Laura Morris - Bridging the Gap Between Korean Products and U.S. Consumers

On this episode, we’re joined by Laura Morris, VP of Marketing at Sempio Foods, Korea’s oldest registered food brand.

Sempio was founded in 1946 on a simple promise: never sell a product the founder wouldn’t serve his own family. Today, they’ve grown into a global powerhouse in fermented sauces, noodles, kimchi, teas, and more that’s distributed in 75+ countries.

Before Sempio, Laura led marketing at Kayco, the owner of iconic Kosher brands like Manischewitz and Dorot Gardens. 

Now at Sempio, Laura’s helping bridge the gap between Korean authenticity and U.S. consumer behavior.

Laura breaks down how to localize global brands, adapt packaging for a new audience, plan around ambiguous inventory lead times, and why sometimes the right move with retailers is saying “not yet.”

Episode Highlights:
🌏 What it’s like marketing a fully international brand in the U.S.
🧂 Why Sempio stays true to its fermented roots
📦 Packaging tips for balancing authenticity and accessibility
🇰🇷 How to market gochujang without losing its Korean identity
🚢 Why global logistics shape campaign planning
💡 Lessons from the Dorot Gardens rebrand (“Pop, Drop, Done”)
🛒 Retail strategy: when to say yes, when to say “not yet”
📊 Sales tools, aisle violators & using data to win shelves
💥 The product launch flop that became a 10x comeback

Table of Contents:
00:00 – Laura’s Background
01:00 – Sempio Origin & U.S. Expansion
04:00 – Working with a Global HQ
07:00 – Naming & Packaging Strategy
10:00 – What Gets Prioritized in the U.S.
12:30 – Aisle Placement: Ethnic vs. Center Store
16:00 – Tips for Import Brand Marketers
18:30 – Campaign Planning Around Global Transit
21:00 – Dorot Gardens Rebrand Case Study
25:00 – Packaging Strategy Questions to Ask
27:30 – Retail Tools: Decks, Data, and Displays
30:00 – Managing Retailer Requests vs. Margins
32:00 – Learning from a Product Launch Flop
34:30 – Trends Laura’s Watching
36:00 – Where to Follow Laura & Sempio

Links:
Sempio Foods – https://www.sempio.com
Yondu (plant-based umami) – https://www.yondu.us
Follow Laura on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-morris-cpg

Follow Adam on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg

Check out https://www.kitprint.co for CPG production design support.

Transcript

Adam Steinberg (00:00)

All right. Well, welcome to Shelf Help. Today we're speaking with Laura Morris, who is joining us from Parsippany, New Jersey. Laura recently joined Sempio Foods, the popular South Korean brand that offers everything from sauces, spices, and  kimchi to noodles and tea, to run marketing in the U.S. You've most likely seen Sempio products on the shelf at your local Korean or Asian supermarket. And Sempio is working on a big push getting into major retailers in the U.S.

And before jumping on board with Sempio, Laura was the marketing director at Kayco, a house of kosher and better for you brands that are distributed to over 30 countries around the world. Brands like Manischewitz which I'm sure you're probably familiar with. So yeah, with that, let's, let's get into it. I mean, first off, just for the listeners that are not that familiar with Sempio, Laura, maybe just give us kind of the quick lay of the land in terms of just the origin story, why behind the brand,  the core products that the brand is offering, at least in the U S let's say.

and then maybe the core places where listeners can currently get their hands on them and we'll start from there.

Laura Morris (01:01)

Perfect, yeah,

100%. So, Sempeal's story begins in 1946, and it actually is Korea's oldest registered food brand. So, from the very beginning, the purpose was clear. It was to create high quality fermented soy-based sauces that wouldn't just be an expression for like the Korean cuisine, but really show the care, the tradition, and the taste.

that is behind Korean cuisine. So it really comes down to the heart of our brand, which is simply put in a philosophy from our founder, which was, I'll never produce or sell a product that my family would not eat. So this principle continues to guide us in every decision that we're making for the brand, from sourcing to production to innovation, and even partnerships.

