Good Food Marketing with The Virginia Foodie

I’m sure many of you can relate to this! We've all been through those big moments that suddenly shake up our lives and make us rethink everything – it could be an unexpected illness, a family emergency, a career setback, or even a surprise accident. These are the moments that can turn our world upside down in the blink of an eye. As a marketer, I totally get how these life-altering events can throw entrepreneurs into a loop. So, let's talk about what we, as entrepreneurs, should do when life hits us with significant moments. How can we deal with these disruptions and keep our businesses moving forward, or sometimes, knowing when it's okay to hit the pause button? The key here is having solid plans ready for unexpected business disruptions. I recommend taking time now, before a crisis, to develop a three-tiered plan coded green, yellow, and red like a traffic signal. Green represents your desired state, yellow is your caution zone, and red is the folder you may never want to open, but is there to guide you through the toughest of all decisions. As a leader of my own small business, I completely get how tough it can be to face these situations. But here's the silver lining: having a well-thought-out plan can actually make it a lot easier to navigate these challenging moments. It's like having a trusted friend to guide you through, providing a clear sense of direction and a roadmap to follow when the unexpected comes knocking. And now, I'd like to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for joining me on this year's journey. As we approach the end of 2023, I want to let you know that this marks the final episode of the Good Food Marketing podcast. But hey, it's not goodbye – it's more of a 'see you later'! Keep on growing and innovating with your amazing good food businesses! Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Other Resources Mentioned: SugarBearFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the s Support the show

“You don't know what you don't know until you're in it." Says Emily Harpster in our recent conversation about the growth of her ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville. And she is right. You really don’t know what you’re getting into unless you try it. No amount of planning and studying will make you totally ready (but of course, careful planning and strategizing will help a lot in managing your business)—because some things will always come as a surprise! Before Emily launched her craft food business, what she didn’t know was how fast her brand would grow, how many flavors she could offer, the number of collaborations she would encounter, and how ice cream is an all-season favorite! But all these are sweet surprises Emily welcomed with open arms, and she’s ready for more! In the third installment of our “Year of ice cream,” Emily opens up with the challenges that come with the growth of a new brand, how she manages all the rapid changes as a solopreneur, and how ready she is to continuously share the SugarBear Cville brand through many more channels. It’s really a delight to witness a Good Food brand’s growth and success! Key Points From This Episode: More About the Guest: Emily Harpster is the owner of SugarBear Cville, a very new, very fun, and very local ice cream brand in Charlottesville, Virginia. They make ice cream from scratch featuring local ingredients sourced throughout Central Virginia. Connect with Emily Harpster/SugarBear: WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

Summer 2020 was not the best, but we found pleasure in simple things: like big scoops of craft ice cream. In this episode, we are talking to the owners of Blue Cow, a craft ice cream business here in Virginia. Husband and wife team Jason and Carolyn Kiser offer their insights on what it takes to run a small food business, and for them, it’s all about sourcing as many of their products as possible locally. Their philosophy is one of using wholesome ingredients that are produced in the area and collaborating with local businesses to create a uniquely local product, thereby not only creating a novel experience for their customers but also promoting the welfare of the community at large. With two locations and a third in the pipeline, the Kisers are excited about their journey ahead, despite the challenges they had during the height of the pandemic. The two also talk about their production facility, their hopes of eventually serving wholesale accounts, and the exciting flavors they are working on for the fall and winter. Key Points From This Episode: Tweetables: “Most customers are very understanding of the situation that we are in as well, trying to serve a different way and they are aware of the guidelines and they follow the guidelines for mass requirements such as distancing.” — Jason Kiser [0:06:34] “Our philosophy to ice cream making is, we want to create a great craft product for our customers to enjoy. In the process of making the ice cream, we want to source our products as close to home as possible. If we do have to buy outside of local, we seek out the best products we can buy through our supply chain.” — Jason Kiser [0:09:19] Connect with Jason & Carolyn Kiser of Blue Cow Ice Cream: Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. on Instagram Blue Cow Ice Cream Co. on FacebookRed Rooster CoffeeThree Ships CoffeeFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

