Ep. 048: Stand Out on the Shelf | Package Design for Marvel and the NBA w/ Adam Feller
- colin2951
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
How to Stand Out on the Shelf: Branding Secrets for CPG Success with Adam Feller
In the high-stakes world of Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), your product has approximately three seconds to capture a shopper’s attention before they move on to the next option. For business owners in Des Moines, Iowa, and across the Midwest, the challenge isn’t just making a great product—it’s making sure that product actually gets into a customer's cart.
In a recent episode of the Rhymes with Odd podcast, host Ryan Snaadt sat down with Adam Feller, the Founder and Creative Director of Avidity, to discuss the intersection of design, strategy, and the grit required to build a specialized creative agency. Based in Grimes, just minutes from the heart of Des Moines, Feller has carved out a national reputation for taking emerging food and beverage brands from local favorites to retail powerhouses.
The Journey from the Omaha Zoo to Agency Founder
Adam Feller’s path to becoming a leader in the Iowa creative scene wasn't an overnight success. As he shared with Ryan Snaadt, his career began with a diverse range of roles that built a foundation in both corporate and startup environments.
From designing for the Omaha Zoo—where he joked about "having lunch with animals"—to navigating the fast-paced world of social media startups in 2012, Feller learned the nuances of various industries. However, it was his time at the Business Record in Des Moines and a local full-service advertising agency that truly sharpened his eye for the commercial impact of design.
By 2017, Feller reached a crossroads. He was balancing a full-time agency job with a thriving freelance business. "I was making as much or more than I was at my full-time job," Feller told Snaadt. With the encouragement of a major client and a ten-month financial "safety net" in the bank, he took the leap to launch Avidity.
Why Your Niche is Your Superpower
One of the most valuable lessons for Des Moines marketers and entrepreneurs in this episode is the importance of "niching down." When Feller first started, he evaluated three potential sectors:
Events: Often pro-bono or sponsorship-based; difficult to scale.
Industrial/Construction: High budget, but often creatively "boring" and conservative.
Food and Beverage (CPG): The "Goldilocks" zone of creativity and recurring revenue.
Feller realized that while restaurants were difficult to work with due to low budgets and high marketing fatigue, packaged goods offered a unique opportunity. If you help a brand launch a successful SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), they will likely return to you for their next flavor, line extension, or seasonal promotion.
Branding vs. Product: Which One Wins?
During the interview, Ryan Snaadt highlighted a common fear among founders: Does my branding have to be perfect for me to succeed?
Feller’s answer was grounded and refreshingly honest: "Your branding is not necessarily going to break your product... but if your product is good, people will buy it no matter what."
However, there is a catch. In a retail environment, the customer doesn't get to taste-test your cookies or coffee before they buy the box. The branding’s job is to lower the barrier to entry. It provides the "visual promise" that the product inside is worth the investment.
The Components of a Winning CPG Brand:
Logo Design: Creating a recognizable mark that works at scale.
Package Design: Using color, typography, and hierarchy to "pop" on a crowded shelf.
Shelf Talkers: Those small signs sticking off the shelves that grab eyes in the grocery aisle.
Digital Presence: A robust Shopify website to handle direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales.
From Grimes, Iowa to National Retailers: The Black & Bold Story
A local success story mentioned in the podcast is the rise of Black & Bold Coffee. Avidity played a role in the early stages of this brand, which has since exploded onto the national stage, appearing in Target commercials and major retailers nationwide.
This serves as a testament to the talent brewing right here in the Des Moines metro area. You don't need a Madison Avenue agency to achieve national reach; you need a partner who understands the "back end" of retail—from distributors to manufacturing constraints.
Scaling a Creative Team in the Modern Era
As the conversation turned toward the "business of business," Feller and Snaadt dived into the realities of hiring. Transitioning from a solo freelancer to an employer is a massive hurdle for many Iowa small business owners.
Feller’s approach to growth is methodical:
Start with Interns: Testing the ability to delegate and build processes.
The 6-Month Rule: Only hiring when there is enough cash in the bank to cover a salary for six months, regardless of new revenue.
Remote Culture: Avidity operates as a remote-first agency, emphasizing trust and accountability over "butts in seats."
Feller also touched on the "entrepreneur's curse"—the inability to turn off. "You quit the 9-to-5 and now you work from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. because you’re always on," he noted. For Feller, staying sharp means consuming business and strategy books even on vacation, ensuring he can offer his clients high-level brand strategy rather than just "pretty pictures."
Final Thoughts for Des Moines Business Owners
The key takeaway from Ryan Snaadt's interview with Adam Feller is that successful branding is a mix of art and psychology. Whether you are a startup or an established Midwest manufacturer, your visual identity is your silent salesman.
If you are looking to take your product to the next level, remember that your packaging is the first handshake you have with your customer. Make it count.
About the Podcast
The Rhymes with Odd podcast, hosted by Ryan Snaadt, features deep dives into the lives of creatives, entrepreneurs, and marketers. Based in Iowa, Ryan explores the stories behind the brands to help listeners improve their own business journey.
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