Eliza Blank

How Alldae Is Winning by Slowing Down The functional beverage space is crowded. Olipop, Poppi, and a wave of newer brands are all fighting for the same shelf space with similar health claims and bold packaging. So how does a startup with an unfamiliar ingredient break through? Alldae Superfruit Soda is doing it by being smarter, not louder. Founder Ryan McDonnell built the brand around cascara, the dried fruit of the coffee cherry. It's naturally caffeinated, packed with antioxidants, and carries a great sustainability story as an upcycled byproduct of coffee production. The problem? When consumers heard "coffee," they assumed the drink would taste like coffee. That one word was creating friction before anyone even tasted the product. McDonnell's response was a masterclass in strategic restraint. He moved Cascara down the label, rebranded it as Alldae Superfruit Soda, and let the fruit flavors lead the story. He also skipped the rush to retail, spending 18 months building awareness through cafes and foodservice channels before approaching Whole Foods. When he finally did, he had proof of concept, real traction, and a clear point of difference. The brand launched in roughly 40 West Coast Whole Foods locations on January 1, 2026, and sold 34 units in just four hours at its first demo. It has also earned Whole30 approval, the first soda ever to do so. The lesson here isn't about cascara. It's about patience, clarity, and knowing when to lead with simplicity. Three Key Takeaways: ⭐ Name the real friction, then eliminate it. McDonnell could have spent years educating consumers about cascara. Instead, he recognized that the word "coffee" was the obstacle and changed the label. Solving the right problem is more valuable than explaining the right innovation. ⭐ Build awareness before you build distribution. Retail shelf space without consumer pull has a short shelf life. The foodservice-first strategy gave Alldae credibility and word-of-mouth before it needed a retail buyer to take a chance. ⭐ Simplicity is a competitive advantage. In a category full of bold claims and complex formulations, a clean product with a clear promise stands out. Sometimes the most radical thing a brand can do is just be straightforward. In a market full of brands screaming for attention, Alldae wins by whispering. Read the full post at The Marketing Sage: https://lnkd.in/e8k_uY4J

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We are designing climate strategy as if the consumer is the operating system. The global food system accounts for roughly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions (FAO / IPCC). The urgency is clear. But look at how we’ve responded. We’ve added: • more certifications • more sustainability claims • more carbon language • more on-pack storytelling And then we’ve expected individuals to reconcile trade-offs between nutrition, cost, carbon, processing, sourcing, and values — in seconds — at the shelf. That is not climate strategy. That is complexity outsourcing. Behavioral science is clear: when decision environments are overloaded, participation drops. When standards feel unattainable, engagement contracts. Perfection does not scale. Defaults do. If sustainable food systems are the objective, then corporates need to shift from signaling to structural redesign: - Portfolio-level emissions alignment - Procurement transformation - Pricing architecture that favors lower-impact options - Clear prioritization of high-impact categories - Making the better choice the easier choice We cannot market our way out of systemic risk. We have to design our way out of it. This week in The Good Fork — Weekly, I wrote about the hidden cost of food perfectionism — and why transferring responsibility to consumers is structurally inefficient. 📝 The Hidden Cost of Food Perfectionism 👉 https://lnkd.in/eDUBKEaS Sustainable food systems will not be built by asking individuals to optimize. They will be built by leaders willing to redesign.

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TODO VERDE, TUYYO, AND NEMI MERGE UNDER TUYYO FOODS The trio of female-owned consumer brands are coming together: 👉 Todo Verde was founded in 2015 and started selling DTC after the pandemic focusing on taco seasoning blends. 👉 Nemi Snacks was founded in 2019 and sells dried snacks made from Nopal Cactus. 👉 TUYYO was founded in 2020 and produces Latin American inspired beverage mixes. The consolidation reminds me of Bettani Farms acquiring NUMU Food Group, Stockeld Dreamery, and Hungry Planet last month. But with a twist of being oriented to Hispanics. Lots of these food brands that focus on a specific ethnicities are flying high like Bachan's, Dumpling Daughter, and Mother-in-Law's. Neither of the brands have record of raising institutional capital. Curious to see if that's the next move after consolidating portfolio.

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AI can predict a trend. It still can’t crave a snack. In food innovation, speed is helpful, sure, but relevance is everything. AI can help teams spot patterns, test ideas, and narrow down what consumers may want next. That can save time and open up new possibilities. But the final question is still very human: would someone actually want this? Great products are not built from data alone. They come from understanding the moment, the mood, the flavor, and the reason someone reaches into the freezer or pantry in the first place. AI is a great tool… Human taste is still the strategy.

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