symbiotic.

INDEPENDENT CPG BRAND & MARKETING PARTNER

STRATEGY THROUGH EXECUTION

CPG fanatics. Scrappy operators.

THAT’S WHERE WE COME IN.

You have a great product, a big next step, and a team that’s stretched thin. We help you figure out what comes next and do the work to get you there.

Tell us what you’re building ↗

Brand proposition to packaging. Sales strategy to launch. Partnerships to experiences that put your product in people’s hands.

EXPLORE WHAT WE DO ↓

REAL EXPERIENCE. BRANDS YOU KNOW.

Jack Link's Jerky Snacks
MacroPlate
Pakt.
eyebobs
Riven
Fairy Glow Mother
REÅLEA SKINCARE
PHYLA
GR0W.AI
GetMr.
Hundre Acre
Humble Brands
Mayorga Organics
Obvi

01 / CAPABILITIES

What’s your
next move?

CPG brand strategy, fractional marketing leadership, retail readiness, and experiential marketing. Start with the next move your business needs.

01 / BRAND STRATEGY & DEVELOPMENTFOUNDATION → EXPRESSION

Give people a reason
to choose you.

Building something new or sharpening what you have? We connect the consumer insight to the proposition, the identity, and what goes on the shelf.

  • Brand proposition & pillars
  • Positioning & messaging
  • Visual identity & colors
  • Packaging development
  • Consumer & category insight
  • Brand & portfolio architecture

What you leave with: a clear brand foundation and a consistent system your team can put to work.

LET’S BUILD YOUR BRAND ↗
02 / FRACTIONAL MARKETING LEADERSHIPPRIORITIES → PROGRESS

Clear direction.
A team built to deliver.

When the business grows faster than the way it works, we help untangle the problem. We build the team structure, roles, processes, and shared priorities that turn a stretched department into one that can deliver. From fractional marketing leadership to putting a new way of working into practice, we stay close until the plan works for the people doing the work.

  • Fractional CMO & marketing leadership
  • Team & department structure
  • Clear roles, ownership & decision-making
  • Cross-functional workflows & handoffs
  • Process design & implementation
  • Change planning, team alignment & adoption

What you leave with: a practical operating framework: clear responsibilities, repeatable processes, shared priorities, and a team equipped to move through change.

LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR TEAM ↗
03 / GO-TO-MARKET & SALES SUPPORTPRODUCT → MARKET

Connect the launch.
Support the sale.

Preparing for a product launch or a retail opportunity? We bring the consumer proposition, retailer story, and marketing support into one practical plan.

  • Go-to-market planning
  • Product & brand launches
  • Retailer sell-in presentations
  • Sales decks & tools
  • Channel planning
  • Shopper & launch marketing

What you leave with: a coordinated launch plan and the story, materials, and marketing support to bring it to market.

LET’S PLAN YOUR LAUNCH ↗
04 / EXPERIENTIAL, EVENTS & PARTNERSHIPSBRAND → REAL LIFE

Put your product
in people’s hands.

From the first idea to the final sample, we create experiences that connect with your audience and handle the moving parts that bring them to life.

  • Consumer events & sampling
  • Mobile tours & trade shows
  • Sponsorship strategy
  • Brand collaborations
  • Production, staffing & logistics
  • Activation measurement

What you leave with: an activation built around your brand, with the partners, production, and execution managed.

LET’S BRING IT TO LIFE ↗

SELECTED EXPERIENCE

The work behind
the confidence.

We’ve built brands, brought products to market, and created experiences people show up for. Here’s some of what we bring to your next move.

FLRT energy drink cans in their original packaging

STRATEGY / POSITIONING / LAUNCH

Build a brand. Bring it to market.

Category data and consumer insight, turned into brand positioning, product development, packaging, pricing, and launch plans. Experience connecting the brand to the business across more than 25 consumer brands.

Brand imagery: FLRT ↗
Jack Link’s Cup entrance with a branded arch, event flags, and a vehicle

EXPERIENTIAL / PARTNERSHIPS / EVENTS

A brand people show up for.

