blog fish - swimming smarter

Small Brand Specialist With A Sweet Tooth

2010-01-12T06:28:00.000-08:00

Although Purple Pilchard is a small brand specialist that likes to compete down all aisles of the supermarket, there's no mistaking a recent leaning towards confectionery and sweet-tasting treats.

What began in autumn 2009 as a rebranding exercise with posh choc specialist James Chocolates to reinvigorate their packaging whilst bringing the company's charismatic founder (James Hutchins)more to the fore, has quickly expanded into copywriting for Wicked Fruit, a PR and repackaging push for pocket-sized treats specialist Chocca Mocca, a new soon-to-be unveiled in 2010 website and tone-of-voice for Cocoa Loco (The Times Newspaper Organic Hero of 2008), a new 2010 identity (and packaging) for local top notch chocolate pretzel purveyor, The Big Yum and a small PR push with everyone's favourite nostalgic pudding producer, The Cartmel Sticky Toffee Pudding Company.

According to Purple Pilchard's founder, 'It's fair to say that we're pretty excited about the way things have worked out but would stress once again that we're just as happy championing cream crackers as we are cream eggs, we already have a number of 'better-for-you producers under our fin, including the UK's finest organic soup and vegetable box supplier through to cordials, stews, savoury snacks and organic cereals.'

Food & Drinks Marketing Does Rock!

2010-01-06T10:32:00.000-08:00

Was interested to read Rob Ward's (The Food Marketing Network)assertion that food and drinks is one field where good marketing has failed to consistently make its presence felt.

A tad harsh in truth because you only have to think of the likes of Ben & Jerry's (pre Unilever mugging), Innocent, Higgidy Pies,Gu, Yeo Valley, Rod & Ben's and Firefly (to name but a few) to see that 'forward-thinking' fmcg marketing is truly alive and kicking. These are brands that have either cleverly out-thought their lumbering multi-national competitors by redefining their niche and playing to their strengths or better still creating a new category for them to not simply inhabit but attack other less inspiring food & drinks categories.

For me the problem isn't so much food and drink but the many insipid multinational propositions that keep letting the side down. When was the last time you can remember a major brand doing something truly surprising?

Of course they're more than happy to make a nice ad, throw a wad of money at whatever the latest marketing gimmick that's doing the rounds, (e.g. the fluff that is experiential) but when it comes to leading from the front, doing the basics right, inspirational new product innovation or simply not taking their customers for granted they lag sadly behind.

Today's consumers expect (& deserve) more meaningful, trusting two-way relationships with the brands they love. They like to be approached, engaged and occasionally amazed.

Whether it's the mind-numbing bureaucracy that surrounds so many big brands, a curious obsession with calculatingly cold yet symmetrical international strategy that neither alienates or ignites imaginations or a simple lack of adventure, who knows?

Fortunately there are now more & more smaller fleet-footed agencies like PURPLE PILCHARD who are on hand to prevent big agency mediocrity from stifling the ambitions of genuine eager-to-evolve brands

Credit Crunch Marketing

2009-06-26T04:36:00.000-07:00

It’s a worrying reality that in times of recession many supposedly strapped for cash companies choose either to reduce their marketing spend, just at the moment when it is most badly needed or embrace a short burst of excessively priced/over elaborate marketing in the vain hope that it might give their up to now neglected brand a new lease of life.

At Purple Pilchard we believe great marketing is like a slow-dripping tap that slowly gets inside your head over a period of time, not a disingenuous, not to mention over-priced bottle of sparkling water whose soul goal is appeal to your ‘in the know’ vanity, before leaving a rather unpleasant taste in your mouth.

Great marketing needn’t be about large cheques or big gestures. As one small example it always amazes me just how much money is spent on packaging design, whilst the equally influential copywriting (back-of-pack copy, straplines….) is thrown together as an 11th hour after thought.

The same can be said of so many websites where mind-numbing flash art is still seen as a worthy substitute for thoughtful brand-building copy. Of course it would be wrong to ignore the fact that there are articulate brands out there like Innocent, Higgidy pies and Yeo Valley who’ve inspired ‘new on the block’ brands like teapigs, Shaken Udder and Darling Spuds crisps to name but a few , but they are in the minority.

PR as any seasoned marketer knows is quite possibly the quickest, most cost effective way to secure invaluable exposure, yet still too many brands have got sloppy, either giving PR responsibilities to some inhouse junior bod or worse still being hoodwinked into signing up to big budget draining agency retainers which often result in one piece of inspired worked, swiftly followed by a montage of instantly forgettable flannel.

In short, when times are tough please don’t give your marketing budget over to sales to instil some bland, price cutting activities or some vast retainer obsessed agency. Instead hold your nerve and keep whatever you do simple and focused.

Don't Be Shy, Enter An Award Today!

2009-03-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

We feel very strongly that small, ‘proud as punch’ companies should enter as many credible awards as is feasible on the proviso that you have something genuinely impressive to talk about.

There is a school of thought that suggests that entering such awards is either frivolous, crass or quite possibly both.

At Purple Pilchard we actively encourage our clients to take a few bows for their great work, because we feel that if the brand owners of a young starting out brand can’t be proud of their team’s hard work and success who exactly can?

We’re not suggesting an overbearing ‘pushy parent’ approach, more of a gentle ‘shared wisdom’ philosophy.

N.B. Our favourite soup client Rod & Ben's has enjoyed a real increase in both interest and orders ever since they won a prestigious Soil Association award at the end of 08.

