What does it really take to build a successful consumer brand and land it in major supermarkets like Woolworths and Coles?

In this episode of BRANDR, hosts Roy Tavner and Richard Henderson sit down with Alli Bailey, one of Australia’s most exciting young entrepreneurs. Alli shares her journey from a short corporate stint at L’Oréal to launching four consumer brands in just four years, including her latest breakout food brand, Bella Cucina.

Alli unpacks how speed, intuition, and packaging-led branding have helped her identify retailer gaps, build products fast and win shelf space in highly competitive categories. This is a practical, honest conversation about entrepreneurship, branding and why supermarket success is won on the shelf, not on a spreadsheet.

YOUR DOSE OF BRAND TRUTH

• Why getting into Woolworths is only half the battle
• How Alli went from zero experience to ten SKUs across Woolworths and Coles
• The real difference between selling into retailers and selling off shelves
• Why packaging is the most powerful marketing tool in food
• How point-of-purchase branding beats traditional digital ads
• The importance of moving faster than big corporate competitors
• How Bella Cucina disrupted a stagnant pasta sauce category
• Lessons from launching four brands in four years
• Why food brands offer long term resilience and scale
• What Ali would tell her 16-year-old self about business and risk

Key Topics Discussed

• Entrepreneurial mindset vs corporate structures
• Retail buyer relationships and gap led innovation
• Branding strategy in supermarkets
• Guerrilla marketing vs paid media
• Packaging as theatre and identity
• Building brands with speed and confidence
• Young founders and unconventional career paths
  
  

THE SCRIPT00:00 – Why Alli was always destined to build brands
00:36 – Introducing Alli Bailey and the focus on young entrepreneurs
02:04 – Growing up in an entrepreneurial household
04:05 – The L’Oréal reality check: speed vs bureaucracy
05:58 – What Alli hoped corporate would teach her
06:51 – The mindset shift: choosing uncertainty and backing yourself
08:16 – “Five to nine”: the entrepreneur’s working style
09:16 – Why Alli switched from beauty to food
10:10 – Daily Ritual: the first brand and the Woolworths break
11:12 – Getting meetings with buyers (and why it’s rare)
12:18 – Building brands around what retailers actually want
13:35 – From zero to 10 SKUs in Woolies and Coles
15:16 – Packaging as the brand: shelf impact and desire
16:23 – Stacked and Alive: product innovation and tech
18:41 – The real challenge: getting product off the shelf
19:44 – Who pays for marketing in retail? Promotions vs brand strategy
21:10 – Why point-of-purchase matters more than social ads
21:43 – Bella Cucina: disrupting a boring pasta sauce category
22:55 – The “sea of red” problem and why they went blue
23:59 – Packaging as theatre and lifestyle statement
25:52 – Mascots, fonts, and building a brand world
28:15 – Why no front window on the pouch
30:16 – “Eclectic”: global inspiration and moving fast
32:00 – The three layers: product brand, company brand, personal brand
33:20 – Advice to younger self: start earlier, fail faster
34:46 – Where to buy Bella Cucina and wrap upFeatured Brand

Bella Cucina
Available now at Woolworths nationwide and over 300 independent retailers across Australia.

HOSTS | Roy Tavenor and Richard Henderson

GUEST | Alexandra (Alli) Bailey Chief of Eclectic Group eclecticgroup.com.au/

SPONSORS | Red Design Group redgp.com and R-Co r-co.com.au

PRODUCED BY | Session in Progress sessioninprogress.com.au

#Brand #BrandStrategy #BrandStorytelling #ExecutiveInsights #Entrepreneur #Leadership #BrandrPodcast #Brandr #BellaCucina #EclecticGroup

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