Show Notes
What’s the ACTUAL difference between a Chief Growth Officer and a Chief Marketing Officer,what do they do and why might a high-growth brand need both? BGH host Fiona Fitz has been in the industry for 25+ years, and believe it or not, these roles are relatively new, borrowed from the worlds of tech and e-commerce, pure plays. So we decided it was high time to investigate what exactly a chief growth officer does and how they work alongside a chief marketing officer. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona digs into that exact question with two of the most strategic minds behind one of the UK’s most successful DTC brands, smol. Neil Campbell is Chief Growth Officer, and Hilary Strong is Smol’s Chief Marketing Officer. Together, they break down how they work in tandem to scale a brand that’s grown to £44M in sales, without relying on traditional advertising or a big retail presence. Neil and Hilary explore how customer lifetime value, subscription retention, and channel strategy combine to build a high-repeat-rate, mission-led brand. They also discuss how Smol segments its audience, turns data into action, and balances performance marketing with long-term brand building. If you’ve ever wondered how to move from organic to scalable growth—or whether it’s time to bring in more senior commercial firepower to your team, this conversation will give you both the strategic context and the practical next steps. You’ll hear how Smol has built a brand so loved that customers travel across the country just to meet the team in person and why they’re still holding off on going big in retail despite the temptation. This episode is packed with real-world insight, actionable strategy, and a glimpse into what modern DTC growth leadership really looks like. Enjoy! Useful Links: smol website Connect with Neil Campbell Connect with Hilary Strong Follow smol on Instagram & Facebook A small favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please hit FOLLOW and even leave a review! This tiny gesture means the world to us and allows us to share these nuggets of insight and value with you more often. We see every new follower and read every review, so thank you in advance!
============================================================= Thanks to Brand Growth Heroes’ podcast sponsor - Joelson, the commercial law firm =============================================================
If you're a founder, you already know how much of your energy goes into building the perfect product, creating standout branding and connecting with your consumers. But don’t forget that scaling a CPG business also comes with a maze of legal complexities that can make or break your business journey. From contracts, term sheets and regulatory compliance to protecting your brand's intellectual property as you expand, it's essential to get it right. And that starts with the right legal partner. So we're thrilled to introduce Joelson, a leading commercial law firm that specialises in guiding the founders of scaling CPG brands, as Brand Growth Heroes' sponsor. With long-term relationships with clients like Little Moons, Trip, Eat Natural, Bear Graze, and Pulsin, Joelson is also famous for advising the innocent founders in their landmark sale to Coca-Cola! As a female team, we are especially impressed by Joelson's commitment to championing female founders in CPG. Not many law firms are also BCorps, nor do they specialise in helping founders navigate the legal challenges of scaling without stifling the creativity and momentum that got you here in the first place. So thanks, Joelson—we’re delighted to have you on board. If you'd like to get in touch to find out more, why don't you drop them a line at [email protected]! ============================================== A tiny favour: If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, please could you click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a rev
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Sometimes it's lunch, sometimes it's dinner. Sometimes you're one, sometimes you're a family of 4. Sometimes it's a side, sometimes you're starving. How does a food brand answer all of these consumer/human need-states? STOCKED has created a product category that didn't previously exist: chef-made, frozen blocks of deliciousness - that you can choose to eat in 2,4 or 6 - you do it your way. In this episode of Brand Growth Heroes, I'm joined by Sam Moss and Charlie Gilpin, the co-founders of Stocked, which is chef-made frozen food and reinventing the ready meal with portion-sized blocks that customers can heat, combine and serve however they like. We talk about their extraordinary brand growth journey, from launching direct-to-consumer and cooking everything themselves to appearing on Dragons' Den, building their own manufacturing operation and securing listings with Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury's. I first met Sam and Charlie in 2022 when they joined the Brand Growth Heroes strategy programme, and it's been AMAZING to see what they've built since. What makes their story particularly valuable for founders scaling consumer brands is how many apparently difficult decisions have become genuine strengths. Manufacturing in-house, keeping their product