Two years after arriving in the UK, The Toxic Toadburger Conspiracy story is
poised to make its long awaited debut in the USA, a must stop destination in
the country at the very heart of the addictive fast food/obesity epidemic debate.
According to author and food and drinks marketer, Ian Hills ‘for me it makes
perfect sense to export Toxic Toad to the country responsible for creepy
clowns baring burgers, the non-sensical support for ghastly gherkin slices
and Eric Schlosser’s absorbing Fast Food Nation. I believe it’s high time
someone provided a more palatable solution to the strict Jamie Oliver view of
fast food.’
According Purple Pilchard founder Ian, ‘the real purpose
of toxic toad was to use a full throttle children’s adventure and quirky English
humour to educate children and parents alike about the very real issues of
addictive mass-produced junk food without ever resorting to the overbearing
‘doom and gloom’ stance adopted by a growing gathering of publicity
hungry politicians and do-gooders’.
In Ian's opinion, 'there is nothing wrong with infrequent fast food binge on the strict proviso that we are talking occasional outings as opposed to habitual troughing.'
The Toxic Toadburger Conspiracy Is Available In The USA from 25th Sept 2007
In the UK the Toxic Toadburger Conspiracy (http://www.toxictoad.co.uk/) has been adopted by many regional education authorities as a must read entry on secondary school reading lists
Wednesday 5 September 2007
Making An Exhibition Of Yourself
DON'T MAKE AN EXHIBITION OF YOURSELF
Strolling around The Speciality Food show (without doubt the best food producer's outing of the year) it struck me how badly informed so many of the exhibitors are and how few brands are genuinely geared for success.
First there are those brands that might look alright in Aunt Mildred's tea emporium but have as much chance of going further (poor packaging, dull literature and a ropey stand) as I have being asked to pass on my tennis wisdom to Andy Murray.
Then you find a selection of those, 'well past their sell by date' brands, who've simply been treading the boards for too long. They'd claim their all encompassing appeal makes them timeless, but in truth their time in the sun is up and hanging around the beach too long with a few half-hearted line extensions just leads to red faces all round.
Worst of all are those brands that have been hoodwinked by big agencies to spend too much money looking slick and polished and in so doing losing a large chunk of their soul. I could cry the number of times I've seen a tired frosty regime imposed on a once fun and free-thinking brand.
Unfortunately Foodie entrepreneurs often have too much on their plate which is why they they are often wooed by big insincere agencies.
The real strength of a feisty young brand is having the strength to do things their own way and the conviction to stick to their guns. At Purple Pilchard, an agency geared at the specific needs of personality-packed niche brands, we encourage small brands to be proud of their uniqueness and not to fall over backwards to follow the crowd.
Always check the client list of your chosen agency and if it only contains clients like Heinz, Unilever or McVities you know its time to finish your coffee and run.
Strolling around The Speciality Food show (without doubt the best food producer's outing of the year) it struck me how badly informed so many of the exhibitors are and how few brands are genuinely geared for success.
First there are those brands that might look alright in Aunt Mildred's tea emporium but have as much chance of going further (poor packaging, dull literature and a ropey stand) as I have being asked to pass on my tennis wisdom to Andy Murray.
Then you find a selection of those, 'well past their sell by date' brands, who've simply been treading the boards for too long. They'd claim their all encompassing appeal makes them timeless, but in truth their time in the sun is up and hanging around the beach too long with a few half-hearted line extensions just leads to red faces all round.
Worst of all are those brands that have been hoodwinked by big agencies to spend too much money looking slick and polished and in so doing losing a large chunk of their soul. I could cry the number of times I've seen a tired frosty regime imposed on a once fun and free-thinking brand.
Unfortunately Foodie entrepreneurs often have too much on their plate which is why they they are often wooed by big insincere agencies.
The real strength of a feisty young brand is having the strength to do things their own way and the conviction to stick to their guns. At Purple Pilchard, an agency geared at the specific needs of personality-packed niche brands, we encourage small brands to be proud of their uniqueness and not to fall over backwards to follow the crowd.
Always check the client list of your chosen agency and if it only contains clients like Heinz, Unilever or McVities you know its time to finish your coffee and run.
Thursday 5 July 2007
Panic Proof Crisps
The sturdy English crisp really has shown its metal over the last year to bounce back from a small slump in its popularity (sales fell by 5% between 2002-05) to post a small return to growth in 2006.
Who would have thought that with 'hot topics' like school dinners (lunchboxes/vending machines), healthier eating and obesity-based topics dominating the airwaves that crisps would have had the tenacity to reinvent themselves quite so quickly.
Healthy, occasional indulgence would appear to be the name of the game, an approach pioneered by Kettle Chips many years ago.
The problem with Kettle Crisps was that whilst their product and flavour credentials were unquestionable, their personality was that of a timid librarian in a ropey tank top.
