retail Positioning for Launch
Position your product for D2C and specialty retail from day one—so buyers instantly “get it.”Unique Brand Opportunities
Uncover the whitespace, trends, and moments that give your brand an edge.Brand Voice & Personality
Establish a consistent tone and personality so every touchpoint—packaging, social, outreach—feels on brand.Hero Product for Launch
Identify the product that will lead your launch and anchor your brand at retail—a focused, shelf-ready entry point.Customer Lifestyle Profiles
Understand your early adopter’s lifestyle, buying habits, and why they’ll say “yes.” Identify selling points and use cases that make your product part of their daily routines—whether as a pantry staple or weekend treat.Unique Selling Points That Drive Demand
Define the must-have traits that spark buzz, drive trial, and get early fans talking.Buyer Use Cases
Real life scenarios that show buyers exactly where your product belongs—and why customers will pick it up.
Sales Channels for Pre-Launch
Prioritize the right early sales channels (D2C, farmers markets, specialty retail) that give you traction pre- and post-launch.Pre-Launch Activations & Collaborations
Plan samplings, tastings, and partnerships that get your product in hands before you’re on shelves. Identify tastemakers, aligned brands, and community partners who can amplify your launch from day one.Content Strategy for Pre-Launch
Build a pre-launch content with hooks that create curiosity, grows a warm audience, and makes your launch exciting -
You’ll only need to set aside four 1-hour meetings. The rest of the work happens behind the scenes, as I dive into crafting your strategy for you.
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Week 1 — Brand
Identify brand differentiators (1 hour meeting)
Week 2 — Buyer
Define target customer avatars (1 hour meeting)Week 3 — Buzz
Plan how to cut through the noise and build buzz (1 hour meeting)Week 4 — Strategy in Action!
Receive brand strategy deck + direction on implementation (1 hour meeting) -
Here’s what I look for in a founder I can really help grow:
Committed to Figuring It Out
You don’t need all the answers—but you do need a vision and the willingness to figure it out. I thrive working with founders who are early in the process but ready to take action.Bootstrapping with Intention
You’re investing your own time, money, and energy—and want every move to count. You care about doing things the right way.Good Energy & Entrepreneur Spirit
I work best with founders who bring curiosity, optimism, and scrappiness to the table. You believe in your product—and in the power of building a brand that lasts.Follows Direction & Vision
You’re open to guidance, trust the process, and know when to lean on expert support. You take feedback seriously—and take action quickly.Engaged in the Industry
You’re tuned into what’s happening in food & beverage, whether that’s through events, grocery hauls, social media or Substack. You care about the category—and want to contribute to it.Willing to Show Up
You understand the value of visibility. You’re ready to be seen—whether that’s through storytelling, networking, content, or connecting with the right people.Values Strategic Partnerships
You get that no one builds a brand alone. You’re thoughtful about who you bring in, and understand the power of a trusted, experienced team to help get you to the next level. -
Beyond the deck, you’ll also get:
Visibility & Buzz – Emerging Brands Podcast® feature, NYC event opportunities, and warm intros to publicists and specialty retail buyers
Messaging Momentum – Foundational messaging you can actually use across packaging, social, decks, and outreach
Strategic Network – Access to trusted partners for trademarks, formulation, design, photography, distribution, finance, and more
Hands-On Advisement – Real-time feedback as you build with an advisor who wants you to succeed
Insider Insights – Up-to-the-moment POV on what buyers, creators, and consumers are looking for
Bonus! 30-minute call with a specialty retail buyer who’s worked with 1,000+ emerging brands to help you position for shelf-readiness
How you’ll use your brand strategy
Naming your brand
Finding the right advisors for your business
Go-to-market strategy
Formulation
Flavor choices
Finding the right manufacturing partner
Financial strategy
Visual branding
Creating content
Testing messaging, taglines & selling points
Copywriting for packaging & website
Packaging
Product testing for early feedback
Building pre-launch waitlist
Activations & sampling series
Building brand awareness with specialty retailers
Brand partnerships
Launch event
Pitching investors
