Inside the Pickle-in-a-Pouch Licensing Playbook | Eric Girard, Van Holten's

On this episode, we’re joined by Eric Girard, VP of Sales & Marketing at Van Holten’s, to break down all things licensing and co-branding. He explains how the first deal started when a Tapatío licensing agency approached them at a trade show, how he had to sell it internally (“why pay a royalty?”), and how mentioning Tapatío suddenly opened doors with category managers - 7-Eleven even helped launch it in 2019. Eric details their development rule of thumb (have a signed deal or at least royalty/terms outlined before going too far) and why they aim for the “essence” of a partner’s flavor rather than an exact match (Tapatío took ~27 iterations; the vinegar system sets guardrails). He gets specific on deal structure—keep royalties south of 10%, at least three-year terms, agreements focused on style guides—and differences by partner (e.g., Warner Bros/Pickle Rick is more structured than Impact Confections/Warheads). And Eric lays out the margin philosophy: the product must be profitable, but he’s okay with a lower margin if it helps sell core dill pickles and gets brokers and category managers leaning in.—---------------Episode Highlights:🥒 Origin of the Pickle-In-A-Pouch and why ambient single-serve wins🤝 Licensing & co-branding: choosing partners, briefs, and approvals💸 Deal structure, royalties, MDF, and protecting margin🧪 Multi-flavor production: brines, line changes, and QA at scale🎨 Visual identity and packaging updates that drive velocity⛽ C-store realities: planograms, secondary placement, and DSD📣 Marketing resourcing: what to insource, what to outsource🎪 Trade shows that matter and how to actually win them🔭 Flavors, formats, and cultural trends Eric is tracking—---------------Table of Contents:00:45:18 – Intro and overview, origin of the pouch02:32:36 – How the pickle space has evolved, where it’s going05:34:15 – Licensing and co-branding14:13:16 – Licensing deal structure, margin philosophy18:18:20 – Licensor and licensee commitments22:01:27 – Recs for licensing-focused leaders23:25:25 – Different flavors for different markets?25:21:23 – Production logistics for multiple flavors, multiple formulations27:20:12 – Visual identity and packaging design29:44:06 – C-stores31:24:03 – Marketing resources32:53:19 – Winning at tradeshows36:01:03 – Brands and trends Eric is tracking—---------------Links:Van Holten’s – https://vanholtenpickles.comFollow Eric on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-girard-a80782/Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/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.