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:Hitting that low sales number without a plan can often instill panic, causing you to grab whatever comes your way which may not be the right kind of partner for a healthy, thriving business.  - Georgiana DearingCreating your own color-coded plan is a way to decide what items are the most important to you about your business, then you get to make a plan that provides solutions that fit your style. - Georgiana DearingFacing tough decisions is never fun, but when you've left yourself a road map, It gets a little bit easier. - Georgiana DearingEven if it's just a short-run miniature product line, please make sure it's profitable. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:It is not common for Entrepreneurs to encounter life events that can abruptly shift their prioritiesThe three-tiered plan – coded green, yellow, and red – is used to deal with life events and business planningGreen stands for your ideal business model Yellow represents your alert stageRed is your emergency status defining how to wind it all downHaving plans and roadmaps makes tough decisions a little bit easierEmily Harpster of Sugarbear Cville demonstrated resilience and innovation during challenging times through creating unique ice cream flavors inspired by a personal life eventOther Resources Mentioned:SugarBearFollow The Virginia Foodie here:VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the sSupport 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:Emily Harpster is back on the podcast to talk about the recent improvements of her craft ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville.SugarBear Cville is a Good Food brand manufacturing ice cream from locally sourced ingredients. Emily has been able to grow her food brand in part because of support from the tight-knit community of Charlottesville, Virginia.During the fourth quarter of 2022, Emily realized that summer is not solely the “big season for ice cream.” With the right retail business connections, ice cream can become an all-season bestseller.Playing with seasonal flavors and themes for the holidays has become Emily’s way to keep SugarBear Cville’s product line interesting and enticing all year round.Narrowing down the flavors to a standard set plus adding a rotation of seasonal flavors has become a promising strategy for SugarBear Cville to maintain predictable cost controls.Since one of the missions behind this Good Food brand is to build community, SugarBear Cville has been active in collaborating with other brands and businesses. She recently did a kitchen takeover with Bowerbird Bakeshop, gave the flavor of the month proceeds back to a local nonprofit, and is currently planning a collaboration with Charlottesville High School through their urban farming program. As a solopreneur, Emily is still learning to balance the growth of her brand and the volume of units she can produce and sell. But she has developed systems that work for her now, and she can adapt them as her company grows.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:When they started their business, opening another location, and future expansion plans. What’s in a name: Why Blue Cow is a nod to the Blue Ridge mountains Jason talks about the pandemic and their fast pivot from walk-up scoops to take-home pints.Blue Cow’s expansion to a new production facility.The Kiser’s philosophy on small-batch ice cream and sourcing the ingredients.Small batch is really small: including basil sourced from a micro-farm in their neighborhood.Hear about their key partnerships with local companies and some examples of collaborations. Jason talks about making small batches and their plans to supply other foodservice outlets.  Their most popular flavors and the new ones to look forward to in each new season.  How their family life and kids inspired them to fill the need for craft ice cream in the area.How to connect with and become a customer of Blue Cow!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:I feel like I figured out a few systems and other things that are going to allow me to grow and aim for this next phase with a little bit more intention. - Emily HarpsterI had this idea to build out a brand that was really a platform for showing off local stuff. - Emily Harpster[The photographs] sent me down this rabbit hole of realizing I could focus on taking pictures of strong, beautiful people, doing interesting things in and around Charlottesville, and use the tiny light I have to shine a light on their work and what they're up to. - Emily HarpsterThese are just unbelievable people doing great things. And I want to celebrate that—some are more visible in the community and people know about it, while some are the kind of quiet thing that doesn't get celebrated as much but is still really incredible. And so I would love to diversify and build out that roster and make it really inclusive, interesting, and engaging. - Emily HarpsterKey Points From This Episode:A catch-up session to update how SugarBear is doing so far from its launch in 2022 and the initial conversation with the VA Foodie in June.SugarBear has been able to establish organic relationships to collaborate with seven individual businesses, in part thanks to Charlottesville’s tight-knit local food community.Production