Willpower Weekly: Issue No. 09
🥥 The Coconut Cult(ure) Moment
If there’s a physical version of “trendy CPG product heaven,” this is it.
The Coconut Cult just wrapped its Collab Lab pop-up in SoHo, 10 days of limited-edition yogurt flavors, brand mashups, and collabs with cult favorites like Honey Mama’s, Graza, Fishwife, and Olipop. The space even featured a fully felted marketplace by artist Lucy Sparrow, proving that product and experience design can live in the same room.
What’s special about this one is that it wasn’t just a pop-up, it was a moment.
Instead of waiting for a major cultural event to anchor to, Coconut Cult created its own. And instead of keeping it exclusive, they used the platform to spotlight their peers, the brands that make the wellness aisle actually interesting.
We’ve seen a lot of these names across Willpower stages and events, from the founder of Hu Kitchen and leaders at Graza speaking at our March panels, to founders and leaders from Nufs and Yellowbird joining the community along the way.
This feels like a cultural tentpole in itself, and exactly what we’ll be unpacking at our next Catalyst Series: Winning Cultural Tentpoles in Austin.
It’s the playbook for modern growth: build the moment, then open the door for everyone else.
🎬 The Rise of Brand World-Building
Last issue, we talked about Huckberry’s DIRT series, a return to long-form storytelling built for depth, not algorithms. This week, that same energy is showing up in fashion.
Reformation, long known for its sustainable clothing and “magic fitting rooms”, just released a short film starring influencer Nara Smith. The brand didn’t drop a standard campaign, it created a full cinematic experience.
It’s part of a larger shift. Whether it’s a brand like Reformation capturing a scene of driving vintage cars or Huckberry filming a day spent deep in the terrain, these stories are no longer just about the clothes, they’re about what it feels like to wear the brand.
Reformation’s film mirrors what its stores already do: merge technology, storytelling, and aesthetics to pull you deeper into the world of the brand.
These long-form pieces aren’t just content; they’re culture-building tools.
And in an era where attention is cheap, brands that take their time are starting to stand out again.
🛍️ The New Rules of Value
As spending slows and shoppers get smarter, brands are starting to listen, and evolve. From premium grocers rethinking price to tech quietly reshaping how we shop, “value” is getting a new definition.
🛒 Whole Foods Gets Real
Whole Foods is taking a rare step for a premium brand: it’s lowering prices.
In response to shifting shopping habits and direct customer feedback, the retailer is sharpening its value proposition and expanding its private label offerings. For a store long associated with luxury grocery, that’s a big move.
Times are tough. Costs are high, budgets are tighter, and shoppers are paying closer attention to what feels worth it. Seeing brands listen and respond to that reality is the kind of change we need more of.
People are redefining what value actually means and realizing that quality doesn’t always have to come with a premium price tag. For years, brands like Whole Foods built their identity around aspiration and exclusivity. Now, the new version of luxury looks more like accessibility and consistency.
This isn’t just a pricing decision, it’s a mindset shift. Not everything has to feel exclusive to feel special. Sometimes it’s about the product doing what it promises and delivering something people trust.
Whole Foods is proving that premium can evolve with the people it serves.
🧠 Smarter Shopping, Not Just Smarter Tech
Grocery brands are getting more tactical about how they reach people, using AI to track shopping habits and predict what value-driven consumers actually want. Instead of sending the same message to everyone, they are using data to figure out who is trading down, who is still spending, and what moments actually matter.
The goal is not just to sell more. It is to understand why people buy in the first place. AI is helping brands read behavior in real time, adjusting promotions or messaging based on what resonates. If you are hunting for deals or swapping name brands for private label, there is a good chance a machine already knows.
At its best, this makes the grocery experience feel more personal and less transactional. The right message hits at the right time, and shoppers feel seen instead of sold to. At its worst, it is a reminder of how closely brands are watching our choices.
Either way, the grocery aisle is getting smarter. The brands using data to listen, not just target, will keep winning in a world where loyalty is earned week by week.
🥃 Tito’s x Lalo
Tito’s has made its first strategic acquisition, taking a majority stake in Lalo Tequila, uniting two Austin-based spirits brands grounded in craft and integrity.
Lalo was founded by Eduardo “Lalo” González, grandson of tequila legend Don Julio González, with a commitment to simplicity: fully mature Blue Weber Agave, deep well water, and no additives. The clarity of that production formula is part of what gives the brand its voice.
In the last episode of Huckberry’s DIRT filmed in Guadalajara, we saw Lalo’s team walking agave fields and distilling by hand. Those moments bring the brand’s heritage to life, showing how technique, terroir, and tradition intertwine.
For Tito’s, this is more than expansion, it’s a meeting of missions. Both brands share Texas roots and a devotion to honest production, proving scale doesn’t demand surrender.
At Catalyst Series: Winning Cultural Tentpoles, we’ll take this conversation further. Greg Reintjes Jr., SVP Marketing at LALO Tequila, will join the stage to share how storytelling, legacy, and authenticity layer into brand growth at scale.
💪 What’s New in Protein
The protein boom just keeps getting weirder, but better.
Uncrustables, but make it anabolic. Smucker’s is testing Protein Uncrustables, because apparently we’ve reached the stage of innovation where nostalgia and macros finally meet. However the brand did their due diligence, upping the fiber and whole grains too. This one might actually have a purpose beyond the lunchbox, giving kids a better shot at focus instead of a sugar rush by second period.
Ghost x General Mills. The supplement and energy brand known for its bright tubs and candy collabs is teaming up with General Mills for a new protein bar line. It’s giving legacy-meets-lifestyle, and it might actually make breakfast interesting again.
Starbucks enters the chat. The first week of October should feel like we’re rolling back into pumpkin spice season — but instead, you guessed it, protein. Because nothing says fall like meeting your macros for the day. It’s the latest sign that even the most ritualized brands are leaning into function over flavor.
Protein has officially gone mainstream. From gas stations to grocery aisles to your morning latte, it’s less of a supplement now and more of a lifestyle.
Upcoming Events
🥏 OTK Field Day
Saturday, Oct 11 | 11 AM | Austin Pickle Ranch
Presented by C4, Texas Ranchers, and Kick, OTK’s first-ever Field Day is bringing out some of the biggest creators and streamers for a day of friendly competition, pickleball, and wellness activations. Expect good food, good energy, and a few surprise vendor pop-ups along the way.
💡 Catalyst Series: Winning Cultural Tentpoles (F1 Edition)
Tuesday, Oct 14 | Austin
How do brands own the moment during global cultural events like F1, SXSW, and ACL? Hear from leaders at Kendra Scott, LALO Tequila, and Caraway Home on building movements that last beyond the weekend, plus limited-edition Willpower F1 Week tote bags in our signature gifting suite.
🏁 Willpower World of Sports & Human Performance
Wednesday, Oct 15 | Austin
A full, immersive day exploring the future of human potential, uniting sports organizations, defense agencies, performance-tech innovators, and F1 team leaders. From padel play to recovery zones powered by Hyperice, Rally, Rhythm, Neurable, and AG1, this one’s all about performance in motion.
🗽 Willpower Returns to NYC
Wednesday, Nov 12 | The Catalyst Series: NYC Edition
We’re back in New York this November for the next Catalyst Series, more details and lineup coming soon. Stay tuned.
💬 Share What You’re Building
Willpower Weekly is built to spotlight our community, the brands, founders, and ideas shaping what’s next. If there’s something you’re working on that you’d like us to feature in our next edition (we publish every alternating Wednesday), fill this out below.