So this is kind of how Sempyo began and became a household name in Korea, you know, really playing into that quality and authenticity. But it's more than just about its heritage. It's also about how it connects with the culture, right? We have a state of the art fermentation research and development center.

and it was Korea's first of its kind, where we collaborate with chefs and other culinary experts globally as we talk about innovating traditional flavors to be more accessible to the modern kitchen. So today, if we look at Senpio, it's present in 76 different countries, and it has branch offices in China, Spain, and then

the US and we work very closely with those different communities that we're in to help with that like cross culture flavor experience. So we're not just selling sauces and you know food products we're really celebrating that global appreciation of fermented food and culture.

in a meaningful way, rooted in tradition, driven by innovation. When it comes down to our products, we play across a lot of different categories, but it's all really rooted in the mission of bringing bold, clean flavor to everyone's cooking. So our core, like I've mentioned, really lies in

fermentation in the sauces. So that includes soy sauces. We even have some soy sauces that are specifically made for children or people that don't want as an extreme flavor taste along with, you know, traditional things like gochujang or dojang and as well as our vinegars. But then we've continued to move on to other things like seasoning and

cooking aids like our Yeonju, which is our latest plant-based umami boosting sauce, which was really created to show the versatility between different global cuisines. And then beyond sauces, we've expanded into noodles, kimchi, functional health-forward products like teas. And you can find most of these products in the Korean supermarkets like H Mart. Select items in Kroger.

widely available on Amazon and Yonji, which is the latest innovation, is in stock at stores like Albertsons Ingalls and will be launching in Whole Foods very shortly.

Adam Steinberg (04:28)

I believe Sempio, like the first importer that you've worked for,

like a brand that's,

wholly based outside of the U.S.

So I'm just kind of curious, what's that experience been like this far?

what feels similar

and what has felt the most different and has maybe felt like it's

been the biggest learning curve, let's say?

Laura Morris (04:46)

Yes, definitely. So, well, when I was at Kayco many of our products were made in Israel, but at least I had like a large US team, and was rooted there, right? But so at Sempio, that's really like the full first international brand that I worked with where the roots and the production, everything is based out of the US, outside of the US, sorry. but it's like an extremely rewarding experience.

in my opinion. So in many ways, like the fundamentals are the same, right? You need strong storytelling, a great product and a retail strategy, no matter where the brand is based. But one of the biggest differences is like that learning curve of how to work with a headquarters and global counterparts that don't maybe quite

100 % understand the US consumer mindset, especially like how the US person shops, the decisions of in store, what drives them to try something new, right? The US consumer really prioritizes convenience, clear messaging. They're starting to look at nutritional labels and certifications more. So the shift has really been like how to translate.

that across teams. And the big part of my role is bridging that gap, whether it's how the US consumer talks about versatility or health, as small as how packaging can influence trial, right? There's a lot of opportunity in showing how Korean food aligns with what US consumers are trending, like plant-based eating, gut health.

global flavors, right? So overall, like people are excited about Korean ingredients, but it's really that education on, you know, how to use it.

you know, what do they do when they first encounter a John or a Yondu? So balancing that tradition that Sempio has and wants to hold, but also talking about accessibility and how it can be integrated into everyone's daily life.

Adam Steinberg (06:55)

you mentioned a bit about positioning and education.

how do you think about, and what have you been learning, Thinking about that balance between the education around

the products and names that are

really local to South Korea versus

maybe simplifying to make them more relatable to US culture?

as an example,

do you call something like Gochujang,

by the actual name, Or do you have to think about calling it something like hot pepper paste

as an example?

Laura Morris (07:17)

that's a great question. And actually something that we talk about almost kind of weekly on like our check ins, right? So when we talk about what we're doing at Semphio, we're really like walking that fine line between honoring like our Korean roots and making our products more approachable and intuitive to the US consumer.

So we're not going to stop calling Gochujang by its name because that's what it is and it's our mission to help people learn and appreciate that like Korean authentic flavor.

But we're also gonna assume that everyone doesn't know what gochujang means, especially when Korean cuisine is so new. So what we're doing, and we're working on updating packaging and things like that, is providing messaging that gives more context right in front. So calling it gochujang, Korean fermented red chili paste. So people understand it's not the same thing as a Chinese chili sauce.

or just like a spicy seasoning like a red pepper flake. But, and I don't want to say we're like watering it down by any means, but we're just making it a little bit more approachable while keeping that culture and flavor forward approach on our branding.

