I’ve been to over 30 different B2B Events over the years, and they are all the exact same.

It’s held in a dark bar with warm drinks that should cold, and cold food that should be warm.

While you awkwardly stand in the corner developing the courage to ask that one question…..

“So what do you do for work?” 🤮

Don’t get me wrong, events are great for networking, but is anybody really having a good time?

I’ll speak. No. No, we’re not.

But Settle changed my entire perspective..

First off, who the f*ck is Settle?

Settle is an inventory management and working capital platform for emerging CPG brands.

Their challenge? They recently released their Inventory Management tool, and are trying to increase awareness with CPG brand owners.

Cool. Now that you know that, here's the genius behind Settle's recent campaign.

Pop Up Grocer (PUG) is kind of like the Erewhon of NYC. It’s a small grocer that holds emerging CPG brands. Unlike the traditional grocery business model, the brands pay PUG roughly $2k to be shelved in the store.

Why would a brand pay to be shelved in a store?

Because PUG was designed for discoverability.

You won’t find legacy brands like Dove, J&J, or Lysol.

Instead, you’ll find brands like Smearcase, Hot Girl Pickles, and Protein SZN (yup, protein seasoning…)

It’s a CPG brand owner’s heaven.

So Settle partnering with PUG was a no brainer. They took over the store with branding, decals, and their signature drink.

Despite being $7, this ‘Dream Matcha’ was mixed with spirulina, which gave it that blue tint. A little sweet for my liking, but I enjoyed the branding and the overall experience.

Consumer brands, like Rhode, found tons of success partnering with Erewhon to create the viral Hailey Bieber smoothie.

So it’s great to see B2B brands starting to lean into what’s trending and culturally relevant.

Lastly, Settle threw an incredible event where they invited emerging CPG brand owners.

The theme was “Caviar and Candy” and despite being in a grocery store, the event felt elevated, exclusive, and, dare I say, fancy?

I don’t know any B2B brand moving like Settle right now.

The best part? We just signed them as a Creatorbuzz client 🤑

Okay, technically, they’re mostly a consumer company, but it’s worth mentioning.

Roku just released a ton of new hardware products, like their Home Security Camera, Projectors, Smart Lights, and new TVs.

Instead of paying for PR (which maybe they did?), they rented a warehouse.

Filled it with Roku displays and products.

Included food, drinks, and gifts. (and puppies)

And invited their customers, partners, press, and influencers.

The team was super nice and helpful.

Well done, Roku 👏

This week was absolutely crazy. From attending Settle, Roku, and Tango’s events, closing over $42,000 in closed/won revenue, getting closer to making a new hire, and filming lots of content.

I need some rest.

I hope you’re enjoying this newsletter so far! Let me know what else you want to see?

Cheers.