3 keys to success in Food and Drink
Over the last 10 years, we’ve never specialised in any particular sector because we know that our approach works and can be adapted for any business, in any industry, in any part of the world. That’s why our clients’ locations range as near as Shoreditch and as far as Saudi Arabia; and their vocations vary from health and beauty to hospitality and property. Whatever the concept, company or continent, if we see potential, we’ll apply our method and make it come alive.
One of the categories in which we’ve experienced enormous demand is food. Globally, the food market is massive and growing by about 4% each year. Within that market, the largest segment is Confectionery & Snacks which matches the surge of on-the-go snacking startups we’ve come across and worked with in recent years. From Vinny, the game-changing vegan vending business, to Maize & Grace, the deliciously rich popcorn brand, we are proud to have helped dozens of food and drink businesses get to the next stage of their success. From baby-food startups to big restaurants like Plum + Spilt Milk, we love being part of the company’s long-term journey and being their partner as they grow. Often we are in a position to bring fresh ideas to the table; a great example of this is when we created a deliverable snack box concept for Vinny in order for them to be active during the COVID-19 lockdown. This added tremendous value to the brand’s portfolio, and they have since attracted new investment and acquired new client partners. There is a similar story in the drinks space where we have partnered with the likes of SeaChange (an eco-friendly wine brand) and Gin Foundry (now called Spirits Beacon). We transformed their brand identities, giving them a new lease of life so they can represent their values in an impactful way and stand out from the crowd.
Naturally, the food and drink sector is ultra competitive. That’s why we stay on our toes on behalf of the brands we work with, to make sure they aren’t missing any opportunities. The smallest suggestion or the craftiest contribution could make all the difference to the business in the long run. Our efforts in the sector have drawn interest from entrepreneurs around the world, culminating in ongoing projects with ambitious FMCG startups in the likes of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We are also extremely proud of the work we have done and continue to do with various restaurants and cafes, including a special project with a British celebrity which we have created from scratch. It’s called Array, and we feel that it epitomises our potential to take an idea from conceptual to concrete.
So, why have we found so much success in this sector?
1. Brand positioning
Our task isn’t just to make it look good but to position it so that it sells well and becomes a preferred choice over its competitors. That’s where our brand strategy and discovery exercises become extremely potent. We scour the competitive landscape, harnessing data and research to inform our branding decisions – from a competitor analysis to positioning charts, we nail down what the business should become and where its place is in the market. This means we go into the creative process armed with the evidence that what we’re about to produce will be a success.
2. Packaging and presentation
From the paper and plastic (increasingly eco-friendly) in which the products are wrapped to the pitches and presentations the founders use to attract investment and new business – we take it all extremely seriously from a branding point of view. Every detail is scrutinised and no opportunity is wasted to strengthen the brand. We present our clients with multiple concept options, showing mock-ups of how the design will appear in real life. This helps us all to visualise it before it’s created. As well as design and imagery, messaging matters too. We’ll create amazing copy that helps drive the brand’s values and convert users into customers. From naming products through to creating slogans for advertising campaigns, we’re highly experienced at delivering the right messaging to the right audience.
3. Brand consistency
As well as having a consistently impressive track record with food and drink businesses, we apply consistency across all the platforms on behalf of the brand. This is where our digital prowess comes into play as we are able to create a website (often eCommerce) which is perfect for the products, and we are able to design assets and templates for social media so that everything fits and tells the same story. All of this is underpinned by our tone of voices strategy, messaging and copy writing.
Final thoughts for food
A quick wander through any modern town or city around the world will demonstrate the dominance of restaurants, cafes and general food stores. From a trade point of view, if you Google ‘food and drink exhibition’, you’ll be met with hundreds of industry events, shows and fairs which are bustling and brimming year after year. Where food and drink were once our biggest fear, they have become our favourite exploit due to abundance and the industrialisation of food production. It means we can see what we consume as more than just fuel, and instead as something fanciful and adventurous. We want to try new dishes, sip different drinks, and explore the experiences that are presented to us by talented chefs and imaginative restaurateurs. The world’s hunger for groceries, take-aways and health foods is rampant, and we’re ready to help satisfy it from a branding and digital point of view.
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