441. James Richardson on Anthropology and Marketing

James Richardson is the founder of Premium Growth Solutions, a strategic planning consultancy for early-stage consumer packaged goods brands. As a professionally trained cultural anthropologist turned business strategist, he has helped nearly 100 CPG brands with their strategic planning, including brands owned by Coca-Cola Venturing and emerging brands, The Hershey Company, General Mills, and Frito-Lay, Once Upon a Farm, Dr. Squatch Soap, and more. James is the author of Ramping Your Brand: How to Ride the Killer CPG Growth Curve, a #1 Best-seller in business consulting on Amazon. He also hosts his podcast—Startup Confidential. In this episode, he talks about his transition from anthropology to marketing and how they connect.  Learn more about his services at www.premiumgrowthsolutions.com. Key points include: 01:56: The connection between anthropology and marketing 08:58: How anthropological research tactics are applied to marketing 18:08: New symbols and how a marginal product is processed to be accepted by social groups 25:20: The difference between growth pace and the pace to scale Unleashed is produced by Umbrex, which has a mission of connecting independent management consultants with one another, creating opportunities for members to meet, build relationships, and share lessons learned. Learn more at www.umbrex.com.