In today's crowded marketplace, consumers have more choices than ever before, and retail buyers are introduced to new products every day, making it increasingly difficult for brands to stand out. Mitch Gould, founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International (NPI), believes that one of the biggest challenges facing companies is not creating a quality product, but creating a brand that people remember. With over 35 years of experience helping health, wellness, beauty, and consumer product companies build successful brands and expand into the United States, Gould has developed a marketing philosophy centered on one core principle: memorable brands are rarely built by accident.
"If your brand doesn't stand out, it becomes much harder to earn attention," Gould said. "Building a memorable brand starts long before a product reaches a store shelf." That philosophy has shaped his career and is reflected in his book, The Blonde, The Ferrari, and The Kwan: A True American Story of Love and Success. Gould says the same principles that shaped his career continue to guide the way NPI helps international brands establish themselves in the U.S. marketplace.
These principles led Gould to develop Evolution of Distribution®, NPI's proprietary business model that helps international manufacturers establish and grow their U.S. presence through a single, integrated strategy. "It's never enough to simply have a great product," Gould explained. "Companies also need a compelling story, consistent messaging, and a strategy that creates recognition and trust. That's what helps brands build momentum." Evolution of Distribution® combines global logistics and U.S. market entry, product readiness and regulatory alignment, market positioning and brand strategy, retail and e-commerce placement, and post-placement marketing and demand generation into one coordinated platform.
"When an international company comes to us, we're not simply looking at how to distribute a product," Gould said. "We're looking at how to position that brand for long-term success in the United States. Distribution is important, but so are messaging, credibility, market positioning, and creating demand." NPI works with companies from around the world seeking opportunities across major retail, e-commerce, specialty, and mass-market channels. By serving as an extension of its clients' organizations, NPI helps simplify the process of entering and competing in the U.S. market.
"The principles I discuss in my book are the same principles we apply every day through Evolution of Distribution®," Gould concluded. "Our goal is to help companies build brands that retailers remember, consumers trust, and the marketplace embraces."