range focused on one type of food, and asking consumers to do a little of the preparation themselves might not sound like the obvious route to scale. But each has helped Stocked build a differentiated proposition. We also get into the realities of scaling a team, the advantages of having a co-founder you've known since childhood, and why growing a business doesn't necessarily mean making the product more complicated. What You'll Learn How Stocked grew from £4K monthly revenue to a £15M annualised run rate, and why direct-to-consumer was so important in proving the proposition before retail. What Dragons' Den actually delivered commercially, including 60% month-on-month growth, long-term social proof and interest from major retailers. Why manufacturing in-house became a competitive advantage, despite initially being something the founders had hoped to outsource. How product focus enables more innovation, with over 65 unique SKUs developed while keeping production centred on chef-made, sauce-based meals. What Sam and Charlie have learned about scaling together, from sharing ownership and responsibility to building a team that allows them to move beyond day-to-day production. Key Topics Discussed Creating a new category within frozen ready meals Growing from £4,000 monthly revenue to a £15 million annualised run rate The role of DTC in consumer education and product development Dragons' Den, social proof and retail credibility Launching into Ocado, Waitrose and Sainsbury's Why around 90% of the business was still DTC at the time of recording Building a manufacturing facility from scratch Using operational complexity to create a competitive moat Keeping the manufacturing model focused while expanding the range Restaurant, chef and food creator collaborations Why consumers value control as well as convenience The economics of flexible portions and different eating occasions Scaling the team without losing operational discipline The realities of building a business with a childhood friend Why a 50/50 co-founder partnership has worked for Sam and Charlie What the Brand Growth Heroes programme taught them about messaging and consumer awareness Links: Website: https://stockedfood.com/?srsltid=AU7gw4Uj6rrYMb0tAqZtRTi6oed5mIi3lx0sLIBwb3mbxcQuyzK_pmP5 Insta: https://www.instagram.com/stockedfood?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&xtok=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
Grubby - the award-winning plant-based meal kits and ready meals delivered to your door - went from a £23M valuation and rapid growth TO around 140 VC rejections, losses of more than £1m in a year and a point where the founder says the business was probably only weeks away from “game over.”
Most pet brands sell function. Denzel’s Dog Treats built its challenger brand around something very different: Happiness!! In this conversation, I speak with founders James and Nathan about how they spotted an emotional gap in the pet category and used brand strategy, packaging, product format and occasion-based innovation to turn dog treats into something much bigger than a functional purchase. And the commercial results are what make this such an interesting story for founders scaling consumer brands. A Valentine’s activation delivered around 15–17x the rate of sale of a normal promotion, with more than 60% of shoppers buying it having not previously bought from pet. Their advent calendar has become their bestselling SKU despite only being available for part of the year. We get into how seasonal innovation moved from “marketing stunt” to revenue channel, why they designed for grocery, hospitality and online from day one, and how becoming obsessive about the brand experience helped Denzel’s create genuinely incremental growth. Use code BGH25 for 25% off Denzel's NEW Advent Calendars from https://www.denzels.co.uk/products/advent-calendar
Many of you founders working with niche ingredients out there might have struggled with this question: How do you build a new category when consumers don’t yet understand the ingredient, retailers don’t know where to place it, and nobody is walking into stores asking for it?
In this episode, Fiona Fitz chats with Richard Peake, Managing Director of Merchant Gourmet and one of the rare non-founder guests to grace our show. When Richard entered the role, Merchant Gourmet was a £15 million business. Fast forward four years, and the company has doubled its revenue to £30 million. Bold innovations, a revamped product range, and strategic market expansion have powered this incredible growth. Our conversation delves into the power of innovation and the importance of staying ahead of consumer trends. Richard shares invaluable lessons in new product development (NPD). One particularly fascinating theme we covered was servant leadership—how Richard and his team drive Merchant Gourmet’s growth by empowering their people and focusing on purpose. Additionally, we explore how export markets present an exciting new frontier for brands looking to scale. It was also refreshing to hear Richard admit that even seasoned professionals can find brand positioning a challenge. So, if you’ve ever struggled with getting it just right, you’re in good company! Enjoy the episode, and as always, let us know your thoughts!