The opportunity for digital transformation in the food and beverage industry extends beyond enterprise companies alone. This session take a look at how traditional, family-owned companies are exploring, testing, and making progress in digital spaces while staying true to their unique brands.

Sally Flinck, Director of Marketing, A. Marshall Hospitality | Hilary Martin Long, VP of Sales & Marketing, Frey Farms

The Covid-19 pandemic has radically changed the consumer journey / path to purchase and accelerated numerous digital transformations. Specifically, we have seen a renewed interest in the Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) business model. Many of these DTC initiatives have been focused on providing an alternative sales channel to help shore up declining revenue or fill gaps for consumers who can’t make in-store visits. But is there more opportunity than just revenue growth? Can DTC be used as a channel to drive consumer engagement, brand enthusiasm and capture insights that can lead to product and brand innovation? How can Food and Beverage companies harness and utilize the valuable first-party data to drive engagement and innovation? These topics will all be discussed to provide a roadmap for implementing a DTC strategy.

David McCarty, Industry Solutions, Treasure Data

Food and beverage brands traditionally recognized in grocery stores, cafeterias, or other retail settings face their own unique challenges when engaging customers directly in digital environments. Join Mission Foods, popular for their tortilla products; and National Food Group, popular for their Zee Zees Snacks brand; as they share their journey to become front-of-mind among discerning consumers.

Ken Weidaw, Manager, Digital & Social Strategy, Mission Foods | Kristine Buyers, Creative Services Director, National Food Group – Zee Zees Snacks 

Learn how Rich Products implemented a sophisticated multi-channel MDM syndication solution to get their products into the hands of their customers quickly and accurately. Understand:

• Rich Product’s life before Amazon versus after Amazon
• How automation decreased time-to-market on new product introductions
• How increased product visibility and automation enabled associates to focus on driving growth  

Nandor Forgach, Master Data Steward, Rich Products | Ramesh Vadassery, Senior Director, IntelliTide

While browsing eCommerce websites has become second nature for consumers and even wholesale B2B buyers, establishing successful eCommerce ecosystems (and the logistical hurdles that come with them) doesn’t come easy. This session takes a look at two successful eCommerce use cases, in both B2B and B2C environments.

Matt Lichtfuss, Director of IT, Espresso Services Inc. | Zac Wilson, Manager of eCommerce, Raley’s

Meaningful and consistent Digital Customer Experiences are a critical success factor for QSR organizations today. One small glitch in a digital journey can derail the loyalty of a lifelong customer.

Learn how to understand the link between customer behavior and business outcomes using CX analytics. Only then can companies accurately prioritize commercial and operational actions.

Whether you’re a fast food chain with over 5,000 restaurants or a single, local shop, your online activities and in-person experiences need to align. Tune into this session for two unique perspectives on how brands can ensure their digital and physical “spaces” work hand in hand.

Rishi Gupta, Director, Technology Innovation and Software Engineering, Taco Bell | Shelly Marshall, Co-Founder, Island Pops LLC

Grocery eCommerce accelerated 627% overnight during COVID-19 and with it came major challenges for Grocery brands. These challenges included learning how to understand the influx of new consumers shopping online, how to market effectively to them, and how to protect their market share against competitors. MikMak can help. 

Join Rachel Tipograph, CEO & Founder of MikMak, to learn the eCommerce playbook for grocery brands to win in this transformational eCommerce landscape. You’ll find out:

• How to use audience data to better target your consumers
• How to align your consumers' online shopping experience with your inventory 
• How to leverage eCommerce best practices for selling at third-party retailers such as Amazon, Walmart and Instacart

Regulators and consumers alike are putting the onus on food and beverage brands to factor social and environmental responsibility into their business decisions and practices. More than virtuous, these initiatives can drive business efficiencies and business value as well. This session takes a look at perspectives on social and environmental responsibilities.

Charles Lazzara, President, Volio Imports

Hear the Island Pops success story from its two co-founders, who transformed their small Brooklyn business during the COVID-19 crisis and ended up exceeding YOY expectations against all odds. It’s a local success story that teaches volumes about adaptation and customer connection during a crisis. 

Shelly Marshall, Co-Founder, Island Pops LLC | Khalid Hamid, Co-Founder, Island Pops LLC

As a result of the current global pandemic, online grocery adoption jumped years ahead in the span of just a few weeks. This unprecedented growth has left many food and beverage brands scrambling to keep pace. While product content optimization may have previously been put on the backburner, it must now be a top priority if brands want to succeed online. The challenge is that all online grocery platforms aren’t created equal. Each one has its own best practices you should follow to maximize the performance of your product content. In this session, OneSpace CMO Amanda Wolff will share tips for optimizing your product content on Instacart, Walmart Grocery, Amazon Fresh and Prime Now, and other online grocery platforms. You’ll walk away with actionable steps your brand can start using right now to improve search rankings, clicks and conversions across online grocery marketplaces and retailers.

Amanda Wolff, Chief Marketing Officer, OneSpace

As consumers increasingly embrace the diversity and convenience afforded by home delivery of foods and beverages, companies are rising to meet their demands in new and novel ways. This session takes a look at the nature of food and beverage subscription models, their approaches to customer engagement, and the secrets of their success.

Rohan Panjiar, Director - Performance Marketing, Partnerships & Business Insights, Winc Wines | Fernanda Cruz, Director of Product Marketing, Sun Basket

Digital environments provide new opportunities for food and beverage brands looking to reach a broader range of customers with different tastes and backgrounds. But identifying likely customers, determining the right messaging, and living up to customers’ expectations are less straightforward than in physical channels. This session takes a look at how two brands from different spaces have adapted their strategies for engaging customers online.

Kerrie Lopez, Head of Merchandising Marketing, Thrive Market | Hilary Martin Long, VP of Sales & Marketing, Frey Farms

The COVID-19 pandemic has rocked food and beverage industries—even when the pandemic begins to ease and consumer behavior returns to “normal,” it is sure to shape business for years to come. But the implications vary in an industry where companies differ so greatly from one to another. This session provides perspectives from two different verticals on what challenges food and beverage brands face in the future economy.

Rishi Gupta, Director, Technology Innovation and Software Engineering, Taco Bell | Rohan Panjiar, Director - Performance Marketing, Partnerships & Business Insights, Winc Wines