Brand Clarity & Career Curiosity: Lessons from the Food Aisle

Join Molly Baker and our guest for a candid conversation on building brands, navigating marketing in a fast-moving food landscape, and keeping things simple enough to actually resonate. They explore career pivots, CPG marketing, AI, retail media, audience research, brand clarity, and the balance between data-driven strategy and human creativity. From the rise of GLP-1s to the power of concise messaging and knowing what actually moves the needle, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to grow meaningful brands in today’s crowded marketplace.

MB: Without telling us who you are yet, what’s top of mind professionally?

CL: I’m in marketing, and three things are top of mind: AI and how it will change consumer behavior, the impact of GLP-1s on the food space, and what actually moves the needle. With new platforms and tactics constantly emerging, I’m always thinking about what truly drives sales and velocity.

MB: Are you seeing AI move the needle right now?

CL: It’s still early. A lot of what I’m seeing is interesting, but many tools are still in their infancy. I think a few things will really take off, but we’re not fully there yet.

MB: Brag about yourself. What are you really good at?

CL: I’m good at rising above chaos. I’ve worked in startup environments where things are constantly changing, and I used to be a teacher, where your lesson plan could fall apart in five minutes. Those experiences made me adaptable and comfortable when things get messy.

MB: What has been the most pivotal moment in your career?

CL: Realizing that what I do could actually be a career. I started as a marketing intern for Wholly Guacamole in college, back when packaged guacamole wasn’t really a thing. It showed me how fun and dynamic working on a product could be.

MB: How did you transition from teaching into marketing?

CL: I studied advertising and PR in undergrad, interned in marketing, then joined Teach for America. When I knew I didn’t want to teach forever, I went back to school with the goal of returning to food and beverage marketing.

MB: What skill have you developed through those experiences that has benefited you most?

CL: Slowing down, asking questions, and listening. Earlier in my career, I wanted to jump in quickly with answers. Now I see the value in leaving space. Sometimes if you ask a question and wait, people share the thing they really wanted to say.

MB: What’s an opinion you have that most people might disagree with?

CL: In marketing, I think people often do big campaigns because they’re exciting or splashy, not because they’ll actually move the needle. People say they want to drive sales, but then they get pulled toward things that look cool instead of things that work.

MB: What relationship has been most impactful for you professionally?

CL: My partner, Caitlin. She’s my biggest cheerleader and sounding board. I can be hard on myself, and she helps bring me back and talk things through.

MB: Tell us who you are and what you do.

CL: I’m Chris Lowry. I’m on the brand team at Our Home, working specifically on the Pop Secret microwave popcorn brand.

MB: What does your day-to-day look like?

CL: A mix of moving projects forward, managing partnerships, monitoring lower-funnel tactics like retail media, working with agency partners, and thinking about long-term strategy. There are also a lot of meetings and a lot of talking.

MB: What are the highs and lows of working on a brand?

CL: The meetings can be a lot. But the upside is collaboration. I enjoy being on a fast-moving team where we can solve problems quickly instead of waiting weeks to make progress.

MB: What makes a brand stand out today?

CL: Simplicity. The brands that stand out clearly communicate what they are, who they’re for, and what they do. Brands like Halo Top, RXBAR, and Graza come to mind. They make the message easy to understand quickly.

MB: How do you balance data and the science of marketing with the art of marketing?

CL: Data informs the strategy, and then creativity helps bring it to life. Sometimes it can work the other way too, where a creative spark gets validated by data. But even with great data, you still need the creative idea to make something successful.

MB: How have you seen retail media evolve?

CL: Measurement has become much more robust. In the early days, people didn’t always understand retail media. Now every retailer and third-party platform is involved, and it’s become a major part of marketing budgets.

MB: Why is retail media especially important for smaller or fast-growing brands?

CL: Those brands need every dollar to work efficiently. Lower-funnel spend can help drive sales and keep the business moving, which can eventually create room for more upper-funnel awareness work.

MB: What do brands get wrong about understanding their audience?

CL: They can be too optimistic about who their audience is. Sometimes the real buyer is different from the ideal buyer. You have to do the research and be honest about who is actually purchasing your product.

MB: What are you most excited about in marketing right now?

CL: The constant change. I’m a learner by nature, so I enjoy being in an industry that never stays static. It’s fun to watch what works, what doesn’t, and where things are going next.

MB: What do you wish you knew earlier in your career?

CL: I wish I had prioritized opportunities where I would learn the most. The roles that were most fulfilling were the ones with change, pace, and dynamic people. Slower environments didn’t match my personality as well.

MB: At 21, did you think you’d be doing what you’re doing today?

CL: Pretty close. At 21, I thought I would either teach or work in marketing, and I ended up doing both.

Find Chris on Linkedin or visit the Our Home website!

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