On this episode, we’re joined by Scott Marcus, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Zones Kitchen, the mission-driven frozen foods brand rooted in the research behind the world’s longest-lived communities.
After helping scale Vital Farms to the point of IPO and beyond, Scott set out to build a new kind of food company.
Scott breaks down how he and his co-founders, Dan Buettner and Matt O’Hare, transformed decades of Blue Zones research into a modern CPG platform. We explore what it takes to build a Public Benefit Corporation from scratch, how the team approached R&D and formulation, and the principles guiding their product roadmap.
Scott also dives into packaging strategy, pricing, distributor and broker selection, and what he sees shifting across the frozen aisle and the broader better-for-you landscape.
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Episode Highlights:
🌍 Turning the Blue Zones lifestyle into a CPG brand
🏢 The decision to be a Public Benefit Corporation
🧪 How clean, nutrient-dense R&D actually happens
🗺️ Structuring an intentional product roadmap
🚀 The core ingredients of a successful product launch
🎨 Packaging, color strategy & communicating trust
💲 Pricing strategy
🥶 Why the frozen section is changing faster than people realize
👀 The emerging brands + trends Scott is following
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Table of Contents:
00:00 – Intro
00:55 – Blue Zones (Kitchen) overview
05:07 – Scott’s next adventure
07:44 – Crafting a compelling story
12:22 – Public Benefits Corporations
15:04 – Public Benefits Corps vs. Certified B Corps
17:54 – R&D and formulation
21:09 – Product roadmap strategy
22:56 – Keys to a successful new product launch
25:17 – Visual identity and packaging design
27:23 – Own a color (or not?)
29:23 – Pricing
35:11 – Distributors and brokers
42:04 – The frozen section
48:33 – Brands and trends Scott is watching
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Links:
Blue Zones Kitchen – https://bluezoneskitchen.com
Follow Scott on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-marcus/
Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg
For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.