The country was looking for someone to do what so many late greats (Golden Wonder , KP etc) had failed to do, namely give Walkers an occasional, bloody nose.
So let's use this opportunity to salute the likes of Tyrells, who are not only prepared to raise the quality/integrity stakes of small bagged snacks but stick two fingers up at Tesco who had the audacity to stock them without first asking permission. Then there is Burts that brings such refreshing informality to he table (a website to die for) and Purple Pilchard's fav Salty Dog, who bring a little extra ballsiness (intense flavours) to the fore.
Of course like any former student I will always hold a torch for that recently revamped classic, pickled onion Monster Munch, but overall I'm so chuffed that these days Walkers despite doing so much right, isn't getting everything its own way.
Who would have thought that with 'hot topics' like school dinners (lunchboxes/vending machines), healthier eating and obesity-based topics dominating the airwaves that crisps would have had the tenacity to reinvent themselves quite so quickly.
Healthy, occasional indulgence would appear to be the name of the game, an approach pioneered by Kettle Chips many years ago.
The problem with Kettle Crisps was that whilst their product and flavour credentials were unquestionable, their personality was that of a timid librarian in a ropey tank top.
The country was looking for someone to do what so many late greats (Golden Wonder , KP etc) had failed to do, namely give Walkers an occasional, bloody nose.
So let's use this opportunity to salute the likes of Tyrells, who are not only prepared to raise the quality/integrity stakes of small bagged snacks but stick two fingers up at Tesco who had the audacity to stock them without first asking permission. Then there is Burts that brings such refreshing informality to he table (a website to die for) and Purple Pilchard's fav Salty Dog, who bring a little extra ballsiness (intense flavours) to the fore.
Of course like any former student I will always hold a torch for that recently revamped classic, pickled onion Monster Munch, but overall I'm so chuffed that these days Walkers despite doing so much right, isn't getting everything its own way.
Sunday 10 June 2007
Little Puds Of Chocolate Heaven
Ever noticed how the chiller cabinet has become a hot bed of food and drinks innovation? As the word chilled is often synonymous with a premium pricepoint, one tends to find that brands nestling in this neck of the wood refuse to skimp when it comes to their marketing budgets, because the price of standing still is simply too painful to contemplate. Stunning packaging, regular npd and bold brash initiatives are often the name of the game in this most exciting of foodie enclaves.
Looking beyond the Innocent masterclass in understated brilliance, there are so many maverick brands that Purple Pilchard would like to recognise for the sheer clarity of their thinking. For one there's Firefly who've taken Purdey's forward-thinking interpretation of adult soft drinks, added a more approachable tone of voice and jumped on the blossoming 'mood food' bandwagon. Then there's Grove Fresh, who've made organic juice more accessible and Yeo Valley who could give brands like Ben & Jerry's a masterclass in hard-core social responsibility. Yet my fav without a doubt would have to be Gu who have provided some much needed choccy relief from the all conquering yogurt.
Every recipe is simplicity personified. In each classy little pot the lucky recipient secures equal measures of indulgence and self-imposed portion control. From a retailer's perspective the stunning look of the packaging and support photography is second to none and as such adds an extra dash of class to any aisle, whilst the sheer addictive nature of the brand name demands that 30+'s the length and breadth of the country abandon their despised diets for a few spoonfuls of melty heaven.
But can you have too much of a good thing? The Gu range would now appear to be proliferating at such a rate that it's in danger of losing it's niche brand sparkle. Ok if sell-off''s the ultimate name of the game that's great but if one's trying to produce a product range with real longevity there will come a time when the brakes will need to be applied.
Looking beyond the Innocent masterclass in understated brilliance, there are so many maverick brands that Purple Pilchard would like to recognise for the sheer clarity of their thinking. For one there's Firefly who've taken Purdey's forward-thinking interpretation of adult soft drinks, added a more approachable tone of voice and jumped on the blossoming 'mood food' bandwagon. Then there's Grove Fresh, who've made organic juice more accessible and Yeo Valley who could give brands like Ben & Jerry's a masterclass in hard-core social responsibility. Yet my fav without a doubt would have to be Gu who have provided some much needed choccy relief from the all conquering yogurt.
Every recipe is simplicity personified. In each classy little pot the lucky recipient secures equal measures of indulgence and self-imposed portion control. From a retailer's perspective the stunning look of the packaging and support photography is second to none and as such adds an extra dash of class to any aisle, whilst the sheer addictive nature of the brand name demands that 30+'s the length and breadth of the country abandon their despised diets for a few spoonfuls of melty heaven.
But can you have too much of a good thing? The Gu range would now appear to be proliferating at such a rate that it's in danger of losing it's niche brand sparkle. Ok if sell-off''s the ultimate name of the game that's great but if one's trying to produce a product range with real longevity there will come a time when the brakes will need to be applied.