Adam Steinberg (08:42)

Yeah, that totally makes sense. do you have to, in a similar sense, do you have to think about not just actual positioning and naming,

the balance between you might call it authenticity versus approachability to that average US consumer?

adapting recipes or formulations

to, I don't know if you want to call them American preferences,

maybe the South Korean consumer

their average palette from

a spiciness standpoint is much more tolerable than the US consumer. Do you have to make any tweaks to like the formulations to make them feel like they're gonna be more attractive to more American consumers, if that makes sense?

Laura Morris (09:18)

Yeah, so honestly, like authenticity, and I've heard, probably said it like 1000 times already, right, is a core pillar at SMPO. So we're not changing the formulations of like our actual sauces. So you're getting like the real deal in it. But what we're doing is when it comes to like the recipes and the communication here in the US, we're talking to that like flavor profile of

Adam Steinberg (09:23)

Yeah.

Yeah.

Laura Morris (09:46)

you know, start with a little, like it's about your taste palette. When it comes to recipe creation, we have several chefs on staff here in the US for Sempio that are constantly working on making traditional Korean recipes a little bit more approachable, but also the other way around, making like,

traditional mainstream American meals upgraded with these sauces, right? So one of the big things that we've been seeing is barbecue, barbecue, know, having your own smoker, all those kinds of things will.

Gochujang is a great way, like a great way to make a barbecue sauce of your own, make a glaze, something like that. So we're kind of just positioning our authentic products in a way that Americans already use similar products.

Adam Steinberg (10:40)

how do you decide either what products of the entire portfolio make the most sense introduced to the US market and or if you are planning on to eventually introduce them all, how do you think about which ones to prioritize first, let's say, if you are planning on introducing them all?

Laura Morris (10:56)

Yeah, I mean, let's be real, our ultimate goal is to, you know, have every Sempio product on the US shelf. I think any brand would say that, right? But because we truly believe in the whole lineup, right? But I would I would more segmented onto like what we're picturing in the mainstream retail, right? So we're focusing on products that either have like some existing awareness. So like the go to Jung's

Adam Steinberg (11:02)

Yeah, for sure.

Laura Morris (11:21)

or aligns on the US trends like the plant-based eating with the yondu, right? So we've been super fortunate that like Korean cooking shows such as culinary class courts on Netflix have done a great job of spotlighting the category and sparking curiosity. So that momentum helps a ton.

So while like most of the products are already in a lot of the Korean supermarkets, they have little to no English on the packaging. So another big part of the job is making those products just more accessible and shopper friendly. So maybe adding small parts of English on them. But you know, the main focus is getting like the staples in to those mainstream.

stores and then continuing to ride that momentum with the rest of the portfolio.

Adam Steinberg (12:13)

Do brands like Sempio, do they push to avoid?

the ethnic aisle?

is the goal to avoid being

siloed into that instead look to become

the go-to flavor in the center store aisle or do they really look to just stand out within that ethnic aisle?

Laura Morris (12:27)

Yeah, no, 100%. And I think that's where like everyone comes up with this like mainstream thing, right? So like at Kayco I was part of the Beyond division, which was beyond the kosher section, right? But I think like, I wouldn't say that we're trying to like avoid the ethnic aisle, but we're definitely looking to see where our products can live to meet

what the shopper is looking for, where they already are, right? So it's really about finding the right placement strategy for each of the products that you have, not just defaulting to one section of the store. So for example, we have a kimchi kit. It makes sense in the ethnic aisle, right? But it also could work really well in the produce section.

where you already have pre-made kimchi, you're next to the Napa cabbage. So that kind of like cross-merchandising opens up like a new discovery moment where maybe those consumers were not gonna go down that ethnic or international aisle. But on like the other side, know, Korean barbecue, it's become a big, big, big, big thing, right? So you kind of are presented with this decision. Do you wanna compete in the barbecue set, right?

where those people are already shopping for a condiment or grilling something? Or do you wanna be in that ethnic aisle where flavor forward is right there? And the tricky part is, that when you go into these mainstream categories like barbecue sauce, you're held to a lot higher velocity expectation. ⁓ But on the flip side, once you get into the ethnic set,

Adam Steinberg (14:01)

Mm-hmm.

