Beyond the Bottom Line with Bert Miller
In this podcast series, Bert E. Miller connects with leaders across categories to discuss their proudest achievements, their greatest challenges, and where they focus their energy each day. Tune in for countless valuable lessons that can be applied to today’s World of Work.
With over 25 years of leadership experience in the talent access arena, Bert currently serves as CEO of Protis Global and ace Talent Curators, and was former President & CEO of MRINetwork, a network-centric recruitment organization that offers consulting, training, contract staffing, and community building to over 325 search firms worldwide.
Bert’s expertise in search and recruitment dates back to 1995 when he co-founded Protis Global, an award-winning search and recruitment firm specializing in the CPG sector focusing on Food, Food Tech, Beverage, Cannabis, Pet, and automation verticals. Protis Global has built some of the most iconic brands in the space — including Red Bull North America, Diageo, and Hostess.
Beyond the Bottom Line with Bert Miller
Part 2: Reaching Gen Z | Sean Koffel, Watchfire Ventures
Sean Koffel returns to Beyond the Bottom Line to talk about building brands for tomorrow's buyer. He predicts the demise of craft culture ("I think it's sort of lost the plot"), and contrasts the "cool factor" of generations past with Gen Z’s desire for great products that tell the truth..
Sean credits this shift to Gen Z being raised with social media. He describes how the cohort isn't using their Instagram or TikTok channels to perfectly curated version of themselves — and they expect the same of today's brands. In tandem, they're really the first generation to connect their external appearance with what they put in their bodies. They're curious about what's in their food, their alcohol, their makeup in a way that past generations weren't. They're looking for transparency at every level.
Add in the fact that people of all ages have spent the last year thinking about what it is they really want — from products, from brands, and from their lives in general. Sean warns against trying to force a pre-COVID brand strategy into a post-COVID world.
In the second of a two-part series, Sean and Bert dissect what this means for consumer-facing brands, what unique opportunities the pandemic has presented, and how Watchfire is helping emerging brands from "zero to one".