as a one-woman team with seven ice cream outlets is a wild adventure, so figuring out a system that works is vital to the growth of the brand.Charlottesville’s tight-knit community has also allowed SugarBear to easily find a supply of local ingredients even as the demand for the ice cream has increased.After trying out 63 different flavors during her first season, SugarBear is now moving to a curated list of flavors. Having a huge variety of flavor offerings, though, has helped in the company’s market research.SugarBear’s website is still reflecting the changes happening to this small business. The plan, however, is to update the site with beautiful marketing photos of Charlottesville’s locals in an attempt to weave SugarBear into the community and to highlight the beautiful and interesting work and life of the townsmen.SugarBear has a growing list of wholesale partners: coffee shops, cafes, and wineries, and from here, the ice cream brand is looking for interesting partnerships that are strategically sustainable on both ends.The next step for the business involves strategizing for these areas: Branding, packaging, marketing, social media, and partnerships. 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:Ice cream is a thing that really makes people happy. - Emily HarpsterIce cream is a little bit disarming and really charming. A lot of times, when I share with people that I do ice cream, they want to tell me about their favorite ice cream memories or a happy story or their favorite flavor. And it's a really wonderful moment to have. - Emily HarpsterWhen you're running a scoop shop, you're running a restaurant. It's a location, it's the interior design, it's the staffing,  and then you have to get the foot traffic. It's a whole different way to market your business. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Charlottesville has a growing food scene that is beginning to rival nearby Richmond, Virginia.SugarBear is carried by a fan favorite over on vafoodie.com, Maribette Cafe and Petite Maribette.It’s essential to connect with like-minded brands to help establish your brand.Startups with an eye at grocery retail should consider SugarBear’s approach and go straight to packaged retail products bypassing farmer’s market and pop-up shops.Watching a new brand grow from its literal beginnings in retail is a chance to uncover answers to those burning questions: What makes a startup tick? What choices do startups face? What marketing challenges do they need to overcome during the first year as a startup food manufacturer?Having a clear vision and determination can shift a dream to a goal with an actionable business plan.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/SugarBearWebsiteInstagramLinkedInFollow 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:Packaging is your silent salesman. Your package design needs to tell your brand story when you aren't there to explain it to the shopper. - Georgiana DearingConfusing your audience and making it hard for them to use your product is never a good idea no matter the cost savings. - Georgiana DearingLinks 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:Evergreen content is writing or imagery that you create that is used beyond a single project. The opposite of evergreen content is trending content. - Georgiana DearingYou definitely want to use trending topics, especially when they're appropriate for your brand, but you shouldn't spend too much time or money on fleeting messages. The core of your marketing investment should be in content that reaches as far as it can. - Georgiana DearingA website is one of the biggest investments a brand can make, and your primary web pages should be the most evergreen content of all. - Georgiana DearingIt's very, very easy to spend a lot of money on marketing projects that end up not earning you any money later. You sort of just start throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks if you head off without a strategy. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Evergreen content refers to content—whether through writing or imagery—which you create and is used beyond a single project. Trending content is the opposite of evergreen content, and while trends are useful for certain brands and for a period of time, you shouldn’t spend too much time or money on fleeting messages.Your website is the biggest investment that you can make and is a primary source for your evergreen content.In order to maximize the return on your website investment, partner with creative vendors who will add value to your brand story.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:The simplest possible advice you could give is to create a consistent look for your labels. - Myrna GreenfieldIf you’re doing a particular promo, you can send them to a particular landing page on your website. - Myrna GreenfieldI enjoy being in this sector and getting a chance to work with the small producers and help them figure out ways to tell their stories more effectively. - Myrna GreenfieldKey Points From This Episode:Good Egg Marketing hatched from Myrna Greenfield’s idea to combine marketing services for farms, farm markets, and food-related brands.Farmers are the clients closest to Myrna’s heart as she appreciates the work that goes into the farms.Justamere Tree Farm’s label is one of the examples of how she applied simple and effective tweaks for the business.Myrna’s speed marketing plan fits farms that may get overwhelmed with developing marketing plans.