Before the craft drinks revolution, genuinely tasty beverages that were founded on taste and creativity, rather than global branding and mass-production, were hard to come by. Fortunately, flavour and brand character now abound in beers and spirits, and the big global brands are scratching their heads, or just buying up the craft brands to compete! […]
Recently I was given the opportunity to take on a new role at GSK HQ in London. Living here again after 15 years my first impression is that not much seems to have changed – great curries, crammed Underground, pre-occupation with the royal family, lengthy and repeated discussions on the weather (remains a national pastime) […]
“Today, we declare a new front in the battle for good beer. This is a new chapter in the craft beer revolution. This is all or nothing.” Few campaigns start with such emotive words, but this was how BrewDog co-founder James Watt described the launch of Punk IPA’s audacious push to increase its customers by […]
After a great night in with mates, drinking beer and playing music together, a friend of mine took a closer look at his beer can and exclaimed; “Guys! We’ve been drinking alcohol free beer!”. They all laughed, and couldn’t believe they hadn’t noticed! He mentioned that much to his own surprise he had really enjoyed […]
We are emotional beings when we buy food and drink brands. However much we deny it, our instinctive behaviour tells a different story. In a crowded and noisy supermarket aisle, our brains are inundated with information overload, which we struggle to rationally compute at speed. Our modus operandi default position is to buy brands that […]
Nestlé leave no Kit Kat uneaten. If quality assurance deems that a certain Kit Kat not up to standards, it will simply go in the reject pile, ready to be crushed and used to fill other Kit Kats. Other food manufacturers may have simply discarded these flawed products, adding to the 1.7 million tonnes of food that […]
The UK’s beer market has transformed in recent years. Even though consumption is down, we are spending more on beer – an extra £44.5m in 2016 – and this has created a renaissance in brewing. The number of breweries in the UK has risen by 65% since 2011. There are now more than 1,700 of […]
Artisan brands. They’re everywhere. Our supermarket shelves, local high streets and online retailers are full of brands and products claiming craft credentials. Indeed the use of the term has become so pervasive how do we know what’s real? We all know the customer is king. We’ve been brought up on the marketing principle that it’s […]
The commercial value of heritage to food and drinks brands is well known. It engenders loyalty, even love sometimes. It attracts consumers, both at home and overseas. It is a source of differentiation. Many a heritage brand has succeeded because it has capitalised on its long history, its inherent Britishness and its reputation for design […]
Wine consumption has traditionally been associated, especially in mature wine markets, with food. However, in recent years recent years we have witnessed a sharp resurgence of occasional consumption linked to festivities, social gatherings and special occasions. Nowadays, consumers opt for wine as a drink of pleasure, capable of enhancing the sensorial aspects of a good […]