In this episode of The Future of Consumer Marketing, Brett Stapper interviews Alon Rivel, CMO of Feast & Fettle, a meal delivery service focused on solving dinnertime fatigue for families. Unlike competitors who simply market food, Feast & Fettle positions itself as giving time back to busy parents. With a vertically integrated operation serving over 6,000 families weekly in the Northeast, Feast & Fettle is taking a deliberate, quality-focused approach to growth. As a recent Boston Globe-recognized fastest-growing company in New England, they’re expanding strategically through acquisitions while maintaining their commitment to quality and operational excellence.

Topics Discussed:

• Differentiating in the crowded meal delivery market by focusing on solving dinnertime stress

• Making strategic acquisitions to grow thoughtfully rather than prioritizing rapid nationwide expansion

• Building a flat, efficient marketing team structure that maximizes productivity

• Leveraging AI tools to enhance marketing operations and decision-making

• Using gut instinct to identify true customer needs behind product purchases

• Making counter-intuitive career moves for long-term professional growth

• Finding authenticity in marketing communications for modern consumers

Lessons For Consumer Marketers:

Identify the Real Job Your Product Performs for Customers

Instead of marketing meal delivery as delicious food (which many competitors do), Feast & Fettle sells the time and connection families gain. As Alon explains: “We are really solving dinnertime fatigue…it’s really about saying, if mom has an hour back in her life, what can she do with that?” This positioning creates differentiation in a crowded category where most competitors’ ads are interchangeable.

Maintain Quality Through Disciplined Growth

Rather than chasing rapid nationwide expansion, Feast & Fettle is growing strategically through targeted acquisitions and careful market selection. This “anti-shitification model” as Alon calls it, ensures they don’t compromise on food quality or operational stability. This approach has fueled their success as one of New England’s fastest-growing companies while maintaining $50 million in run rate.

Restructure Marketing Teams for Maximum Efficiency

Alon reduced the marketing team from 14 to 7 people by implementing a flat organizational structure based on expertise areas rather than hierarchy. This approach allows faster execution, better morale, and ensures no job is “too small” for anyone. His team focuses on brand/creative, growth/operations, partnerships, content creation, and UI/UX – supplemented by strategic use of AI and external PR support.

Use AI as a Strategic Thinking Partner

Beyond copywriting, Feast & Fettle creates custom GPTs to extract insights from executive meetings, test marketing ideas against customer personas, and enhance decision-making. As Alon notes: “You need the intelligence and experience to prompt correctly…senior folks to manage these things and get it right.” This approach treats AI as an augmentation of marketing expertise rather than a replacement.

Trust Gut Instinct Backed by Experience

At Soothe, Alon’s previous company, he transformed their marketing approach by focusing on the sense of touch and intimacy that massage provides, rather than just promoting deals. This consumer insight wasn’t data-driven but came from asking fundamental questions about customer motivations. Alon emphasizes that “there’s no book you can read about what to do. There’s no data that’s going to tell you exactly what to do. It’s directional. But my gut was I always stop and say what does this person want and why are they here?”

Prioritize Polished Authenticity Over Perfect Production

Alon predicts the future of consumer marketing will center on “polished authenticity” – content that feels genuine while maintaining brand standards. “It’s not about speed. It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being real…Back in the day, it was all about the perfect ad and now it’s about the perfect feeling.” This balanced approach resonates with today’s consumers who crave authenticity but still expect professional quality.

Understand the Core Problem You’re Solving

When founders or colleagues suggest tactical marketing ideas, Alon recommends redirecting the conversation to underlying business goals: “What do you want? Do you want more people to re-engage? Do you need to get 30 more orders? Are we seeing our LTV going down?” This approach allows marketers to apply their expertise to solve the real business challenge rather than implementing “hacky solutions.”