For decades, brands have treated product sampling as a scrappy little tactic. A table at a trade show. A packet stapled to a magazine. A bin of mini shampoos at a hotel checkout. Cute. Memorable. But not exactly a strategy. That thinking is officially outdated. In 2026, sampling is one of the most powerful, measurable, and scalable media investments a brand can make — and the brands who recognize that first are building advantages their competitors won't be able to catch up

The CPG industry is booming — but 85% of new brands don't make it past year two. Here's what the data tells us about why emerging brands succeed or fail, and what it takes to break through. The CPG industry is one of the most exciting — and most unforgiving — places to launch a brand right now. The global CPG market is currently valued at approximately $2.3 trillion, growing at a rate exceeding 4% annually, and is projected to reach somewhere between $2.8 and $3.4 trillion by

We've all heard the nightmare stories. Private equity swoops in, strips a beloved brand for parts, slashes marketing budgets, and rides off into the sunset with a profit while the company crumbles. It's a narrative that's become almost clichéd in business circles. But here's the thing: after working with dozens of PE-backed brands over the past decade, I've learned the reality is far more nuanced than the headlines suggest. The Other Side of the Private Equity Story Yes, priv