The CPG Guys

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Devin Kunysz, Senior Director of Physical Goods Industries, Retail, Consumer Goods, and Manufacturing at Salesforce, the #1 AI CRM—where humans with agents drive customer success together with AI, data, and Customer 360 apps on one platform.
This episode is sponsored by Saleforce
Follow Devin on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/devinkunysz/
Follow Salesforce online at: https://www.salesforce.com/consumer-goods/cloud/
Devin answers these questions:
Tech Fueled Sales: Why is CPG selling, still operating the way it did in 2010? So much has changed, but the process looks very much the same. What are some of the leaders doing with “tech-fueled sales” that our listeners should be thinking about?
We talk a lot about 'the cloud' and real-time data, but any field rep will tell you that the back of a grocery store usually has zero cell service. How critical is it for a modern commercial hub to function fully offline, and how does that change the day-to-day life of a field seller? 
Let’s make the unified commercial hub concrete. What does it actually mean to connect trade promotion management, CRM, and retail execution — and how does that change the quality of joint business planning and value-creation conversations with key accounts?
There’s this catch-22 we see a lot in CPG right now. Growth slows down, so brands freeze hiring or cut budgets—which means they don’t have the resources to actually chase the channels where the growth is happening. What does this vicious cycle actually look like on the ground, and how can the right tech snap a brand out of it? 
Focus on the Consumer: Moving to the consumer side, why should CPG brands be thinking about agentic shopping, and what should they be doing about it?
AI is inserting a new discovery layer between brands and consumers, and a shopper agent can shrink the digital shelf down to just three to five items. How should CPGs operate in that world so both B2C and B2B revenue don’t suffer?
Why does a data flywheel matter? CPG data strategy tends to be siloed — consumer insights in one tool, retailer insights in sales notes and spreadsheets. What changes when data is created at every step and flows from consumer engagement to promotion choices to in-store execution?
One growth pocket is reaching customers that were previously unprofitable to serve, like the long tail of accounts. How does a connected commercial platform make it possible to serve those customers profitably?
Beyond the traditional channels, we’re seeing market leaders explore enhanced direct channels — not just D2C sites, but using that data to power personalized, breakthrough products at the front of store. How should CPGs think about that opportunity?
To wrap us up: if you’re a CPG leader listening today, what is the first step you should take to start building a connected front office, and what should they realistically expect success to look like a year from now?
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.
CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 
This week’s topics:
Amazon Closes Its Grocery Partner Storefronts
Albertsons Media Collective Taps a Former Walmart Connect Exec
KFC Ditches Pepsi for Coke
Kimberly-Clark Forecasts a Sales Decline After a Social-Media Firestorm in China
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/
DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.
CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Sean Tinnelly, Head of Ad Sales at DG Media Network, a division of Dollar General.
This episode is sponsored by DG Media Network.
Follow Sean on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-patrick-tinnelly
Follow DG Media Network online at: https://www.dgmedianetwork.com/
Sean answers these questions:
What drew you to Dollar General and DGMN specifically, and how has that mix of experience shaped how you're building out ad sales there?
Dollar General's footprint is fundamentally different from most retail media networks — over 21,000 stores, and roughly 80% of them in markets of 20,000 people or fewer. How does that rural, small-format footprint change the way you pitch DGMN to CPG brands versus how they think about the bigger retail media players?
Walk us through the current shape of DGMN today — onsite, offsite, and in-store. How do those pieces fit together, and where is most of the current advertiser demand concentrated?
DGMN has leaned heavily into first-party data and closed-loop measurement, with partners like The Trade Desk, LiveRamp, and Google Ad Manager. How do you talk to brands about the value of that data given how different the DG shopper looks from a typical grocery or mass retail customer?
DGMN recently expanded its AI-enabled in-store audio network. How are in-store media formats like that performing relative to digital, and how do you help brands think about allocating budget across onsite, offsite, and in-store?
For a lot of CPG brands, rural and small-town shoppers are genuinely hard to reach with traditional digital targeting. What does DGMN unlock for a brand that they simply can't get anywhere else in their media mix?
Let's talk about the advertiser base. DGMN has brought on major partners like Unilever, Coke, Hershey's, and P&G. What has that growth in advertiser demand looked like, and where are you seeing the most momentum right now?
How does DGMN think about the balance between national CPG advertisers and smaller or regional brands that may be trying to break into rural markets for the first time?
Retail media is maturing fast — incrementality, attribution, and proving real ROI are dominating the conversation across the industry. How is DGMN approaching measurement and incrementality specifically for a shopper base and store format that looks so different from a typical big-box or grocery network?
To wrap us up, Sean: as DGMN continues to scale its offsite, onsite, and in-store capabilities, what does the roadmap look like from here, and what's your best advice for a brand that hasn't yet activated in rural America?
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.
CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

