The CPG Guys are joined in this special Halloween episode by Tim LeBel, Chief Halloween Officer and President of US Sales at Mars Wrigley, Follow Tim on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-lebel/ Follow Mars Wrigley on LinkedIn at: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars/ Follow Mars Wrigley online at: https://www.mars.com/ Here's what we asked Tim: Tim, what does ‘Chief halloween officer’ mean to you? How does Mars Wrigley think about the role of Halloween in the annual plan? When does Halloween planning start? What shifts have you seen in consumer behavior around Halloween in the past few years? What trends are you seeing this year? How does Mars Wrigley segment its Halloween portfolio (e.g. “everyday” SKUs vs seasonal/limited edition)? What is the innovation cadence for seasonal items? How do you balance scale vs novelty in Halloween SKUs? How much shelf “real estate” do you devote to your core candies vs seasonal or promotional items? How do you think about the “kid vs adult” consumer dynamic in Halloween candy buying? How do you see e-commerce / DTC / omnichannel evolving for Halloween candy? (E.g. subscription boxes, online-exclusive SKUs, direct-to-consumer offerings, grocery pickup, cross-channel promos.) How do you align with your retail customers (supermarkets, mass, drug, dollar stores, convenience) on Halloween strategies & what is your strategy for securing premium shelf and display space (endcaps, gondolas, checkout lanes) during Halloween? Can you walk us through the innovation pipeline for Halloween SKUs - From ideation to shelf, how long does it take, and how do you “test” new ideas? What role does marketing/ads/PR & retail media play in your Halloween programs? How about social media campaigns/influencers, partnerships, co-markets, influencer tie-ins, event activations.) Looking ahead: what do you see as the biggest opportunities and risks for Halloween candy over the next 5 years? CPG Guys Website: http://CPGguys.com FMCG Guys Website: http://FMCGguys.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.