Laura Morris (14:06)

It can be really tough to move it later, right? Because you're it's a change of buyers or something like that So I wouldn't say avoiding it but really strategically thinking about Where would that consumer be looking for that product? Is it a super niche ethnic product or is it something that's a little bit more crossover?

Adam Steinberg (14:25)

at Kayco. was there a similar goal in terms of the kosher category trying to be

in the,

ethnic aisle and also in some of

more

traditional center story areas as well?

Laura Morris (14:34)

Yeah, yeah. So there's definitely some parallels, especially when it comes to how retailers think about the velocity and category placement. But I think the key thing that's different is that kosher is a certification, not a cuisine, right? So when Korean food, when you have Korean food, that brings like a distinct flavor and a culture, like an identity almost, where

Kosher spans across all kinds of foods, So like fun fact, &Ms are kosher, but you're not finding them in the kosher aisle. So at Kayco, we had brands that were definitely meant for the kosher section, but we also had brands that we called crossover. So that's like Mane Shevitz, where you would probably find your matzah in the kosher category, but their noodles.

Adam Steinberg (15:17)

Mm-hmm.

Laura Morris (15:22)

are mainstreamed in many of the conventional markets because they meet a broader need ⁓ to the consumer. And then there's products that were part of the Beyond Division like Darro gardens, which is frozen garlic herbs and a cube that happen to be kosher, but they're merchandise next to green giant and bird's eye in that frozen food section. So,

Adam Steinberg (15:27)

Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

Laura Morris (15:45)

you know, I think it really, just depends again on where you're finding that consumer and what they need.

Adam Steinberg (15:50)

let's just say a friend came to you and told you they just took a job at a non U.S. brand that imports into the U.S. like Sempio They don't have a lot of experience in this import market, let's call it. And they're looking for just kind of some tips, strategies.

things to keep top of mind as they get going and start drinking from the fire hose, which is inevitable as you start at a company. What would you tell them?

Laura Morris (16:12)

So first I would say like welcome to the world of like wild imports, right? It's a crazy ride. Working with a non-US brand is like incredibly rewarding because it comes with its own set of like problems and puzzles to solve. So my biggest tip would be like put on your translator hat and I don't mean in language, I mean in mindset, okay?

where you're going to be the bridge between two different ways of thinking about food, retail, and the consumer. So what might make sense to you, you might have to drizzle it down to have the people in your headquarter country better understand it.

It's how they shop, it's what motivates them. Even reading a label is different. And I was shocked by that, right? The second is fight for clarity. Packaging, messaging, and naming, it's how we explain it, right?

It's definitely like it's a foreign, it was a foreign language to me, but it's not a foreign language to all these other people that have been working on the brand or in this category for so long. But you need to make it user friendly. And then the, the other, I guess the other part that

I didn't realize is I've always worked closely with sales and demand planning, but you have to work very closely with them around promotional timing. Because if you run out of product, you're out of luck for months. Unless your company wants to spend like a serious amount of money on air freighting it, you you have to be very close. And the last part, and this is like on the personal side is,

I've become like a part-time Korean food like hype person. No matter where I am at a dinner party or something like that, I'm bringing samples to people. I'm talking about the product just because it's something that like I'm passionate about and I want more and more people to like experience it. Because when I hadn't done it and I went and tried this, I was like, this is a whole new world and this is great. So like be your own food hype person.

in whatever category or space you're in.

Adam Steinberg (18:26)

Yeah.

Love that. Love that.

in terms of that marketing planning

assuming there are longer and maybe more ambiguous lead times for inventory and new product launches, that kind of stuff.

Do you have to approach campaign launches, promos differently? And if so, what does this look like?

