How We Work with Category, Sales, and Insights Teams on their Highest-Stakes Presentations
Q1 went fast. If it felt like a doozy, you’re not alone.
We’re seeing the tough retail environment through our conversations with CPG leaders. Unit growth and value are top of mind. Pricing, promo, and space productivity are under more scrutiny.
On our end, it was a busy and fulfilling quarter. We’ve been working on Line Reviews for major mass retailers, new item selling stories for Spring ’27 launches, Insights booth presentations for Sweets and Snacks ’26, and Top-to-Tops for CPG teams up-leveling with national grocers. Some are delivered, some are in flight, but all feel like they’ll make an impact.
Once a quarter, we do this. Instead of our usual thought leadership on category and sales strategy, we’re pulling back the curtain on how we actually work with CPG teams on these high-stakes presentations.
If you’ve ever considered bringing in a presentation partner, here’s what that looks like.
Question 1: When do CPG teams typically bring in a firm like OUTKREATE?
A few common situations include:
- You’re preparing for a Top-to-Top or JBP, but the story is still too focused on your brand and not enough on the shopper, the category, and the retailer opportunity.
- You’re heading into a new item launch and need a sell-in story that leads with the why, not just the what.
- Your Line Review story feels more like a reporting update versus a retailer-first conversation that is future-forward, i.e., how we will deliver a stronger ‘26.
Across these situations, we help CPG teams craft presentations that land with clarity, logic, and confidence. We work with clients on both storytelling and design, while staying focused on your business goals (more space, better pricing, better placement, et al).
“We brought OUTKREATE in for a critical Top-to-Top with a large grocery customer. They built the entire presentation story from scratch and designed the visuals. The presentation landed well with a tough customer and set us up for growth.”
~ Kayla Ward, GTM Team, FrieslandCampina
Question 2: Why not do it in-house? Why bring in an outside partner?
Three reasons CPG teams bring us in, even with strong internal resources:
1. Your team knows the data. Turning it into a story is a different skill.
Most presentations drown in charts and tables. We focus on the signal and make insights lead.
2. We reframe your story around the retailer and the category opportunity.
Most presentations default to brand-first. The buyer is thinking about their category, their shoppers, their P&L. We rebuild the story around what the retailer cares about, then position your brand as the solution.
3. Your team is stretched. You need someone locked on the bigger picture.
We hear it often: “I spent so much time pulling numbers that I lost sight of the main story.” We step in as a focused extension, drive the asks, and keep the final product aligned with why you’re in the room.
“My team is sharp on analytics. But for buyer meetings, we need someone who can step back, see the big picture, and turn that into something the retailer can act on. That’s what OUTKREATE does for us.”
~ VP of Category Management, Top 10 Global CPG Company
Question 3: What kind of outcomes do you drive for CPG Sales and Insights teams?
Here are a few recent projects that show the kind of outcomes we drive:
A. Top-to-Top Presentation | $10M+ Incremental Sales Plan
A global dairy brand was at risk of losing distribution with a national grocer. We reframed the story around the category opportunity and what the retailer stood to gain. Result: a three-year JBP worth $10M+ in incremental sales.
B. New Innovation Selling Story | $100M Year-One Launch Goal
A household snacking company needed a sell-in story for a major U.S. innovation. We created a shopper-first narrative that equipped 100+ account executives with clarity and confidence. The launch secured shelf space at major retailers and is on track to exceed year-one goals.
C. Category Growth Initiative | 12-15% Higher TDPs
A modern food brand had strong space recommendations, but the story was complex and not landing with buyers. We simplified the narrative and grounded it in category growth. Two major retailers aligned, resulting in 12-15% higher TDPs for the brand.
See more: Results we’ve driven for CPG teams
Question 4: What are your core services?
How We Work With CPG Teams
Most clients follow a natural arc with us: Done for You → Done With You → DIY
1. Done For You: Retailer Presentations
We build the presentation for your high-stakes meeting.
What: Top-to-tops, JBPs, line reviews, new item launches, category growth decks, internal strategic plans
How: Sometimes from scratch using storytelling frameworks. Sometimes refining what you have with sharper design and clearer messaging.
Timeline: 5-6 weeks for most projects, 8-10 weeks for larger events (NSMs, trade shows)
2. Done With You: PPT Time-Saver Toolkits
We build a presentation system so your team can work faster and more consistently.
What: Plug-and-play templates, on-brand visuals, proven layouts
Impact: Thousands of hours saved annually, presentations that look and feel cohesive across the team
“Since rolling out time-saver toolkits at NSM, we’ve seen stronger meeting prep, sharper storytelling, and more impactful conversations with our retail customers.”
~ Chris Witham, Sr. Dir, Category Strategy & Insights, Nature’s Way
3. DIY: Storytelling & Presentation Training
We teach your team the frameworks so they can build great presentations on their own.
What: Customized workshops using real examples from your business
Who: Sales, Insights, and Category Management teams (10 to 300+ people)
“OUTKREATE helped us build a presentation training program rooted in storytelling, audience relevance, and strong design. It elevated how our teams communicate and continues to drive better results.”
~ Lucia Maschler Barnes, CatMan L&D, The Hershey Co.
Question 5: AI tools are getting better. Why do I still need a presentation partner?
We love AI and use it ourselves. Many of our clients use Claude and ChatGPT, and we do too. They’re excellent for getting to a strong first draft faster.
Here’s what they don’t solve:
AI generates great initial ideas. We deliver finished presentations.
Claude can analyze data and build initial outlines. Gemini’s NanoBanana creates custom visuals. But going from draft to buyer-ready deck requires design, iteration, and judgment. That gap is still significant, and that’s where we work.
The magic happens in PowerPoint through back-and-forth refinement with client teams: tightening the story, elevating the design, distilling 100 slides of data into 15 that actually move a buyer.
The output fits your workflow.
Everything we build lives in PowerPoint, fully editable and ready for all your teams to reuse. A top-to-top or line review we deliver will be replicated by a dozen other customer teams. We provide editable assets that scale across your organization, not one-time query-generated decks.
You get the efficiency.
We’ve mastered these tools, so we work faster and deliver higher quality. But the final polish, design quality, and iteration that makes a presentation bold and engaging for retailers? That’s still us.
Question 6: What's the next step?
Let’s have a conversation to see if there’s a fit.
We will ask about your business, your upcoming retailer meetings, and where you’re feeling the most pressure. If there’s a strong fit, we’ll both know it quickly. If not, we’ll know that too. 🙂
Learn More About OUTKREATE's Sales, CatMan & Insights Solutions
OUTKREATE develops retailer-facing presentations for top CPG Cat Man & Insights teams, equipping them for success, be it Top to Tops, Innovation Selling Stories, Line Reviews & JBPs, and more.
Thinking of UPGRADING your Retailer-facing Presentation?
TALK THROUGH YOUR PRESENTATION CHALLENGE
How does your Presentation measure up?
Do you have a major event or a high-stakes meeting coming up? Do you need a sharp narrative and bold design?
Let's connect and we can take a closer look at your presentations. We'll share with you actionable ideas along with real examples that you can apply to improve odds of success.