BONUS: 2025 Shelfie Awards are Here!
The Startup CPG Podcast
Startup CPG
4.9 • 642 Ratings
🗓️ 12 February 2025
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this bonus episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff is joined by Patricia Menegoto and Kiki Huddleston from the Startup CPG team to dive deep into The Shelfie Awards, the biggest free awards program for emerging CPG brands. Now in its fifth year, the Shelfies offer small brands valuable visibility, credibility, and connections with retailers & media.
They break down everything about the Shelfies —how they began, why they matter, and how they can help brands gain exposure. They also cover the judging process, what makes a winning product, and tips for applying. Plus, they introduce the new Sustainability Shelfies Award, sponsored by Green Spoon Sales, and share success stories of past winners who landed retailer deals and media coverage.
Five years ago, Startup CPG began conducting the first and only awards program specifically for emerging CPG brands: The Shelfie Awards. The Shelfie Awards’ goal is to give exceptional small CPG brands an opportunity to be seen, and get recognition they deserve. The Shelfies eliminate typical hurdles involved in awards applications, creating opportunities for brands in their earliest stages.
The Shelfies recognize + celebrate next-level product innovations, inspiring brand stories, and packaging that stops us in our tracks — we can’t wait to see what tricks you have up your CPG sleeves this year!
Everything You Need to Know to Apply:
- Applications and product samples are accepted on a category-specific basis, based on month, starting on February 1st and ending on May 31st, 2025 (refer to shelfies guide for the full list of categories).
- Once you’ve noted your brand’s category month, prepare your samples accordingly for our judges.
- You’ll need to send in your application and product samples during your category month to be considered.
Check out our official Shelfies guide
Check out Shelfies Finalists & Winner of 2024
Listen in as they share about:
- Purpose of the Shelfie Awards
- The Evolution of the Shelfie Awards
- Judging Process
- The Impact of the Shelfie Awards
- Application Process & Timeline
- Community & Exposure Benefits
Episode Links:
Kiki on LinkedIn
Patricia on LinkedIn
Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.
Show Links:
- Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)
- Join the Startup CPG Slack community (20K+ members and growing!)
- Follow @startupcpg
- Visit host Daniel's Linkedin
- Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at podcast@startupcpg.com
- Episode music by Super Fantastics
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey everyone, this is Patricia. |
| 0:12.0 | Shelfy season is here and I want to just do a quick overview on how can you apply. |
| 0:17.5 | This information is available on our shelf guide so you can find the link here in the |
| 0:22.2 | show notes, in the Slack, social media. Also, we do send reminders every beginning and mid |
| 0:28.4 | of the month for you to apply with all the instructions. But here is a very quick overview. |
| 0:33.6 | We have different categories by month. So let's say if you are a beauty or a supplement brand, you have to apply during February |
| 0:41.4 | month. |
| 0:42.2 | You have to submit the form and ship your products during this month. |
| 0:47.3 | So February month, send your products to three different addresses and make sure that |
| 0:53.0 | they arrive by February. |
| 0:55.2 | Once your month category is over, you cannot apply anymore. |
| 0:59.1 | But you can check all the month categories again here on the show notes or on our emails |
| 1:05.0 | and any questions you can just send to community at startup CPG.com. |
| 1:10.3 | Submissions will happen through February to May, and then around mid-August, we are gonna announce the finalists, and then mid-September is gonna be the announce of the winners. So even though you submit your product in February, you're just to hear about the finalists in August. |
| 1:30.3 | Stop the Presses, it is officially Shelfies season. That's right, we're back with the fifth annual Shelfi Awards, the biggest free awards program in CPG, |
| 1:40.3 | recognizing the best and the brightest early brands. Today I've invited two of our startup CPG shelfies judges, Patricia and Kiki, to talk all about the program. Why did we start it? How do we run it? Who is it right for? What can you get if you win? And just lots of tips for the brands who want to apply. I want to give a big thank you to our sponsors. We've got mini social. They connect brands brands with micro-influencers to post about you to their audience, and you get a bunch of UGC through it. |
| 2:05.5 | Our friends at Sin 7, the leading provider of inventory management software to CPG brands. |
| 2:10.7 | Returning sponsor, Social Nature. |
| 2:12.7 | Natural product brands can make offers to their over 1 million conscious shoppers to help you drive trial |
| 2:18.3 | and velocity on shelf, and the epic Greenspoon Sales, who everyone knows is one of the most |
| 2:23.0 | trusted national agencies for natural products. And with them, we've introduced a new |
| 2:27.6 | shelfies category, the sustainability shelfy. You're about to hear all about it. All right, let's get |
... |
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