Ep. 026: How to Launch in the Natural Products Channel — The Bob Burke Interview

Curious about launching a natural food or beverage product? Want to get your product into Whole Foods Market and other natural product retailers? This is an interview you don’t want to miss! Listen to our interview with Bob Burke and get insider tips on finding a manufacturing partner, getting your pricing right so you’re profitable, and working with retailers, distributors and brokers. Leave a Rating & Review in iTunes for the Product Launch Rebel Podcast BONUS: Click HERE to learn how to become a supplier to Whole Foods Market. It’s an article written by my friends at Repsly! Episode Outline: 0:45 – Introduction to Bob Burke, Founder of Natural Products Consulting. 2:00 – A list of companies and brands that Bob Burke has helped launch and grow in the natural products channel 2:45 – Bob shares his areas of expertise when helping people launch and grow in the natural products channel 4:05 – Bob describes the types of projects he works on when he works with clients; he gets involved in all aspects of the business, but most of his projects are writing customized business and marketing plans; “they’re a lot of work.” 6:55 – Bob talks about the types of projects that he’s best suited for, and the specific tasks related to those projects. Additionally, he talks about some of the more successful case histories, or projects/brands, that he’s worked on. 9:52 – Bob talks about the benefits of working with entrepreneurs that don’t have natural products industry experience: “The ones that don’t have the industry experience aren’t weighed down . . . they’re unencumbered.” 11:42 – Bob shares information about his seminars, including his Two-Day Sales Seminar, where he brings in 10 experts in their field (i.e. e-commerce, former Whole Foods Market buyers, distributor and retailer customers, etc.) to educate about selling to this channel. He also offers a full-day Financing Seminar, where they talk about deal structure, terms sheets, etc. 14:56 – What has been the highlight of Bob’s consulting career? Bob talks about his biggest ongoing pleasure of having opportunities to stretch myself in new areas as he gets exposed to new people, categories and projects. 17:09 – Bob shares his biggest frustration since being in this natural products business. 19:04 – Bob helps listeners understand the natural products channel; the roles and players involved. These include large and small retailers (i.e. Whole Foods Market, Sprouts, etc.), distributors (i.e. UNFI, Kehe, etc.) and brokers. 22:00 – Bob talks about the success and failure rates of new products in the natural products channel. 24:12 – Bob explains how he handles situations when people present new products to him that he believes don’t have potential. 26:20 – Bob talks about the top frustrations that new entrepreneurs face in the natural products channel. These include getting your first product into a large retailer (i.e. Whole Foods Market). Another source of frustration includes trying to figure out brokers and distributors. Additionally: trade-spending deductions when working with distributors. 28:41 – Bob shares his thoughts on how often new entrepreneurs need to realign their initial launch assumptions, and thus pivot their product or brand, in order to survive. He gives key examples of companies that have switched directions in order to grow. 34:02 – Bob shares his thoughts on the growth trends in natural products...