Jeffrey Hyman - Founder of the Food & Drink Innovation Network

“Co-Creation” is something of a buzz in the world of NPD right now. But what is it all about? And how can you make sure you are maximising its benefits while avoiding its less well publicised pitfalls? My friend Jeffrey Hyman, is helping us to find out…

Join the interactive Co-Creation Experiment here.

One way to find out is to get involved with a neat free experiment set up by The Food & Drink Innovation Network (FDIN). The FDIN is the UK’s Best Practice Club for Food & Beverage NPD; a place where those from all areas of the industry can meet, talk, share and learn.

The way the FDIN works is [..]

One of the things I’m most passionate about is brand honesty. (You can watch a video summary of a talk I gave on “Building Brand Trust”  at a conference in Austria in 2011 here) I believe that brands and their manufacturing companies should act with integrity. Not surface integrity but from the core. Brand values should not be something which are come out of a quick brainstorm, only to be printed in a smart font and filed away in the corporate archive. No. Brand values should be lived by every employee and embodied by every product that reaches the shelves.

But it should go even deeper than that. When I was speaking at a private VIP retreat for a company in Sweden in June I shared four ideas, four Brand Honesty Strategies that I believe will help brands to survive and thrive in under the microscope of consumer scrutiny that pervades all categories today. I’m astounded that companies are still trying to cover up their failures and shortcomings. The smart move is to innovate around them and to communicate both the vulnerability and the regret around mistakes.

Oliver Wendell Holmes, the US author and physician, famously said that “A mind once stretched can never regain its original dimensions.” [..]

Sam Waterfall on successful food & beverage branding in emerging markets.

In May 2012 I was invited to address the 7th SE Asia Soy Food Seminar & Trade Show at the Grand Hyatt Singapore.

This is a particularly prestigious event in the Soy Calendar, hosted by The ASA: The American Soybean Association.

It was a particular honour as I was invited to give a private half day masterclass on food and beverage marketing to the invitation-only audience from across SE Asia and around the world.

Delegates at the 7th SE Asia Soy Food Seminar & Trade Show Singapore May 2012

In the Masterclass I talked about what it takes to get branding right in emerging markets.

It’s critical that the consumer awareness is considered. Too often, brands launch in the hope that they can educate consumers with their advertising. While this is possible, experience tells me that most companies lack the time, budget and patience to convert this sweet marketing dream into a commercial reality.

I also spoke about the types of ingredients to include and showed a powerful model which suggest what ingredients will be suitable for your category and for your target consumer. The best thing about the ideas I shared is how they can stop you launching a concept which will confuse consumers and end up left on the shelf. In fact, by balancing the [..]

Q: What happens when science class meets a massive consumer trend?

A: Maybe a little bit of magic!

You may recall discovering energy in fruit in your own science classes? Here fruit juice giant, Tropicana take the simple science experiment and add the trending consumer desire for natural energy food and the all important media ingredients: street theatre, social media and a catchy little tune… Et Voila! [..]

Preparing the next talk en route to Dubai

Updating from Dubai Airport. Transiting en route to running a client branding health check and strategic direction workshop in Manila, Philippines.

Adding the finishing touches to my new presentations on the massive growth of energy drinks on the last flight. It’s a huge topic within the beverage industry right now. Hot and set to get even hotter.

This presentation will cover, The history. The trends. The Consumer typologies. The active ingredients. The various benefits. And, of course, the brands.

To find out more about how The HMT guides many of the world’s leading food and beverage companies to fine tune their innovations and brand strategies, visit TheHMT.com

To book Sam Waterfall as a conference speaker for your event email sam@thehmt.com