Premium Food & Beverage

Building brands and defending reputations in dynamic categories like premium food and beverage requires a thoughtful strategic approach, creative ideas to reach target audiences effectively and a passion for nourishing consumers. Our team brings experience in meats, seafood, dairy, bakery, produce, snacks, beverages, performance drinks and baby food. Our experts support brands by addressing the following trends:

The broad range of consumer choice in food and beverage categories makes it vital to stand out. Compelling brand stories help differentiate, drive trial, build loyalty and earn price premiums.
Consumers want to know where their food comes from and how it’s raised. Interest in labels like USDA Organic, non-GMO and grass-fed, as well as sustainable food-sourcing practices continues to rise, along with confusion about what it all means.
Food companies and brands battle trust issues driven by size, market dominance, food safety, regulatory developments, media skepticism and activist agendas.

Contact Kelly Janhunen to learn how we can help your food and beverage brand.

Authentic brand stories help break through the clutter in competitive food and beverage categories.

Sustainability and humane treatment in focus

Meat and Dairy

Developments in meat and dairy are driving consumer conversations and media interest. Brands are battling for attention and trust, with sustainability and humane animal care as key drivers. Sub-categories are developing based on labeling distinctions and functional claims.

Aquaculture on the rise to meet demand

Seafood

With finite agricultural land and a growing world population, seafood – including farmed seafood – has the potential to feed a hungry planet. Controversies over sustainability, over-fishing and merits of farmed versus wild help shape consumer interest and perceptions.

Satisfying consumer demand for healthy choices

Fresh Vegetables and Fruits

Branded fresh produce, including packaged salad greens, has become an essential meal-prep go-to for time-starved consumers. The category has grown from a handful of dominant first-movers to a wide variety of brands struggling to stand out in the produce aisle.

Eating on the go drives snack consumption

Snacks and Bakery

Experts predict continued exponential growth in the snack category, as lifestyle changes and the need for convenience mean more meals on the go. Baked goods makers face consumer concerns about carbs and rising interest in non-GMO and gluten-free products and alternative grains like quinoa and spelt.

Trust: Hard to earn, easy to lose

Baby Food

No food product is chosen with more care than those we feed our babies and young children. Today’s parents are savvy about researching and selecting the best products from brands they trust. While working to differentiate on taste, nutrition and safety, baby and toddler food brands are often lightning rods for media attention and research group claims.

Brands quench consumer thirst for variety

Beverages

Expanded beverage shelf space reflects strong consumer interest and a dizzying array of new choices. Traditional and herbal teas clash with chai, kombucha and mate. Coconut milk, fortified waters, and performance and recovery drinks battle for health-minded consumers. Ready-to-drink coffee continues to perk, fueled by millennial interest and convenience.