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:When looking to work with food bloggers, look for bloggers who are a good fit for your brand. - Georgiana DearingBefore you sign any contracts with a food blogger, ask for use rights for the recipe and the photographs. - Georgiana DearingIt's a confusing industry. So, you’d want someone who can add insights to your brand, not someone that you’d need to educate. - Georgiana DearingNever consider paying an influencer with free products. - Georgiana DearingA food blogger who posts on their site can help raise awareness of your brand to a new audience and provide validated backlinks to your site, which helps improve your organic SEO search results. - Georgiana DearingOne way to get evergreen content is to form a relationship with a writer who will develop your brand story over multiple posts. - Georgiana DearingHiring a marketing expert is going to be your biggest investment but don't let the price scare you away. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Explore these written content investments to upscale your website and business:Food BloggersRecipe DevelopersPaid WritingMarketing ExpertsFood bloggers offer unique content and viewer traffic that links from their site to yours.Recipe developers are direct hires whose contents stay within your domain.Professional writers have different expertise levels and areas. It is more cost-saving to hire from a writing dashboard over time.Marketing experts focus on strategizing content to drive your sales goalsFollow 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:I grow and make things that belong in salads. So everything I grow is tailored to that genre of food and eating. I grow salad crops and herbs. I make salad dressings and I also prepare salad kits. - Kat JohnsonFloyd County is a really special place, and community is a key word to describe it. It's very rural, in Southwest Virginia, and it's an agricultural community. So there are lots of farmers, beef, cattle farmers, and veggie farmers. There are lots of farmers who are like me growing and using organic practices, which is pretty special. - Kat JohnsonKey Points From This Episode:Kat the Farmer is a salad-centric farm and food company based in Floyd County, Virginia.A salad-centric farm and food company means that Kat grows and makes things that belong to salad—grow salad crops and herbs, make salad dressings, and prepare salad kits.She manages what she calls a “farmlet”—a quarter acre of land where she grows her salad crops and herbs.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:Evergreen content is anything you create that can live beyond a single use. - Georgiana DearingWhen planning your budget and deciding how to invest in your marketing assets, be sure to consider the life of the content. - Georgiana DearingPeople love to support craft beverage brands by making work-in trade. What you need to remember is that nothing is really free. - Georgiana DearingA pro photographer should be the person you turn to when trying to capture lifestyle imagery and very specific brand messaging. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:You control content in these 5 places:Your WebsiteYour PackagingYour Sell Sheets and CatalogsEmail MarketingSocial Media StreamsEvergreen content is a way to make your marketing budget stretch further. Evergreen content is anything you create that lives longer than a single campaign.The opposite of evergreen content is trending content or anything with a limited lifespan in your communication channels. Planning photography beforehand ensures you can get the most use out of the photos you purchase. Plan your photoshoots before you seek quotes.Catalog photography is necessary for eCommerce and your sell sheets and catalogs.Catalog photography can also be used in social media and email marketing, especially if you are able to change the background to a more exciting, topical style.Professional photographers are your most significant investment, giving you the broadest creative control.Hire Professional photographers for lifestyle photography and photos that convey a brand message. Food Bloggers are another resource for photography, but they give you limited creative control.Use stock photography and copyright-free images thoughtfully and with caution.Read the fine print of your contracts and licensing agreements.Hiring a photographer can be complicated and expensive, but you can get the most potential out of your product.