The CPG Guys are joined in this episode by Arthur Leopold, CEO and Co-Founder at Agentio which enables marketers to buy creator led ads as easily and scalably as Meta or Google ads—automating sourcing, pricing, contracting, delivery, and measurement—so work that took months now happens in minutes.
This episode is sponsored by Agentio
Follow Arthur on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arthurleopold/
Follow Agentio online at: https://www.agentio.com/
Arthur answers these questions:
You were president of Cameo, which was built on connecting people with talent. What did you see there that convinced you creator advertising needed its own buying infrastructure, and why was 2023 the moment to start Agentio?
You've said advertising follows attention and attention has moved to creators. If you're right, why do you think less than 2% of digital ad spend reaches creators today?
You've compared your goal to making creator buys as easy as buying Meta or Google ads. What gets lost, and what gets gained, when you industrialize something as human as a creator's recommendation?
Walk us through a campaign for a challenger food or beverage brand. What does a brand actually do, what does the platform do, and where does a human still need to be in the loop?
Agentio’s performance data suggests brands testing ten or more creator verticals find winners more often. For a CPG brand with a limited budget, how do you balance breadth of testing against putting real money behind what works?
Olipop, Graza and Suri have all scaled with you. What do the best CPG programs have in common, and what do the ones that fizzle get wrong?
Several of your case studies argue that media mix modeling shows far more impact than last-click attribution. How should a CPG marketer prove creator spend works when so much of the sale happens at retail, not on a DTC site?
Can creator media drive retail sell-through at Walmart, Target or Amazon, and have you seen brands connect creator campaigns to retail media or shopper data?
Agentio has expanded from YouTube to Meta Partnership Ads. Do creators perform differently when the ad runs as a native YouTube integration versus a boosted post on Meta, and how should brands split budget?
YouTube changed how it counts views this year, and has been moving into brand-creator deals itself. How worried are you about the platforms building what Agentio has built?
What do creators get from a marketplace like yours that they can't get from a talent agent or direct deals, and how do you keep a program from feeling like an ad network to their audiences?
It's 2030. What share of a CPG brand's media plan is creator-led, and what does the CMO's team look like when the operational work is automated?
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/

DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.
CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.

Each week, the CPG Guys will riff on the hottest topics in the world of omnichannel commerce. 
This week’s topics:
7-Eleven's New CEO Is “Stealing With Pride” From Japan
Mars Maps the Next Decade of Shopping
How Reckitt Is Thriving With China's Social-Media Shoppers
DoorDash Names WPP Media Its Global Media Partner
CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com
FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.com
SheCOMMERCE Website: https://shecommercepodcast.com/
Rhea Raj’s Website: http://rhearaj.com
Lara Raj in Katseye: https://www.katseye.world/
DISCLAIMER: The content in this podcast episode is provided for general informational purposes only. By listening to our episode, you understand that no information contained in this episode should be construed as advice from CPGGUYS, LLC or the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for research on any subject matter. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by CPGGUYS, LLC. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.
CPGGUYS LLC expressly disclaims any and all liability or responsibility for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or other damages arising out of any individual’s use of, reference to, or inability to use this podcast or the information we presented in this podcast.