Laura Morris (18:44)

Yeah, so there's definitely a lot longer lead time when it comes to global transit, which definitely changes marketing planning. Unlike like US based brands or US manufactured things where you can move like really fast and make kind of like decisions on a dime with imports, you have to plan much further in advance. And we're talking months, not weeks.

right? So that means that a campaign that launches and promos require actually really tight coordination with the supply chain, with the demand planning teams to make sure that you have inventory in stock ready to go when the buzz starts, right? So we can't really react on a whim if something just like sells out.

so fast, right, which is like the hope and dream. So we work really closely on creating marketing calendars that are built around seasonality. We plan those shipments around there. And then we also plan promotional windows well, well in advance. So, you know, we build contingency plans. So we have digital campaigns that are going up. We can adjust those and pause those if retail

inventory runs low. We have geo targeted programs. If we know a region or a specific retailer is out of stock, we will pull those zip codes from the program. So the bottom line is, is the communication really is like the key to making a international brand work. Because you have to really like juggle your excitement about like

my gosh, this amazing campaign is gonna go live. You want all steam ahead with the realities of shipping across the globe.

Adam Steinberg (20:37)

think someone is maybe about thinking of jumping on board with a brand like Sempio. This has been really helpful. ⁓ Shifting a bit to your experience at Kayco

Laura Morris (20:42)

Good.

Adam Steinberg (20:46)

you mentioned Dorot Gardens earlier. I believe you were there during the big rebrand that I know made a lot of waves.

Tell me about what those early strategy sessions were like. What was defined as the why?

behind that rebrand and what were the main goals and,

multi-part question,

what did the team determine success would look like?

Laura Morris (21:05)

Yeah, 100%. So I was part of the team during the DeRot Gardens rebrand. And honestly, it was such a fun and strategic project. The whole thing started with a real like one simple truth. Once people tried the product, they loved it and they kept buying it. But the problem was the consumers that didn't know about the product and were learning about it couldn't find it.

So, DeRote Gardens lives in the frozen aisle, which is a challenging space, right? There's bags of green giant and bird's eye, and then DeRote is a little compact tray, and it got completely lost. there's that, and then there's also the fact that a lot of consumers don't think of finding their fresh garlic and herbs in the frozen section.

So in the early stages, the behind this rebrand was clear. How do we take a product that people love, but remove those barriers to discovery? That meant improving it visually, creating clear clarity around the usage.

And then making like a memorable identity for the brand, right? So that's where the tagline pop, drop, done came in, because it really captures that experience of how you use the product in a very fun and simple way. So success, that side was defined by really two things, increased household penetration and growing velocity in stores that were already selling the product.

And thankfully, the rebrand really helped us move the needle on both. And it's just a great example of how a good design and messaging can really unlock that next step for a product.

Adam Steinberg (22:43)

That's great.

Yeah, that's super, super clear. Now, I get why I was successful. You guys had a very clear vision in terms of what success was going look like. And you knew where you wanted to go, which I think was probably big part of it. Did you guys work with an agency or internal team to handle it all? if you did get work with an agency on some components, curious what that selection process looked like. How did you know the one you selected was going to be the right fit?

Laura Morris (23:17)

Yeah, no, definitely. So the process started by taking like a step back and asking ourselves like, what needs to change? And what do we want the outcome? Just like you said before, and that really shaped the creative brief. At the core, we were trying to solve, you know, how do we stand out? How can we reduce confusion between the herbs, garlic and ginger most specifically, because we got a lot of consumer

insight and complaints about that and then how do we create that like memorable, relatable connection, right? So we knew that we needed to partner with an agency that could bring our vision to life because we don't have at Kayco, there's not a big design

department, right? So I actually spoke with six different agencies before landing on working with Chase Design Group. And it was a very time consuming process, but really, really important because you look at things like their past client work, their campaign results. And then one thing that a lot of people I don't think think of is

learning the makeup of the actual team that's going to be handling your project, not just the team that's pitching you, right? So, and then the last and most final thing would be how their process aligns with your internal workflow. So for Daro, you know, there's that US side and then the Israeli side. We needed a agency that was willing to work on both our calendars.

work on that like collaborative approach. So we ended up, you know, with Chase and they were an amazing fit, because they brought both that strategic thinking and creativity to the table, which really, you know, did great things for us.

They're the ones that came up with Pop Drop Done, short, clever, and exactly what you do with the product. So I couldn't be more happy to work with a team like Chase.

Adam Steinberg (25:20)

sounds like you definitely chose the right one. You touched on packaging design

just taking a step back a little bit with all your experience. Let's just say I was a brand leader at, say, a specialty brand, like Mighty Sempio or Mighty Sesame Sempio, et cetera. What questions might you ask me that would help me confirm, even just if this is the right strategy in general?

