FMI Launches Emerge Online Community

Food Marketing Institute (FMI) has launched Emerge, a subscription-based online community for emerging food and beverage brands that will provide education, mentoring, nurturing and access to sources of capital.

Bringing emerging brands and the grocery industry together, the new program addresses the need for productive trading partner relationships with food and beverage companies that have a product or product line with limited grocery distribution and seek greater sales velocity. Its goal is to help such brands, through the ability to connect with regional and national retailers, top industry experts, mentors and investors, to achieve sustainable growth by expanding their distribution and improving their operations, financing and sales.

Ideal FMI Emerge subscribers have already introduced a product or product line with retail distribution at some level, including an independent grocer, online or specialty, and/or a regional retailer.

“Through our new virtual community, FMI Emerge, our retail members can become better equipped to meet increased consumer demand for products focused on a variety of attributes such as local sourcing, health and wellness, [and] artisanal and global cuisine,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and CEO of Arlington, Va.-based FMI.  “Food retail connects the consumer with the supplier. Shoppers are demanding new sensory experiences, and the health of our industry depends on our ability to satisfy consumers’ desire for new tastes by providing exciting new products.”

The program’s director, Julie Pryor, brings 15 years of experience in both corporate and agency environments to her new role, as well as extensive relationship and team-building expertise, having worked with internal and external stakeholders to grow clients’ businesses.