151. Trade Marketing Secrets to Win at Retail With Mike Forbes, Alter Eco

151. Are you wasting trade spend and still wondering why retail growth feels unpredictable? Most brands burn 25% of gross sales on trade—and 70% of it underperforms. That shortens your runway, erodes margin, and weakens your leverage with buyers. In this episode, I sit down with Mike Forbes, CEO of Alter Eco, to unpack how to blend big CPG discipline with natural channel hustle to win at retail. We break down how to evaluate promotions beyond canned reports, how to use scorecards and KPIs to eliminate guesswork, and how to turn retailer relationships into a competitive advantage. You'll learn how to leverage shopper insights, basket data, and community engagement to drive sustainable base sales—not just temporary spikes. If you want to stop renting volume and start building profitable, repeatable growth, this conversation is for you. Listen to related episodes to go deeper into trade strategy, execution, and category leadership. Get instant access on the show webpage: RetailSolved.com/session151