Just a few months after our last conversation, Emily Harspter of SugarBear Cville is back on the podcast to give us the latest updates about the progress of her ice cream brand. It’s truly an adventure, she says, to be a one-woman team who has now grown the brand by partnering with seven individual businesses. But it’s a rollercoaster ride worthy to be enjoyed nonetheless. In this sweet conversation, Emily will take us on her journey of growing her good food brand, what she is currently doing, and what she is planning next. SugarBear Cville’s story is also a great testament to how significant your community is in growing your business. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

One of the scariest (or bravest) things a food brand could do is go straight from a recipe idea to the shelf. No market testing or selling in a specialty store. It’s every startup’s dream - or nightmare if done poorly! Emily Harpster of SugarBear Cville has done just that, and her story is a great opportunity to learn about a startup retail brand in the very early stages of development. In this episode, we speak about some of the challenges most startup food brands face and why vision and determination play a huge role in achieving and sustaining success. SugarBear is off to a good start, thanks to some careful plans Emily put in place for her product development. And it’s paid off so far – her ice cream quickly caught the attention of ice cream aficionados like me and other local establishments who are committed to living the good food, good people, good brand life. Emily has graciously offered to keep us up to date with her progress as she tackles the challenge of building a strong regional brand. Listen to learn more about the behind-the-scenes and ups and downs of a locally sourced retail packaged food brand. It’s a rare opportunity to watch a new brand grow from its literal beginnings in retail, and you’ll get the inside scoop from a ringside seat. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Maribette Cafe and Petite Maribette.More About the Guest: Emily Harpster is the owner of SugarBear Cville, a very new, very fun and very local ice cream brand out of Charlottesville, Virginia. They make ice cream from scratch featuring central Virginia ingredients. Connect with Emily Harpster/SugarBear WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

“Don’t judge a book by its cover,” says a popular adage. We like to think we can see past a first impression, but that’s not always the case. And in CPG sales, it’s rarely true. Plenty of shopper research shows how fickle consumers can be right at the last moment of putting your products into their cart – whether it’s in real life or online. Your packaging has to do some heavy lifting: Your entire brand story needs to be available for split-second decisions. Packaging is the silent salesman for your brand; it’s there to speak for you when you aren’t around. In almost two years of podcasting, I’ve found my guests open and generous with their insights into the good food industry. Packaging is a topic that has come up time and again. In this episode, I’ve pulled several clips that speak directly to the challenges small food brands face: design, budget, and getting shoppers’ attention. I’m sharing tips about conducting market research before you begin a design project, new technology that is accessible to small brands, ways to extend your mission of sustainability into your packaging choices, leading your packaging design process with your brand strategy, and how a package redesign project directly impacted the sales success of a small regional brand. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Links to the Full Episodes: Sharing the Joy of Pasta with Chef Stephanie FeesPackaging 101 with The Packaging ChicScrumptious and Sustainable Cookie Biz | Julie StrangeReach For It! Product Packaging Secrets with Watermark Design PackagingElevating Home Bartending | Crescent SimplesStrategy-Led, Design-Driven Branding with Steve Redmond of Rival BrandsIs Your Packaging Helping or Hurting Your Sales?Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

Your website is one of a good food brand’s biggest investments. It is the research hub for both consumers and retail buyers alike. In an industry fraught with ever-thinning margins, it is easy for you to worry that you aren’t getting a big return on that big marketing spend. It may help to consider your website part of a complete marketing system where all communication channels work together. This is where the concept of evergreen content comes into play. “Evergreen” content is writing or imagery that is used beyond a single project. That’s why they’re evergreen—they’re perpetual. But if websites are the most evergreen content, how do you spread that spend across your other communications channels? By repurposing the foundational text to other channels. I get it, though. You got into this business to make food and share it with people. It can be overwhelming to decide what to focus on or know how to choose a vendor partner to help you complete your marketing projects. In episodes 75 and 77, I’ve talked you through the ways you can the ROI of your photography and writing assets. Now, in this third and last episode of our conversation about evergreen content, I’ll share with you tips on extending the life of your website content, because your primary web pages should be the most evergreen content of all. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: The Virginia Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie websiteVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