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:Emily Harpster is back on the podcast to talk about the recent improvements of her craft ice cream brand, SugarBear Cville.SugarBear Cville is Good Food brand manufacturing ice cream from locally sourced ingredients. Emily has been able to grow her food brand in part because of support from the tight-knit community of Charlottesville, Virginia.During the fourth quarter of 2022, Emily realized that summer is not solely the “big season for ice cream.” With the right retail business connections, ice cream can become an all-season bestseller.Playing with seasonal flavors and themes for the holidays has become Emily’s way to keep SugarBear Cville’s product line interesting and enticing all year round.Narrowing down the flavors to a standard set plus adding a rotation of seasonal flavors has become a promising strategy for SugarBear Cville to maintain predictable cost controls.Since one of the missions behind this Good Food brand is to build community, SugarBear Cville has been active in collaborating with other brands and businesses. She recently did a kitchen takeover with Bowerbird Bakeshop, gave the flavor of the month proceeds back to a local nonprofit, and is currently planning a collaboration with Charlottesville High School through their urban farming program. As a solopreneur, Emily is still learning to balance the growth of her brand and the volume of units she can produce and sell. But she has developed systems that work for her now, and she can adapt them as her company grows.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:Your sales strategyYour annual marketing planA reasonable budgetA consistent scheduleReliable systems for deploying your tacticsSteady 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:A healthy, thriving, steady marketing program relies on these five components: your sales strategy, annual marketing plan, a reasonable budget, a consistent schedule, and reliable systems for deploying your tactics. - Georgiana DearingAs a leader, time management is one of the hardest things you may have to face. - Georgiana DearingPutting marketing on your calendar as a task to attend to is central to having a steady, consistent marketing machine that pulls prospects to you in ways that support your sales goals. - Georgiana DearingLiving in a perpetual state of urgency can cause burnout and even result in some health issues. Time blocking is one tool that allows you to focus on specific functions of running your business during specified times. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Like any other business, Good Food brands need a healthy, thriving, steady marketing program that relies on five components: sales strategy, annual marketing plan, reasonable budget, consistent schedule, and reliable systems for deploying tactics.As a leader, it isn’t easy to manage time, so it is essential that you set an effective time management strategy.Sometimes you can’t adhere to your time-blocking plan, especially in sickness, crisis, or other unexpected events, but it’ll help get you back on track.Marketing projects won’t happen unless you prioritize them.What time-blocking looks like for me and my business: Monday is for marketing, Tuesday’s for outreach, Wednesday is set for money, Thursday is for coaching, and Friday is for thinking and any overflow tasks.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:I operate in the idea that a brand is simply an idea. And you create a product as the primary way to share that idea. - Steve RedmondThat's the gist: there's a whole bunch of ideas that generally need to exist inside and outside of your business. And as the leader, you are likely the one that has to be t in command of what those ideas are. They all have to be in sync. - Steve RedmondHaving a strategy in place means that a lot of the decisions that go into the packaging are no longer subjective. They're based on specific things that you're trying to communicate. - Steve RedmondStrategy sets the standard, the priorities, the messages, and it gives you the script. There are still a lot of ways it can manifest graphically, but at least, it allows you to come up with solutions that all meet the same criteria. - Steve RedmondKey Points From This Episode:Steve Redmond started as a graphic designer and evolved to an art and creative director and then to launching his own business. Currently, he owns Rival Brands, and he’s been serving the food community for about two decades.He likes working and connecting with food brands that have a clear mission and are defying the trends and the structure already established in the food industry.More than leading a design-driven branding and packaging studio, the solutions that his company, Rival Brands, offers are not only through visuals but are founded and focused on strategy.In his speaking engagement at the Winter Fancy Food Show, “Your Revolution Needs to be Synchronized,” Steve talked about how a brand is just an “idea.”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 RedmondWebsiteLinkedInInstagramFollow 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:We all struggle with the constant issue of operations getting in the way of marketing. By operations, I mean the day-to-day running of a business, a department, or even your primary job description within a good food brand. - Georgiana DearingMost of the information I share stems from mistakes I’ve made in my work and the lessons I learned to avoid making them again. - Georgiana DearingThe beauty of setting smart goals for yourself is that you'll still make progress, especially if you're checking in on your strategic plan regularly. Sometimes the progress you are tracking is reflected as refinement, and that's okay. - Georgiana DearingIt is lovely to have a mission-based business, but not one of us should be so altruistic that we will do all of this work for free or low pay. - Georgiana DearingContent buckets are the underpinnings of your brand messaging, and for good food brands you have four natural buckets to start with: your mission, your products, your products in use, and your community. