Going gluten-free isn’t new to us. As a food branding agency, staying apprised of food industry opportunities and challenges is part of the gig. So, when the chance to attend Gluten and Allergen Free Expo arose, our team was delighted to plan a trip dedicated to partaking in the gluten-free […]
Our food industry friends over at IFT posted a fantastic 2013 recap/aggregation of food industry trends in America. Here are a few tidbits that we’ve been discussing internally and with some of our clients recently about eating in America. Trend: What’s most important to Americans when selecting food? Taste (89% […]
As we look to the New Year, we look forward to new projects, new partnerships, and, of course, new food trends. Here’s a look at the food and beverage trends set to take center stage in 2014. 1) Donuts: Not only have these doughy delights taken 2013 by storm (move […]
Transparency. It’s what consumers have come to expect from the brands they buy, especially when it involves their food. From the geographic origin of ingredients to how – and by whom – they are grown and harvested, consumers expect more from their loaf of bread than simply to serve as […]
It seems that every few weeks, a little-known (often exotic) fruit or veggie is declared the next superfood. By moving so quickly from one proclaimed superfood to the next, we’re left to semi-seriously infer that the previous one failed to live up to its moniker and (innumerable) promises. This fact, however, […]
Our client IOI Loders Croklaan recently tasked us with the unveiling of their latest product, a line of colored and flavored shortenings called FuseRite™. Through solid communication and a strategic ingredients marketing plan, we established the following: Primary goals: Stress FuseRite’s versatility; clearly communicate that it makes the job of […]
Starbucks has been slinging (can you sling a latte?) its incredibly popular Pumpkin Spice Latte for around a decade. While they didn’t invent the spice combination, they’re at least partially responsible for the increased pumpkin-spicing of our drinks and desserts every fall for the past ten years. Drinks and desserts […]
When it comes to food ingredient labels, consumers are savvier than ever, and those shelf-smarts have, over the last few years, begun extending to ingredient lists for our pets’ food, but all is not yet perfectly clear, even for the shrewdest of label readers. As with human nutrition, pet ingredient […]
From the samples to the demonstrations to the entertainment factor (yes, even the tchotchkes), trade shows make us happy. We especially love trade shows that combine the subject matter and disciplines that hit our collective sweet spot. Perhaps no show does that better than SupplySide West. If you’re reading this, […]
I’ve had the pleasure of working with the food ingredient media for over 20 years, 11 years of which has been on behalf of MarketPlace. The media regularly tells me a version of “we love working with you because you really understand media.” At MarketPlace, our job is to provide […]
For businesses whose clients are other businesses, branding – or rebranding – isn’t often a top priority. There are always other tasks to tackle, other fires to put out. Who has time for branding with sales to make, supply issues to resolve, new products to launch, and marketing initiatives to […]
I’ve been thinking about insects. Specifically, I’ve been thinking about eating them (or, so far, not eating them). Meat isn’t usually considered a luxury item in western culture, but prices are predicted to rise substantially in the next decade. If meat consumption grows concurrently in developing parts of the world, […]