One of the missions that Good Food brands strive for is sustainability. But in order to foster sustainability, especially in the field of agriculture—the genesis of the Good Food movement, we need to support the ones who cultivate it: our farmers. While farmers are undoubtedly great at growing fresh and healthy produce, finding sustainable ways for their products to reach the tables of their target market isn’t always an innate skill. This is where Myrna Greenfield comes into play as the “good egg” who helps farms and farmers in need. As the “top egg” of Good Egg Marketing, a company she hatched in 2010 that offers professional advice to small food-related businesses and other non-profit organizations. Over the years, Myrna has worked with several farmers, and she discovered one common problem: planning their marketing strategy can be daunting for farmers. In this episode, Myrna shares some practical marketing solutions that farmers and other small businesses can use to build loyal customers and increase revenue. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Other Resources Mentioned: BookWebsiteMore About the Guest: Marketing Your Farm author, Myrna Greenfield, is the “Top Egg” at Good Egg Marketing, a Massachusetts-based business that offers sales and marketing strategies, branding, and digital services for farms and food companies, small businesses, and non-profits. Greenfield hatched Good Egg in 2010 to promote good food and good causes. She’s taught workshops and provided services to more than one thousand farmers. Connect with Myrna Greenfield/Good Egg Marketing: LinkedInInstagramTwitterFacebookFollow The Virginia Foodie here: The Virginia Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie websiteVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

“But I don’t know what to SAY about my brand!” That’s a common complaint of food brand managers. As a food producer, you are probably very creative in the kitchen, but for most people, one area of creative expertise doesn’t always extend to writing. Food bloggers, influencers, recipe developers, writers, writing dashboards and marketing experts are all place you may consider spending marketing dollars to get your brand story told. There are so many options, it’s hard to wade through the choices. So in today’s episode, I talk about how and where to invest in writing for your marketing content, and ways to extend the reach of your budget by planning for and leveraging evergreen topics. Evergreen content can live beyond the initial investment – evergreen topics can be repurposed time and again over the life of your product line. It’s an excellent way to the maximum return on your investment in marketing. You can learn more about evergreen photography decisions in Episode 75. Check out the full episode to learn how, where, and when to invest in several types of writing partners.. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

I’ve discovered a new word—salad-centric! And I’m excited to share its meaning with you, as well as its inventor, Kat Johnson, aka Kat the Farmer. When I first heard the word, I wondered how can a business be so specifically centered on salad. What does it take to run a farm that produces naturally grown crops and herbs while also managing a business that creates packaged value-added food products? In this episode, Kat shares with us how she grows and makes all things salad-connected. This conversation is a walkthrough of her ways and means as a solopreneur: from farming salad crops organically, to making salad dressings, bringing quality products to market, undertaking the standards of being a Certified Naturally Grown brand, and most importantly, living out the Good Food mission. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: More About the Guest: Kat Johnson is known in their community as Kat, the farmer. Growing food is her life’s work. In fact, organic farming has been part of her life since she first began working in agriculture in high school. Since then, she worked on seven different farms across the country and learned from many skilled growers along the way. She was fortunate to put down roots in Floyd County, where she built a beautiful home by hand with the love of her life, Joshua. The food-filled, community-centered, creative, and meaningful work of growing and selling organic food speaks to her heart, urging her to establish this little farm and food company in January 2021. She envisions it becoming a beautiful, productive, and sustainable small farm that provides a joyful life, a livelihood, a classroom, and a community gathering space. Connect with Kat Johnson: WebsiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeFacebookFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

Photography can make or break a food brand. Your photos set customer expectations and help create appetite appeal when you aren’t there to sell your brand or offer someone a sample to try. Photography can be an expensive investment, yet powerful images are vital for your brand’s message. When you finally decide to invest in new images, ensuring that these photos will serve you for several seasons and reasons is also a must. Understanding how and where you will use your images beyond the immediate project can help you maximize your return. Creative freedom and terms of use are on the pricier end of the spectrum. But there are affordable services you may use in the market, too. Hence, the emphasis on careful planning when allotting a chunk of your budget to marketing materials. In this episode, I cover 3 sources of food photography, give a range of cost expectations, and provide tips to consider how, where, and why to spend on each type of imagery. From online services for catalog photos to hiring a studio photographer or collaborating with food bloggers, I got you covered! Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterWork with George DearingMarketing Made EasySupport the show