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Goal setting should be comprehensive, specific, and as succint as possible.When creating your list of goals, you should start with a clear description of the end result you want to achieve.After clearly defining your goals, the next step is to create an action plan to help you hit your targets.To create your annual marketing plan, start with these 5 steps:Step 1: Create a marketing calendarStep 2: Block in your marketing tacticsStep 3: Set your brand holidaysStep 4: Create content themesStep 5: Define your content bucketsIf you are interested in more guidance, pre-register for my QUICK START: Social Media Calendar. I outline the Annual Marketing Plan because it’s the foundation for a year of content planning, too!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:[Certified Naturally Grown] is an assurance that the food was grown without any synthetic chemicals or GMOs, with attention to soil and ecological balance. - Alice VaronThe cool thing about our certification program is the participation in the program involved. More than just getting the label, you actually have to be engaged and agree to conduct an onsite peer review. - Alice VaronMost of the farmers who join Certified Naturally Grown are joining because this is how they farm.  It reflects their values. They're committed to working in harmony with nature, and they want to get some credit for that beyond just saying, so they want a certification to verify that this is how they farm. - Alice VaronIt's a big leap not just financially to become “certified organic,” but it's a knowledge-intensive occupation to farm this way, and so conventional farmers really need support in making that transition as well. - Alice VaronKey Points From This Episode:Certified Naturally Grown is a badge in the marketplace that assures the food was grown without any synthetic chemicals or GMOs, with attention to soil and ecological balance.Certified Naturally Grown takes pride in its high standard of certification as it attracts farmers who have high standards for themselves and involve them in peer-reviewing the ways and means of other participating farmers.Certified Naturally Grown is a label different from Organic. While CNG also follows the USDA standards, its certification model is tailored for direct market farmers who are growing food for their local and regional communities. Their certification model relies on peer review inspections that are carried out by participating farmers, which allows them to connect with one another, share their knowledge, grow, and learn from the experience of having that peer review inspection.There are standards and criteria set for the peer review and it leans in on transparency by posting inspection reports on the website.The transition from conventional farming to organic is a difficult thing to do, so farmers who would want to go through that transition should be supported.The CNF certification also fits other business models.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:I am not a big fan of the New Year’s Resolution. My aversion is that I think, for most people, it’s a fabricated marker. They’re hoping to reinvent themselves just because the calendar has turned a new page. - Georgiana DearingThe New Year’s Resolution is so entrenched in pop culture that there’s a lot of pressure to make one on January 1. Yet, there’s not much structure behind the process of creating and then keeping it. - Georgiana DearingYou need a method to keep your goals visible so you can review them monthly, weekly, or at some other regular interval. - Georgiana DearingDeadlines create a sense of urgency. It is a marker that forces you to pay attention to your long-term plan. - Georgiana DearingIn most of your day-to-day accomplishments, your goals should push you and not break you. - Georgiana DearingThe true benefit of setting goals isn’t the payoff of hitting them. The growth happens because you’re trying to reach new heights. - Georgiana DearingSetbacks will happen to you too. But with clearly defined goals -- created with an understanding of where each goal fits within your strategic plan -- when lightning strikes, you’ll be able to pause, take a breath, pick up the threads, and move onward. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:The New Year’s Resolution is a fabricated marker with no structure or process, making it harder for most people to achieve.Instead of a New Year’s Resolution, a more feasible way to begin the year is to set strategic goals for yourself and your business.January is a slow time of the year for most of the food industry, so this month is an excellent time to review your business and marketing strategy.Most people make these common 10 mistakes when setting goals for themselves and their businesses.Knowing these common mistakes will help you turn them into a list of accomplishment tracks for success.The positive aspect of setting goals isn’t about hitting your target but the growth and development you get from working toward a goal.