Laura Morris (25:41)

Yeah, so I would say like kind of like just like sit down and really think about like who you are, who the brand is, right? And like really get down to the nitty gritty. Like what is the job you want your package to do? Is it education? Is it standing out? Is it looking more premium?

Is it all of the above? Most time people would say all of above, but there's typically something that like sticks out more than others, What's confusing consumers today? If people are constantly asking where to find the product or what the product is or how to use the product, that's your clue. You know, what do you want your consumer to

fall in love with, if they look at something and they don't know what your brand stands for, then you might be holding something back. And then what's like, what I normally think of is, is there one element that your current consumer, so someone that's already buying your product, would recognize and trust? And what would need to stay in place so you don't lose that consumer?

but what are you missing, if anything, right? That is kind of a barrier for a new consumer. So balancing that like fresh art and that familiar art together, twin evolve, not a race.

Adam Steinberg (27:11)

Yeah, that's the challenging part. think a lot of time is how do you keep some of those legacy elements that existing customers really recognize and know what to look for when they're walking down the aisle versus what are the components you want to upgrade or refresh? think totally on same page there. Talking a bit more tactical in terms of retail and the shopper marketing tactics,

What would you say are

the core tools a brand should have in their tool belt to

achieve that sustained success at retail? I'm talking about really some of those tactical tools like sales sheets, one-pagers, shelf talkers, aisle violators, all that kind of stuff.

Laura Morris (27:45)

Yeah, so I think it's really kind of like all together, right? When it comes to your deck and your sales sheets, you want everything to kind of speak the same language, right? So, you know, at a minimum, I think that every brand should have a solid sales deck that not just shows your brand story, but shows the why your brand and the why now. Why should...

this retailer bring this product in now or can it wait till the next meeting? A one-page or a sell sheet is key for these fast-moving, speed-dating events that they have, things like that, but you want it to the point. So you want that basic product information, pricing, and consumer insights.

then when it comes to, you now that your product is on the shelf, how do you grab that attention to stop that shopper like maids stroll down the aisle, right? So that's when it comes to your shelf talkers, your wobblers or your vile, aisle violators, right? And then the other thing is,

I believe that data is at the bottom of all of this, right? So if you can get your hands on any data when it comes to like velocity data, consumer data, that's really gonna help you understand where the brand can go. And then from there, you can build your marketing plans, get the social bud.

buzz going and even testimonials that you can show on your website, on your socials, and to the retailer teams that you're hoping accept the product.

Adam Steinberg (29:32)

And so for brands that are either established brands that are on a fair amount of shelves already or ones that have been growing fast, they're starting to get some pretty broad retail distribution from a footprint standpoint. In my experience, seems like some of those more

one-off requests a brand gets from retailers continues to multiply, whether it's they want a special SKU or they own a special pack size or even some of that retailer-specific media partnerships and those ads and that kind of stuff. Those all take resources. How do you think about, I guess, should brands think about balancing that need to go above and beyond for retailers versus maintaining margins? obviously, each one of those things add costs, and especially if they're one-off. So how do you think about that?

Laura Morris (30:15)

Yeah, so you learn, you I learned this from my experience and I wanted to be a people pleaser, right? I wanted to be like, yes, we can do everything and anything for you, but you really have to be strategic about it. So I always, you know, the way I think about it is in three ways. There's the impact, the effort, and the ROI. So if a request is going to move more volume,

build a bit of like a meaningful retail relationship or get your brand visibility in a region that you may or may not have, then it's worth, you know, taking that next step. But if it's going to add complexity with a minimal return or if it's going to like be a one time ask and it's going to eat away at your margin, it's okay to say no.

But more often it's not no, it's just we're not ready yet. Right? So bottom line is that you need to be like flexible when it comes to protecting your brand's long term health because retailers are going to ask so much from you. When I think about it, it's like retail is a marathon, not a sprint. And your margins are really what's going to keep your brand running.

So you know have to think of it in the way of both and not just pleasing every little ask that comes your way.