“You don't know what you don't know until you're in it." Says Emily Harpster in our recent conversation about the growth of her ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville. And she is right. You really don’t know what you’re getting into unless you try it. No amount of planning and studying will make you totally ready (but of course, careful planning and strategizing will help a lot in managing your business)—because some things will always come as a surprise! Before Emily launched her craft food business, what she didn’t know was how fast her brand would grow, how many flavors she could offer, the number of collaborations she would encounter, and how ice cream is an all-season favorite! But all these are sweet surprises Emily welcomed with open arms, and she’s ready for more! In the third installment of our “year of ice cream,” Emily opens up with the challenges that come with the growth of a new brand, how she manages all the rapid changes as a solopreneur, and how ready she is to continuously share the SugarBear Cville brand through many more channels. It’s really a delight to witness a Good Food brand’s growth and success! Key Points From This Episode: More About the Guest: Emily Harpster is the owner of SugarBear Cville, a very new, very fun, and very local ice cream brand in Charlottesville, Virginia. They make ice cream from scratch featuring local ingredients sourced throughout Central Virginia. Connect with Emily Harpster/SugarBear: WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

“If you want steady sales, you need steady marketing.” I heard this first from my friend and mentor, Ilise Benun, but I will never tire of sharing that bit of wisdom. But what does steady marketing mean for the Good Food industry? Well, it means many of the same things as for any business. A healthy, thriving, steady marketing program relies on five components: Steady is the operative word here. Many leaders, from large to small businesses alike, take marketing for granted. So many resources are invested in creating a product, and marketing often comes secondary to production. A common misconception is that sales will come naturally as long as products are made available. Marketing draws buyers to you. Your products won’t sell if they can’t be found. You need a consistent schedule with reliable systems for deploying your tactics, all leading to what every business wants to achieve—sales and growth. This is why I see time-blocking as an integral part of creating a marketing plan. As a leader of your own Good Food business, I know you’re juggling a lot of things at once. That’s why you can’t afford to lose time on those critical marketing projects. Segregating your activities into the right time blocks will help you efficiently manage your business and drive it toward success. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Other Resources Mentioned: Marketing Made EasyFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

All Good Food brands are made up of two integral parts: a mission and a vision. Your mission as a Good Food brand is what sets you apart from the big players in the food industry. It’s what makes you unique. Your vision is how you see yourself as a brand and a player in the food industry in the future. The challenge is this: how do we close the gap towards the vision while staying true to your mission as a Good Food brand? The answer should be easy—strategy. You create a company, create your product offering, sell it to as many people as possible—that feels like a strategy. But is it a sustainable tactic to grow your company? Steve Redmond of Rival Brands believes that everything should be rooted in a fleshed-out strategy that is true to the core and message of the brand. His origin as a graphic designer makes him confident in saying that good branding doesn’t come from the design, packaging, logos, and all that—they all make a whole, and they’re all founded in a good strategy. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: More About the Guest: Rival Brands is the culmination of the 25+ year career of Design Director and Designer, Steve Redmond. Steve is an award-winning designer and has had his work selected for publication in various design annuals such as Communication Arts, Print Regional Design Annual, and Graphic Design USA's Packaging Annual. He has worked for a variety of Vermont's specialty food producers as well as producers spanning the U.S. Connect with Steve Redmond WebsiteLinkedInInstagramFollow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

