Sports nutrition is no longer niche — but misconceptions linger. Sanham Chopra of Glanbia Performance Nutrition reveals how campaigns to “bust the myths” around protein supplements are paired with nuanced channel strategies, from D2C to retail partnerships. With Alison Bennett’s Waitrose perspective, they discuss packaging as both a sustainability lever and a storytelling tool, navigating regulatory differences across Europe, and the promise and pitfalls of social and affiliate marketing. The pair also look ahead to how AI will change product discovery and how brands must harness their surging data streams with sharper intent.

Quotes:

• “Beyond the product, you have to speak to the lifestyle.”
• “Social media can be a sales channel — but are you building loyalty or just riding the trend?”
• “Know the question you’re trying to answer before you drown in data.”

From kefir breakfast drinks to superfood powders, wellness brand Biotiful Gut Health has navigated a surge in gut‑health interest, crowded shelves, and new shopper behaviours. Director of DTC & e‑commerce Rob Manning talks product efficacy, taste as a differentiator, and the power of omnichannel storytelling — including Q‑commerce spikes on cold weekends. With Sam Harding’s insights, the episode also explores how GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs are influencing wellness behaviours, and why brands need to place themselves in fragmented, algorithm‑driven customer journeys before AI chatbots do it for them.

Quotes:

• “Taste is non‑negotiable — we’re in food, people have to enjoy the experience.”
• “Omnichannel isn’t a buzzword; it’s recognising every possible entry point to your brand and being ready when they arrive.”
• “Soon, Gen‑AI could be your personal trainer and nutritionist — if your brand’s not in that meal plan, you’re not in the basket.”

What happens when you build a data‑connected customer ecosystem from scratch? Bertha Cruz, former GM of Nestlé USA’s Dolce Gusto business, shares how she integrated every customer touchpoint — boutique to call centre — into a single view that drove $80m turnover in year two. With dunnhumby’s Sam Harding, they unpack the challenges of joining data silos, predicting needs without feeling intrusive, and balancing insight‑led strategy with real‑world retail constraints. The conversation also eyes the next frontier: AI‑personalised experiences at pace and scale.

Quotes:

• “It was as if every customer was talking to one single person, no matter the channel.”
• “Technology could have done more — but at the time it felt invasive. Today, with AI, the opportunity is bigger than ever.”
• “If you do it in a way that is consumer‑obsessed, you’ve got the best chance of success.”

Post‑pandemic shoppers are more health‑ and eco‑aware than ever — but price rules the basket. Ciro Desgroseilliers and Daniel Torres explore the “three dimensions” FMCG brands must win on: Care (health and environment), Save (value), and Excite (innovation and desirability). They probe contradictions in consumer behaviour — from sustainability ideals to convenience cravings — and the role of small challenger brands, social media hype, and ‘schizophrenic’ purchase patterns. Can brands serve missions that pull in opposite directions, and still be coherent?

Quotes:
• “In future, every product is going to be a health product… but price is still an indirect component no one can ignore.”
• “Customers want to save, care, and be excited — if you’re not hitting all three, you’re not winning.”
• “Contemporary customers live in a paradox: they want to do the right thing for the planet, but won’t give up convenience.”

Daniel Torres Dwyer and Ciro Descrovi interviewed by Paul Skeldon.

Retail media is booming, but is it the cure‑all some in FMCG hope for? Ed Sellier, Strategy Manager at Tesco Media, cuts through the hype to reveal how retail media really works - as an evidence‑driven, customer‑centric layer on top of brand‑building fundamentals. From “messy collaboration” with FMCG giants to the rise of quick commerce and the shift in shopper missions, Ed explains how Tesco approaches data, channels, and internal buy‑in for long‑term brand health. Expect frank talk about what it takes to persuade stakeholders, prove ROI, and balance the 4Ps beyond a fixation on promotion.

Quotes:
• “There’s never a panacea or a silver bullet… retail media is here to point the marketing in the right direction.”
• “Persuasion comes through evidence, through case studies, but actually people want to try it themselves first.”
• “Messy collaboration is real — you have to learn to disagree and still move forward.”

Paul Skeldon was in conversation with Ed Sellier.