Wednesday 6 June 2007
A Small Dollop Of Social Responsibility
The Ben & Jerry's PR churning machine has certainly been in overdrive over the last few months with various announcements about carbon footprints, a fairtrade vanilla and an end to trivial stunts.
As one of the forefathers of authentic social responsibility Ben & Jerry's is certainly a brand that should always be listened too, especially as their skill has been not simply taking a worthy stance, but doing so in a way that sounds neither patronizing or sanctimonious.
Is it me or are the latest dispatches starting to sound a tad corporate, dare I say insincere! It's all very well having a fairtrade vanilla, but what about the other ten or so flavours that have been filling chiller caginets in the UK for 10+ years.
It seems strange that their opening gambit is the one flavour (vanilla) where Haagen Dazs has historically put them to the sword.
If genuinely sincere wouldn't we be talking about entire fairtrade portfolios, organic offerings, addressing airmiles (Vermont's a fair hike) or some more eco-friendly packaging.
I cringed when they started mimicking Innocent concerts (interestingly Innocent have now stopped) and am now getting a sinking feeling that its the publicity grabbing multinational in the background that is now pulling the PR strings, for a few hollow soundbites.
As one of the forefathers of authentic social responsibility Ben & Jerry's is certainly a brand that should always be listened too, especially as their skill has been not simply taking a worthy stance, but doing so in a way that sounds neither patronizing or sanctimonious.
Is it me or are the latest dispatches starting to sound a tad corporate, dare I say insincere! It's all very well having a fairtrade vanilla, but what about the other ten or so flavours that have been filling chiller caginets in the UK for 10+ years.
It seems strange that their opening gambit is the one flavour (vanilla) where Haagen Dazs has historically put them to the sword.
If genuinely sincere wouldn't we be talking about entire fairtrade portfolios, organic offerings, addressing airmiles (Vermont's a fair hike) or some more eco-friendly packaging.
I cringed when they started mimicking Innocent concerts (interestingly Innocent have now stopped) and am now getting a sinking feeling that its the publicity grabbing multinational in the background that is now pulling the PR strings, for a few hollow soundbites.
Why Is Innocent Clowning Around?
Let's face it if we were talking about any other brand linking up with McDonalds, we'd simply say, 'good luck, you're certainly going to need it.'
Some fans of the Innocent association will probably look at Pret in America as proof that McDonalds can deliver when it wants. Others will talk about taking healthy smoothies to a wider audience whilst others might even suggest that the best way to influence the junk food giant is from within.
The problem is that even with a £80m + turnover, Innocent remains everyone's favourite discovery brand. They are that blue-eyed cheeky child in the family that just keeps surpassing your expectations.
The real issue is does a brand that has shaken hands Prime Minister Brown and won almost every single feel-good award under the sun really need to take such a calculated risk. Surely a brand like Innocent could pick any distribution route it wanted.
Is this simply a case of a two-fingered salute to Pepsico (& PJ's) to show once again who's top dog or just extreme inner confidence that they can curb the clown's excesses.
I do believe Innocent remain the most sincere brand in the marketplace yet at the same time can't help thinking that even their impeccable reputation may become tarnished from such an unsightly association
Some fans of the Innocent association will probably look at Pret in America as proof that McDonalds can deliver when it wants. Others will talk about taking healthy smoothies to a wider audience whilst others might even suggest that the best way to influence the junk food giant is from within.
The problem is that even with a £80m + turnover, Innocent remains everyone's favourite discovery brand. They are that blue-eyed cheeky child in the family that just keeps surpassing your expectations.
The real issue is does a brand that has shaken hands Prime Minister Brown and won almost every single feel-good award under the sun really need to take such a calculated risk. Surely a brand like Innocent could pick any distribution route it wanted.
Is this simply a case of a two-fingered salute to Pepsico (& PJ's) to show once again who's top dog or just extreme inner confidence that they can curb the clown's excesses.
I do believe Innocent remain the most sincere brand in the marketplace yet at the same time can't help thinking that even their impeccable reputation may become tarnished from such an unsightly association
For What It's Worth
Blog Fish is a little electronic notebook dedicated to reading between the lines with regards to what's really happening in the whizzy world of brand marketing.
We appreciate that our forthright thoughts are purely subjective (and often irrelevant!). Recognizing that one man's Innocent is often another man's Sunny Delight, we will always try our hardest to be honest, impartial and enthusiastic, although not necessarily in that order.
Above all else we will never be foolish enough to take ourselves too seriously!
We appreciate that our forthright thoughts are purely subjective (and often irrelevant!). Recognizing that one man's Innocent is often another man's Sunny Delight, we will always try our hardest to be honest, impartial and enthusiastic, although not necessarily in that order.
Above all else we will never be foolish enough to take ourselves too seriously!
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