October 9, 2020
Back to School: How COVID Is Affecting University Foodservice Operators and Food Brands
College campuses have historically been a gold mine for food marketers, if you managed to break into their supply chain. They are notorious for driving volume for food brands and being trend incubators. By that, I mean they have been a wonderful platform for brands to test new formulations or products…
August 13, 2020
The Food Event Dilemma: Should You Reimagine or Reschedule?
Are food industry events an inevitable casualty of 2020? Or is it possible to reimagine them (i.e., take them online) and still meet the needs of both participants and organizers? It’s a tough call, especially in an industry so deeply rooted in relationships, sensory experiences and in-person events facilitating the…
February 27, 2020
Planting the Seed for Strong Marketing Partnerships
As most of us have learned through experience, anything forced is likely to fail. (Think square peg, round hole). Conversely, as I've seen during my PR career, organic connections and partnerships – those that develop authentically, based on shared values or goals – tend to yield optimal results. A case in point…
January 21, 2020
Why We Should Eliminate All Food Commodity Marketing Boards
I have a confession to make. I hate food commodity marketing boards. You may find my opinion surprising, given that my firm has enjoyed a great track record of helping food commodity marketing boards accomplish their goals for over thirty years. I’ll explain my reasoning in a minute. But first, we need a…
January 7, 2020
Traditions or Trends: Notable Food Marketing Creative
The fourth quarter of 2019 saw a slew of creative holiday-themed food marketing and advertising, including two meaty turns on what has become an odd and endearing annual tradition. In QSR news, last summer's Chicken Sandwich War reared its head once again. And in the grocery category, Sam’s Club introduced…
October 3, 2018
Improvisational Food Marketing: Lessons from Jonathan Winters
I first met Jonathan Winters in a local cigar store that is owned by a pal of mine. Mr. Winters was the only customer in the shop one day when I walked in. A bit of small talk ensued, during which Jonathan asked me where I was from. When I…
June 12, 2018
What Happens When You Invest In Menuing Data?
While dishing up honey-inspired global fare for our client at a recent foodservice conference, a fellow sponsor asked me candidly, “how do you measure the success of participating in an event like this?” My immediate thought was while we won’t likely see an uptick in sales on the heels of…
April 26, 2018
Beekeeping and Business: The Best Secrets To Success
When EvansHardy+Young first began working with the National Honey Board several years ago, I thought it might be useful and interesting to learn about beekeeping. So I located some bees, purchased some hive boxes and embarked upon a new hobby. What started as a curiosity soon grew into a passion.…
April 3, 2018
Chef and Dietitian: Healthy Foods You’ll Actually Crave
Over the years, chefs and dietitians have approached their crafts with very different mindsets. A chef would create recipes for maximum flavor, favoring savory, high-fat ingredients. Alternatively, a dietitian would focus primarily on a food’s nutritional value. Recently, however, consumer demand for healthful food that doesn’t compromise on flavor has…
