[EO Sacramento] Scaling Food & Beverage Brands Using AI and Innovative Marketing With CJ Bruce

CJ Bruce is the Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, a marketing agency focused on helping food and beverage brands grow through strategic digital campaigns, audience engagement, and data-informed marketing. CJ specializes in simplifying complex marketing, elevating brand awareness, customer acquisition, and loyalty for high-impact food brands like Sumo Citrus, Amy’s Kitchen, and Baskin-Robbins. His expertise blends research-based strategy with creative execution to deliver measurable results. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: • [00:00] Introduction • [05:00] CJ Bruce shares how The Missing Ingredient helps food brands grow quickly • [13:10] How AI transforms marketing strategies for food and beverage brands • [17:15] Top AI tools and platforms CJ’s agency uses daily • [23:24] The secrets behind creating viral brand videos online • [34:46] Avoiding costly mistakes many brands make with influencer marketing • [40:09] How strategic email lists boost retail brands like Sumo Citrus • [45:57] CJ’s picks for the best food industry events and conferences In this episode… Marketing a food and beverage brand today isn’t just about having a great product on the shelf. It’s about building awareness, creating genuine connections, and knowing how to use modern tools like AI without losing the human touch. So what does it actually take to scale in such a crowded space? For CJ Bruce, the answer comes down to focus, creativity, and smart adoption of technology. He explains that brands grow fastest when they combine strong storytelling with systems that move customers from discovery to purchase, both online and in-store. CJ sees AI as a powerful co-pilot, helping teams generate ideas, automate workflows, and unlock opportunities that used to be out of reach for smaller brands. In this episode of the Rising Entrepreneurs Podcast, Dr. Jeremy Weisz is joined by CJ Bruce, Founder and CEO of The Missing Ingredient, to discuss scaling food and beverage brands through innovative marketing and AI adoption. They explore influencer relations, viral campaign strategy, and how AI tools are reshaping agency workflows. CJ also shares advice on building long-term partnerships that drive measurable growth. Sponsor for this episode... Want to Start a Podcast? At Rise25, we’re committed to helping you connect with your Dream 200 referral partners, clients, and strategic partners through our done-for-you podcast solution. With our proven system, all you need is an idea and a voice — we handle the rest. Rise25 takes care of strategy, production, and distribution, ensuring your podcast drives ROI. We simplify distribution by sharing your episodes across 11 unique platforms, including iTunes, Spotify, and Google Podcasts. Plus, we create episode copy and promote your show on social media. Co-founders Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran credit podcasting as the best thing they’ve done for their business, connecting them with the founders and CEOs of P90x, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, RxBar, YPO, EO, Lending Tree, FreshBooks, and many more. Podcasting builds deep relationships — many guests have become business partners and lifelong friends. We work only with committed entrepreneurs ready to leverage podcasting for partnerships, clients, and referrals. Ready to launch? Contact us at support@rise25.com or book a call at rise25.com/bookcall. Powered by Rise25 Podcast Production Company - https://rise25.com