From a brand idea to a destination event. The Jack Link’s Cup at Quail Creek Sporting Ranch brings the brand into a sporting clays experience that drew 1,400+ participants and offered $300,000 in guaranteed prize money in 2024.

Explore the experience

American Shotgunner described the 2024 Jack Link’s Cup as the largest homegrown NSCA shoot to date. The organizer reported more than 1,400 participants from around the world and $300,000 in guaranteed prize money that year. See the event ↗

2024 event photography: Quail Creek Sporting Ranch ↗

02 / EXPERIENCE

We know the work.
We’ve done it.

We’ve worked inside the brands in your pantry, your fridge, and your road trip snack stash. Our experience connects the big decisions to the details.

01

Building brands from
the ground up.

PRODUCT / BRAND / COMMERCIALIZATION

Consumer insight and category white space through product formulation, brand proposition, identity, and packaging. Experience connecting pricing, P&L management, retailer partnerships, demand planning, and national go-to-market execution.

02

Connecting a national
brand across channels.

JACK LINK’S / INTEGRATED MARKETING

Integrated marketing leadership spanning product launches, retail sampling, field sales, and agency teams. Partnerships across sports, music, gaming, and outdoor culture, connected to one brand plan.

03

Building the
Jack Link’s Cup.

JACK LINK’S CUP / QUAIL CREEK / SPORTING CLAYS

Hunter built the Jack Link’s Cup at Quail Creek Sporting Ranch, described by American Shotgunner in 2024 as the largest homegrown NSCA shoot to date. The 2024 event drew more than 1,400 participants from around the world and offered $300,000 in guaranteed prize money.

03 / OUR PEOPLE

One team. In your corner.

We’re Micaela and Hunter. CPG fanatics with experience inside the brands you know and the curiosity to figure out what comes next.

We bring brand development, sales, integrated marketing, and experiential together. You work directly with us, from the first conversation through the decisions and details.

Good work starts with people who give a damn.

You work with us. We ask questions, tell you what we think, and stay close to the work. We care about the brand you’re building and the business behind it.

Micaela Schuffman speaking on stage

STRATEGY. IDENTITY. THE REASON TO BUY.

Micaela Schuffman

Micaela builds brands from the product up. Her experience spans consumer insight, product formulation, brand proposition, identity, packaging, pricing, retailer partnerships, and national launches. Her background includes Senior Brand Director for FLRT at Monster Energy, Director of External Communications at Jack Link’s, and founding Symbiotic.

Consumer insight / Product & brand development / Commercial execution

Hunter Qualls

COMPLEX PROBLEMS. STRONG TEAMS. A WAY FORWARD.

Hunter Qualls

Hunter is the person you bring in when the problem is messy, the team is stretched, and someone needs to figure out how to make it work. Across more than a decade at Jack Link’s, he connected strategy, people, and execution, building and leading an integrated agency team across brand, creative, media, social, and communications. He builds teams and the frameworks departments need to succeed: clear roles, practical processes, better handoffs, and a shared direction. When a business needs to change, he helps people understand what needs to happen and how to get there. His experience spans integrated marketing leadership, product launches, national partnerships, building the Jack Link’s Outdoors sub-brand, creating the Jack Link’s Cup, and founding Northwoods Music Festival. He sees how the pieces fit together, gets the right people around the problem, and turns complexity into a plan people can actually use.

Team & department building / Operational frameworks / Integrated marketing / Partnerships & experiences

Brand building
From proposition to packaging

Retail experience
From sell-in to sampling

National activations
From strategy to the field

CPG CONSULTING, CLOSE TO THE WORK

What are you working toward?

CPG brand strategy and marketing support for food, beverage, beauty, wellness, and consumer lifestyle businesses. Start with the opportunity in front of you.

01 / BRAND STRATEGY & REFRESH

A clear direction for your brand.

Build a new brand or sharpen what you have. Category insight, positioning, identity, and packaging that connect the product to the people buying it.

Explore brand strategy & refresh ↗

02 / RETAIL READINESS

Get ready for the shelf.

Build a clear case for your product on the shelf, with positioning, buyer presentations, sales tools, and a plan to support the launch.