Adam Steinberg (31:42)

You've got a lot of really great experience in this space, and you've obviously got a lot of wins under your belt. I'm curious. I think a lot of some of the best learning experiences come from times when maybe things didn't go as expected. So I'm curious, whether it's a campaign or a launch strategy or something that you worked on that you remember, didn't remember going as you necessarily work as or go as planned. And looking back,

anything you kind of you would have done differently or big learnings you took away from something like that?

Laura Morris (32:09)

Yeah, so absolutely. I think you learn as much from flops than you do as wins and maybe even more. And what I always tell my team is fail forward. So every time you fail, you're not going backwards. You're actually moving forward to change the pace of things. So one thing that really stands out is a product launch where we had like

Adam Steinberg (32:16)

For sure.

Laura Morris (32:34)

we had everything right on paper, right? We had strong retailer support, a compelling in-store plan, digital ads, a great budget that I was willing to work with. And so we were like, great, we're gonna split this because the retailer really wants us to support this big campaign, so we're gonna split it right in half and do consumer awareness and then this shopper media plan. But what we didn't account for was,

that this product was new, unfamiliar, right, to the US consumer. So while we can do all these amazing things in store, people didn't know about the product. So they, you know, there's banners, there's ads, there's coupons, there's displays for this product, but people don't even know how to use it. So looking back,

Adam Steinberg (33:13)

Yeah.

Laura Morris (33:27)

I would have rebalanced that budget and put more into awareness and education and postponed that retailer thing. And like I, you what I said before, you sometimes have to say no or not yet. And that is the true case where the retailer and the buyer were super excited and they're like, just invest in this program. It's going to be great.

Adam Steinberg (33:36)

Sure.

Laura Morris (33:50)

Well, it would be great if people knew about the product. so luckily, like we did the program, we paid the, you know, fee, the fees. and it did okay. But then a year later, we did the same program after doing a large, like educational campaign and it ran 10 times better. And so the lesson is really just like, if you're introducing something unfamiliar, awareness in education.

is not optional, right? This is where you need to spend your money at first and then build those partnerships with your retailers.

Adam Steinberg (34:25)

Yep,

last question for you, Laura. You've got so much experience in the CPG space. Any trends or brands just across the entire CPG food and beverage category in general that you've just been tracking that you're particularly excited about at all?

Laura Morris (34:40)

Well, I just love the CPG food space so But as a foodie at heart and I'm not just saying this because I work in like the the food space But I'm so excited that there's been a big jump between That getting global flavors into mainstream supermarkets because before I would have to like run between different stores to get like

Adam Steinberg (34:49)

Yeah.

Laura Morris (35:05)

the specific Asian sauce I needed or a specific spice for this dish. But now these global flavors are coming into conventional supermarkets. So I can find them in one place, right? So it's like a one stop shop convenience, but allows me to cook more authentically. And I don't have to plan like so far in advance. And then the other one I know you probably only wanted one but I'm going to give you two is this

Adam Steinberg (35:16)

Yeah.

Yeah, we'll take it.

Laura Morris (35:31)

this rise in better for you takes on classics. So we've seen it with soda. Growing up, it was like, my God, mom, dad, can I have the soda? But now it's like, there's brands like Poppy and Oli Pop that are reinventing soda with that added benefit that it's not as bad for you now. And that's super exciting. So I can't wait to see what is next in that space. What is that?

Adam Steinberg (35:58)

same.

Laura Morris (35:59)

childhood meal or snack that I loved that can be reinvented in like a better for you way.

Adam Steinberg (36:07)

Totally. I like that too.

Laura, this has been really great. Really appreciate it. I it's been super insightful. I the listeners can get a lot of value out of this. So where can they best follow along with you personally? And then also, where's the best way for them to follow along with Sempio as well?

Laura Morris (36:21)

Yeah, so I would say both would probably be best on LinkedIn. So I'm on LinkedIn. Sempio Food Services is our US LinkedIn page. And then if you have Instagram, which I think most people do, if you go to yondu.us, that's, or yondu us, I guess it is on Instagram, that is our current social media platform that we're constantly putting out.

Adam Steinberg (36:25)

Cool.

Laura Morris (36:45)

educational materials and recipes. So those would be the best two outlets and thank you again Adam for having me today.

Adam Steinberg (36:51)

Yeah, perfect.

Awesome. Thanks so much, Laura. I appreciate it.

Laura Morris (36:54)

Thank