311. Trade marketing feels like a tax for most CPG brands. You spend money, run promotions, follow retailer plans—and still watch your margins shrink, cash flow tighten, and growth stay unpredictable. The problem isn't trade marketing. It's that you were never taught the system.

In this episode, I break down how trade marketing actually works—and why 70%+ of trade spend is wasted. You'll learn why promotions should drive behavior change (not just volume), how to distinguish incremental sales from subsidized sales, why retailers want better promotions—not more of them—and how execution determines success at shelf.

Trade marketing is not a cost. It's your most powerful growth lever—when used correctly.

Download the free Trade Management Essentials Guide and learn how to turn trade spend into a predictable, scalable growth engine that protects margin, improves ROI, and extends your runway.

Download the free guide: Trade Management Essentials To Grow And Scale Your Brand Retailsolved.com/guide15

Download show notes at RetailSolved.com/session311

00:04 Why Trade Marketing Feels Like a Tax

01:15 When It Finally Clicked

02:18 Trade marketing is about behavior change

03:34 WHY THIS MATTERS — The $ Hidden in Plain Sight

03:29 #1 Trade Marketing Fails Without a System

04:24 #2 Most Promotions Don't Drive Growth (They Subsidize It)

05:24 #3 Retailers Don't Want More Promotions (They Want Better Ones)

06:38 #4 Execution Is Where Everything Breaks

07:31 #5 Trade Spend Becomes Dangerous Without Discipline

08:27 What Actually Works

08:59 The Real Opportunity