Explore retail readiness ↗

03 / TRADE SHOWS & ACTIVATIONS

Bring your brand into the room.

From booth strategy and logistics to hands-on brand representation, sampling, and program management, we plan the experience and show up to deliver it.

Explore trade shows & activations ↗

04 / UGC & CONTENT CREATION

Make your product part of the story.

Creator-led product demos, everyday-use videos, and short-form content, with clear concepts and brand strategy behind the story.

Explore UGC & content creation ↗

05 / FRACTIONAL LEADERSHIP

The right people. A better way to work.

Hands-on marketing leadership, team structure, and processes that help your business move forward.

Explore fractional leadership & team building ↗

06 / WEBSITE CREATION & DESIGN

A better place for your brand to land.

Brand-led website strategy, copy, design, and builds. A cohesive experience that makes your business clear and the next step easy.

Explore website creation & design ↗

Based in Minneapolis–Saint Paul. Available for national travel and project support.

BLOG / CPG INSIGHTS

Notes from the work.

Explore the blog ↗

TRADE SHOW STRATEGY

Is Expo West REALLY worth it for your brand?

Maybe. But “everyone is going” is not a strategy. Here’s how to decide whether the buyers, the budget, and your brand’s next stage justify the investment.

Read the guide ↗

RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION

UNFI vs. KeHE: Is your brand ready for distribution?

A bigger distribution footprint can be an opportunity. The decision still needs to work for your retailers, your margins, your cash flow, and the people running the business.

Read the guide ↗

BRAND STRATEGY

Brand refresh or rebrand?

Find the right next step for your CPG brand, from refining an established identity to shaping a new direction with consumer and category insight.

Read the guide ↗

04 / HOW WE WORK

Clear plan.
Real follow-through.

One project or ongoing leadership. You work directly with us, with a clear scope, clear costs, and people who stay involved.

01 / GET CLEAR

Find the real priority.

We get to know the product, the business, and what’s getting in the way. Then we agree on what deserves attention first.

02 / MAKE THE PLAN

Know what comes next.

We define the work, responsibilities, timing, and costs. You know what we’re taking on and how it connects to your goals.

03 / GET TO WORK

Build. Execute. Adjust.

We stay close to the decisions and the details, work through the problems, and review what’s happening as we go.

BEFORE WE TALK

A few useful answers.

Can we hire you for one project?

Yes. Bring us in for a brand build, launch, sales toolkit, activation, or another defined scope. We also provide ongoing fractional marketing leadership.

Can you work with our existing team or agency?

Yes. We can lead a workstream, fill a specific gap, or provide marketing direction alongside the people you already have. We agree on responsibilities at the start.

Do you handle strategy and execution?

Both. We can develop the plan and take on the work to bring it to life. We’ll be clear about what we own, what your team owns, and where specialist or production support is needed.

How do you scope and price the work?

We start with what your business needs, then agree on the scope and costs. Production, staffing, travel, and outside support are identified as part of the project plan.

Can you help us prepare for retail?

Yes. We support retail readiness, positioning, buyer presentations, sales tools, and launch planning. Retailers make their own assortment decisions. Explore retail readiness support ↗

Can you represent our brand at a trade show or event?

Yes. Micaela and Hunter can attend trade shows and act as brand ambassadors, as well as develop and manage the program. We are based in the Twin Cities and available to travel nationally. Dates, responsibilities, travel, and any additional support are scoped for each project. Trade show support ↗ · Brand ambassador programs ↗

What kinds of brands do you work with?

Our experience is rooted in CPG, particularly food, beverage, and consumer lifestyle brands. We work with founders building their next stage and established teams that need experienced support.

Your fractional team shouldn’t cost your entire ad budget.

Senior brand, marketing, and operational support. You work directly with the people doing the work, with a clear scope and clear costs.

05 / YOUR NEXT MOVE

What are you
building?

Tell us where you are, where you want to go, and what needs to happen next. We’ll figure out where we can help.

Let’s find your next move.

Brand strategy, retail readiness, fractional leadership, events, website design, or UGC. Tell us what you need, even if you’re still figuring it out.

Start a conversation ↗