It’s a fact, defining goals without creating any supporting actions means your targets will never be attained. If you are reaching for steady sales, you need steady marketing to pull those opportunities toward you. Like many of you, I own a small business and all too often the urgency of day-to-day operations takes priority over my own marketing. Having your marketing calendar set for the year helps turn marketing into daily and weekly practices, and not a last-minute rush to hit that promo deadline. In today’s follow-up to my goal-setting episode 69, I’m sharing five steps to creating an actionable marketing plan for the coming 12 months. I’ll start with an update to my own goal-setting work, then walk you through steps you can take to calm the chaos of your own good food marketing. And I’ll close with a preview of some coming attractions for Good Food Marketing in 2023 with me, The Virginia Foodie. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

How do you assure customers that the food you are selling is healthy, safe, and nutritious? The organic label has long been a hallmark of the GOOD FOOD industry, but it can sometimes be difficult to source every ingredient from organic farmers, which keeps your brand from sporting that highly-regulated logo. Certified Naturally Grown (CNG) may be an answer to the issue of mindful ingredient sourcing. CNG offers peer-review certification to farmers producing food for their local communities through natural ways and without relying on synthetic chemicals or GMOs. In this conversation, we are visited by Alice Varon, Executive Director of Certified Naturally Grown, to share us with the CNG label, the organization and what they do, their mission is, and how they support farmers to do what’s best—sustainable agriculture. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

The New Year’s Resolution is entrenched in pop culture. There can be a lot of social pressure to make yours on January 1. But while making your list of this year’s to-dos has been a tradition, following them is often a struggle. There’s not much structure behind how you’ll reach your new life-changing goals. I prefer to set strategic goals for myself and my business. You can create new strategic goals at any time of the year. Still, I encourage you to spend some time during January to craft a thoughtful sales strategy backed by measurable goals for your food business. What I also like about setting up strategic goals is that, unlike the New Year’s Resolution, it is more systematic. You can put a structure behind each target to guarantee it is attainable. In this episode, I summarize 10 mistakes you might commit and should avoid when setting up your goals. How to turn these common mistakes into a list of accomplishments on track for success? Tune in to this episode to find out! Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

To say that 2022 was a rollercoaster year is a vast understatement. Everybody was rushing to rebuild, recalibrate and rectify post-pandemic, while most of us want to start fresh in 2023. Fortunately, I’ve witnessed some fantastic successes in the craft food industry. Whether restaurants, catering, or packed foods, the food business has taken a massive hit over the past two years. So it’s inspiring to see - and be part of - stories of overcoming obstacles and crises averted. This episode chronicles stories from five specialty food & beverage businesses. Listen to the practical lessons from these good food brands: Edwards Smokehouse:Back PocketJoyeBell’s:Nopalera:Crescent SimplesI am sharing tips from these five brands that have succeeded in retail while staying true to their commitment to locally-sourced quality ingredients with responsible, ethical practices. I hope it inspires you to do the same. Because when we are authentic and stay true to our commitment to the good food economy, it’s the consumers who end up being the winners. Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

In the last episode, Anna Bradshaw and I talked about conversion copywriting and how investing in it and your website’s content could help generate sales for your good food business. There were many important topics in that conversation about conversion copywriting, creating good content, and drawing in customers to your business website. I thought the issue deserved a closer look. A frequently overlooked part of the business, copywriting is the foundation of everything your customer experiences. Investing in great content should increase your ROI, especially if you repurpose your content for different communication channels. “Message matching” across all your marketing touchpoints will drive customers to your site, encouraging them to click that “buy now” button. Join me as I share some actionable steps you can take today to help improve your close rate. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show

As a good food brand, you need to emphasize the good in your brand. And when we say good, we don’t just mean the delicious, healthy, sustainable products you create. We also mean the good story behind your pursuit of success in the good food economy. It’s not enough for your story to travel word-of-mouth in your community. It’s essential to build your brand around your philosophy, and the best way for your mission to guide your brand is to put that story into writing. This is where Anna Bradshaw’s job as a conversion copywriter comes in. Anna believes in the power of your story—the power your brand mission holds. All she needs is the right angle to frame a fitting choice of words and the online space to do so. Her job as a conversion copywriter helps brands like yours tell your story so you can make more sales online. In this conversation, Anna shares the significance of copywriting for setting up our businesses for success. Virginia Foodie Essentials: Key Points From This Episode: Follow The Virginia Foodie here: VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show