Cart Culture: From GoodPop to Hershey, the Framework for Proving Velocity at Every Stage

What you'll learn

Every brand wants to win distribution. Not every brand knows the test never stops.

In this edition of Cart Culture, Emily Steele, CEO and Co-founder of Hummingbirds, sits down with Kate Kasch, VP of Growth Channels at The Hershey Company, for a conversation on what it actually takes to prove retail velocity at every stage of a brand's journey. Kate joined Hershey in April 2026 after building first trial at GoodPop and Muddy Bites, running an analytics and customer marketing team at Mars during KIND's category expansion, and spending a decade at Wrigley in national account management. Her point of view: the velocity test never ends, it just changes shape. If your brand is anywhere between chasing its first placement and defending shelf space it already has, this session will change how you think about what actually compounds.

In this conversation, we'll cover:

The Finish Line That Doesn't Exist

Why winning a first retail placement feels like victory, and why the standard for proving velocity keeps rising at every stage.

What Kate's Career Reveals About What Actually Compounds

From first trial at GoodPop and Muddy Bites to scaling Growth Channels at Hershey, which early decisions still matter years later.

The GoodPop Hotline, Revisited

Inside the campaign where real parents could call in for an emergency popsicle, and what it reveals about turning affection into action.

Velocity Across Channels, Not Just Accounts

How Club, Target, e-commerce, and Natural each test a brand differently, and where growth-stage brands lose ground.

A Framework for Whatever Stage You're In

What to build now that will actually hold up as the bar for proving velocity keeps rising.

Built on Real Experience

Kate Kasch has spent her career on both sides of the retail relationship, building first trial for challenger brands like GoodPop and Muddy Bites, then leading Growth Channels across Club, Target, e-commerce, and Natural for one of the most recognized portfolios in CPG. This is not a theory conversation. It is built on real experience proving velocity at every stage, from the first placement to the shelf space you already have to defend.

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