Leading Primal Kitchen Post-Acquisition | Audrey Burger, Pace Setters

On this episode, we’re joined by Audrey Burger, the former President of Primal Kitchen and the founder of Pace Setters, a consultancy that helps CPG brands sharpen their strategy, strengthen their commercial foundations, and transition from an emerging brand into a long-standing, scalable business.With deep experience in go-to-market strategy, portfolio planning, retail storytelling, and post-acquisition integration, Audrey brings a rare blend of BigCo discipline and emerging-brand speed.Audrey breaks down what a retail-ready launch really requires and how she helps brands build smarter commercial plans, avoid preventable missteps, and grow shelf space over time. She also unpacks the rise of private label, category dynamics she’s watching, and what the strongest brands do differently when entering new channels.—---------------Episode Highlights:📈 How brands can build a sharper commercial engine🛒 The anatomy of a retail-ready product launch🧮 Forecasting mistakes that cost brands real money🧱 How to earn and grow shelf space over time🧪 Why brands actually launch new SKUs—and how to know if you should🏭 Integrating new SKUs into operations without chaos🖥️ Optimizing PDPs for velocity and conversion📦 Packaging design that improves shopability and brand recall🤝 What it’s like joining a newly acquired & integrated CPG team🏪 The accelerating rise of private label🔭 Trends and brands Audrey is paying attention to in 2025—---------------Table of Contents:00:00:00 - Intro00:50:02 - How Audrey is helping brands02:37:28 - A well-rounded retail ready launch plan04:33:11 - Common forecasting pitfalls07:54:13 - Fighting for more shelf space over time10:32:02 - Why a brand launches a new SKU12:27:24 - The keys to a successful product launch14:30:05 - Integrating new SKUs into the production schedule16:20:15 - Optimizing product detail pages18:16:08 - Packaging design26:15:18 - Joining a newly acquired and integrated team31:09:24 - The rise of private label35:55:00 - Trends and brands Audrey is watching—---------------Links:Pace Setters – https://pacesetterscpg.comFollow Audrey on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyfburgerFollow Audrey's Substack – https://pacesetterscpg.substack.com/For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.