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.
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