A FEW TRUTHS

Awards are one of the few marketing arenas that are genuinely weighted towards the ‘hungry for success’ underdog. Every judging panel likes to be part of the process that discovers tomorrow’s ‘shining star’ as opposed to simply patting on the back some dull established brand that already had loads of love and adulation heaped upon it.

An award also fills a brand’s internal team with a real heartfelt sense of pride that their hard work and clever insights have finally been identified and appreciated by their peers, providing yet further stimulus for everyone to pull together and carry on their great work.

Buyers and key decision-makers do notice award and peer approval. During my days at Ben & Jerry’s a constant stream of award success in the early years was pivotal in retailers and accounts taking chances on a young wet-behind-the-ears brand with only a modest church mouse marketing budget.

Awards are also a great way of generating PR miles, by adding a nice splash of third-party anecdotal to a well-crafted piece of self-publicity.

Finally for a brand like Cawston Vale a few telling awards (Q & Grocer) in 2008 have been integral in securing new outsider investment that will ultimately see the brand propelled into an even higher orbit.

So stop being modest and enter an award today

WWW.purplepilchard.co.uk

New Look Website For Purple Pilchard

2009-03-10T08:05:00.001-07:00

A NEW WEBSITE LOOK FOR PURPLE PILCHARD

The UK's favourite marketing & PR provider (with a fish in its title) for ambitious, personality-packed food and drinks brands is proud to announce the unveiling of its new, rather fine website (http://www.purplepilchard.co.uk/) that further reinforces the fact that good marketing needn't be pompous, pushy or over-priced.

Set up in 2004 by ex Ben & Jerry's marketer Ian Hills, Purple Pilchard, was established to accomodate this former client-side marketer's growing frustration that there were no agencies currently geared to service the very distinct needs of freshing think start-up companies on tight budgets.

What began primarily as a strategic marketing consultancy has grown over the years to now accomodate PR, copywriting, stunts and website solutions within its remit.

According to Ian, 'it was becoming a bit embarrassing telling clients that they needed to enhance their website offering when our own site looked like rather unsavoury fish paste.' We don't profess to owning either the biggest or whizziest agency website in town - but this is really the point - a simple, focused yet premium-leaning website experience is all that a well thought through brand of tomorrow really needs - anything too glitzy to me suggests that the brand either lacks focus or has something to hide.

Current Purple Pilchard clients include: Salty Dog, Rod & Ben's Organic Soups, Island bakery biscuits,The Handmade Cake Co, & Cawston Vale juices and Monty's Bakehouse

Why pay A Retainer?

2009-03-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

Ever since my days early days client side I've always been frustrated by the notion of why anyone would pay a PR or marketing agency a retainer?

Retainers are the very antithesis of staying fresh and only doing what's really required. At the very best it's money for old rope.

Talk that retainers secure you some element of exclusivity are often very wide of the mark. If an agency is doing a good job promoting your brand then they are simultaneously putting themselves in the shop window making it highly unlikely that they would consider jeopardizing a mutually beneficial working relationship.

If on the other hand you are working with an agency that thinks for a moment that it's morally acceptable talking to your direct competitors whilst working with you then surely this is a friendship you can afford to live without?

My biggest gripe with retainers is that it breeds suspicion and encourages poor practice. From a client side there is always a nagging doubt about how an agency is earning its keep this month, compared to a project fee where you should know exactly what you're getting for your money.

From an agency perspective there's the tempatation to invent unnecessary work to justify your existence, even though they know that there's a law of diminishing returns for brands who hog the spotlight too much but have nothing worthwhile to say.

Purple Pilchard is an agency that prefers to stay on its toes and so stubbornly refuses to accept retainers even when they're offered.

This isn't to say we don't devise strategic forward-thinking marketing plans that look between 6-9 months into the future because good planning sits at the heart of every good PR campaign.

What we won't do is discriminate against those start up brands on tight budgets who have a couple of great stories to tell every year but simply can't afford to fritter money away propping up lazy PR agencies looking for another easy pay cheque.

FINE FOOD AWARD GOLD MEDALS TARNISHED?

2008-08-20T02:09:00.000-07:00

At a time when Team GB is performing minor miracles in Beijing it's easy to get a little blase about the real worth of gold medals. This year's Fine Food awards were contested by 2021 small producers and 4800 products and resulted in 46% of all participants receiving some grade of gold, even though only 220 products (5%) received the top-notch 3 star nomination. In the good olde days the traditional gold, silver and bronze format enabled onlookers, purchasers and the press alike to quickly distinguish the cream of the crop from the merely above average. Is it me or is this simply a cynical attempt by one of the most respected fine food institutions to raise it's profile? A truly ill-conceived idea if hard earned gongs are inadvertently belittled. This cynical piece of marketing reminds me of the 70's love affair with non-competitive sports and today's so called gold standard A-levels where 97% of all our our allegedly more intelligent youths now achieve pass grades. It strikes me watching the likes of reality TV that too much effort these days is spent championing mediocrity. We shouldn't be embarrassed that only a small number of us ever achieve real greatness because it gives the rest of us something truly worthwhile to chase. What a shame that such a historically sought after award has been so cynically devalued

Toad On The Road

2007-09-05T08:33:00.001-07:00

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

Making An Exhibition Of Yourself

2007-09-05T02:55:00.000-07:00

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.

Panic Proof Crisps

2007-07-05T04:32:00.000-07:00

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.

Little Puds Of Chocolate Heaven

2007-06-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

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.

A Small Dollop Of Social Responsibility

2007-06-06T04:00:00.000-07:00

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.

Why Is Innocent Clowning Around?

2007-06-06T02:54:00.000-07:00

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

For What It's Worth

2007-06-06T02:42:00.000-07:00

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!