Amazon Strategy, VAPG Grant & Social Media — 2026-03-20

Meeting type: Client strategy call
Attendees: Gilbert Barrongo, Karly Oykhman, Avokerie Onorimuo (Asymmetric); Lucy Doudlah, Mark Doudlah, Jason Doudlah (Doudlah Farms)
Recording: Fathom transcript

Overview

Wide-ranging strategy call covering four main areas: VAPG grant documentation, Amazon performance review and competitive positioning, Spring Sale bid strategy, and April social media content approvals. Amazon ROAS has improved to 3.63 (up from 3.2) following resolution of prior inventory issues. The team aligned on a differentiation strategy centered on direct-from-farmer sourcing and certifications to justify Doudlah Farms' premium pricing against cheaper repackagers.

Key Decisions

VAPG Grant Documentation

• Decision: Gilbert will produce three monthly sales PDFs (Dec, Jan, Feb) pulled directly from the Amazon Seller Central dashboard showing total sales figures. These will be sent to Mark, who will forward to grant writer Daniella for immediate submission.
• Rationale: The grant requires proof of $51k in Amazon sales. A full spreadsheet export lacks the official Amazon branding that validates authenticity; three clean dashboard screenshots-as-PDFs provide sufficient legitimacy without the complexity of dozens of line-item screenshots.
• Context: The VAPG grant is worth $50k–$60k in reimbursement and the application is time-sensitive due to cash flow pressure.

Amazon Listing Updates for Competitive Differentiation

• Decision: Rewrite product listing bullet points to emphasize:
• Sourcing: "Direct from the farmer, grown by us in regenerative soils in WI" (replacing the weaker "100% American farmer grown")
• Certifications: ROC, Demeter, and "Tested Clean" status
• Ownership: "Small woman-owned business"
• Rationale: Doudlah Farms' top competitors (Great River Milling, 365 brand) are repackagers with no farm connection. At $0.46/oz vs. the 365 brand's lower price point, the listing must clearly communicate why the premium is justified. Gilbert will also verify with Amazon whether a "Small woman-owned business" seller tag is available.

Spring Sale Bid Strategy

• Decision: Increase ad bids for the top three products (popcorn, black beans, cornmeal) during Amazon's Spring Sale, March 25–31, then lower bids after the event.
• Rationale: The Spring Sale window drives elevated buyer intent. The VAPG grant will reimburse ad spend, reducing the effective cost of the push.

Social Media Hashtag Strategy

• Decision: Add #MomsAcrossAmerica and #TestedClean to all posts. Do not use #Maha.
• Rationale: Lucy flagged that #Maha carries strong current political associations. Doudlah Farms wants to remain neutral and not alienate any segment of their customer base. #MomsAcrossAmerica captures the same health-conscious audience without the political charge.

Amazon Performance — Last 30 Days

Driver of improvement: Resolution of inventory stockouts that had suppressed performance since November–December 2025.

Organic ranking strategy: Gilbert intentionally keeps sponsored bids low enough that sponsored listings appear below organic results in search. This routes more clicks to higher-margin organic listings, improving overall profitability. Organic unit volume is at its highest point to date.

Inventory & Logistics

Current Status

• DFO Yellow Popcorn: Warehouse will be empty starting ~March 24. Grain is awaiting cleaning at Stengel (South Dakota). Mark is already on the cleaner's waitlist. Estimated return to warehouse: ~April 15. This creates a ~1.5-month gap in yellow popcorn supply.
• Old World White Popcorn: 3,000-unit shipment (564 boxes) scheduled for carrier pickup March 20. ~2,000 units already in Amazon FBA as a bridge.
• Big Three (popcorn, black beans, cornmeal): Inventory healthy; primary driver of current sales growth.

Logistics Issue — Estes Carrier

Estes caused a ~1-week delay at the Madison Hub, resulting in a stockout. Jason confirmed the driver acknowledged the hub is poorly managed. Gilbert has an open Amazon case flagging the carrier. The team will avoid Estes where possible on future shipments.

Social Media — April Content Approvals

All posts approved with the following edits:

Content Direction for Old World Brand

Lucy requested a shift toward nostalgic, sentimental imagery — drive-in movies, town outdoor screenings, kids on bikes. The brand's "Old World" name should be reinforced through visuals that evoke traditions people associate warmly with popcorn. Karly will brief the content team.

Upcoming Calendar Opportunities to Plan

• September: Organic Month (OTA) — plan a full push with Mark and Lucy
• Research needed: National Biodynamic Day (possibly June 8), ROC Day, National Organic Day

Action Items

Gilbert

• [ ] Send 3 Amazon sales PDFs (Dec, Jan, Feb) to Mark today
• [ ] Check with Amazon re: "Small woman-owned business" seller tag availability; update listings if possible
• [ ] Rewrite Amazon bullet points: "Direct from the farmer, grown by us in regenerative soils in WI"; upload to listings
• [ ] Increase Amazon ad bids for popcorn, black beans, cornmeal — March 25–31; lower after
• [ ] Email "Doudlah Farms Product Data" spreadsheet link to Mark

Karly

• [ ] Implement all approved social media edits (see table above)
• [ ] Switch April Fool's spa post to Old World brand page
• [ ] Add #MomsAcrossAmerica and #TestedClean to all posts
• [ ] Source nostalgic drive-in / movie-night photos; brief content team for Old World
• [ ] Research Soil Health Day, National Biodynamic Day, ROC Day, National Organic Day dates
• [ ] Plan September Organic Month strategy with Mark and Lucy
• [ ] Schedule Pop Popcorn meeting with Justin, Mark, and Sherry — Monday March 23 at 9 AM, 11 AM, or 3 PM
• [ ] Resend Amazon order email to Jason

Mark

• [ ] Forward 3 sales PDFs (from Gilbert) to grant writer Daniella for immediate VAPG submission
• [ ] Forward school-list email previews to Karly

Jason

• [ ] Locate and process Amazon order from Karly's resent email

Related

• ^[1]
• ^[2]
• ^[3]