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: the value of sticking to the principles of being a good food stewardBack Pocket: maximizing the off-season to connect with your network of suppliersJoyeBell’s: strategically switching from a small bakery brand to a manufacturing business model amidst a crisisNopalera: understanding the retailer you are choosing to partner withCrescent Simples: how strategic investment in design helps grow salesI 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:Stay focused on heritage, organic, and quality ingredientsForm strong partnerships with your farmersRecognize that getting into retail chains takes a LOT of time, so plan for slow growth.Do your homework and choose those retail partners wiselyInvest in good package design to be sure that your hard-won spot on the shelf continues to work hard for youFollow 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:Landing pages are destinations for your site, and the intention is for the viewer to have only one obvious action. Your product page has one obvious action: putting the product into the cart. - Georgiana DearingGood writing helps close sales; poorly written descriptions and poorly organized content can turn shoppers away. - Georgiana DearingThe goal of all content design is to make it as easy as possible for the readers. - Georgiana DearingThere’s no hard and fast rule about the length of a product description. What you need to consider in your product details is the content that will add value to your readers and help them choose to buy from you. - Georgiana DearingYour product page is the place to share that great news. Social proof sells, and you need social proof on your site. - Georgiana DearingKey Points From This Episode:Product descriptions help turn clicks into sales, but many brands still need to improve this aspect on their sites.Your product page is the “last mile” of the sale. How you set up that page will make or break the sale for you.Invest in your product description. Invest in good writing. Good writing helps generate sales, while poorly written descriptions and unorganized content do not attract shoppers.The product name on your site and your packaging should match. It makes it easier for customers to find your product.The “price” and “buy now” buttons should be as close to the top of the listing as possible. This placement in the site makes the purchase decision as easy as possible for your customers.Shipping information on the site should be clear and located near the product price.Include a subhead that would sell the product in a concise manner.The first paragraph of your product description should answer customers’ initial questions about the product.Your product description should also include product expectations about the flavor, quality, quantity, and what to expect in the shipment. Make sure to include a review feature on your site, as it’s becoming a basis for people to buy your product.Make it easy for your customers to spread the love by adding share buttons for Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Shared posts create direct links to your products. They help your product rise in popularity and organic search results.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:I like to blend the best practices for sales with the brand personality. - Anna BradshawYou have to paint a clear picture with words and use the copy to reduce the perceived risk of buying something online…. We can use our copy to minimize that risk, to build trust right off the bat. - Anna BradshawWe eat with our eyes first…. Words can’t save you if you have unappetizing-looking photos. - Anna BradshawIn the end, it’s the same thing. It’s writing a message that someone wants to read and will take action based on that message. - Anna BradshawIt’s really wonderful to have a vision of a lifestyle that fits into the core values you put into making your product. - Anna BradshawThe best business relationships are always built on trust. - Anna BradshawKey Points From This Episode:Conversion copywriting puts an emphasis on getting people to take action. These actions might be anything but not limited to the following: purchasing, subscribing to the email list, following on social media, sharing, etc.Anna Bradshaw approaches conversion optimization by trying to blend in best practices of persuasion tactics, information, and sales that fit the company’s brand vision. It’s working on balancing the fine lines of these approaches.For food brands, it is a must to establish an online presence, and this is where a [sales] copy takes a significant role.One thing to remember for food brands: Appetite appeal is a driving factor in food sales.Knowing your audience and your target market—the Streakers, Strollers, and Studiers. But the end goal is to make sure that they can spot the most critical messages right away from the copy, no matter what type of audience they are.Anna has worked on various brands, making her flexible and experienced as a copywriter. So far, she has written for the following: consumer-packed goods like beverages and food brands, skincare and beauty, apparel, jewelry, events, etc.Maximizing your business’ website is vital, especially carefully crafting your landing page, homepage, and about page.Aside from content, design, font and font size, colors, and pictures all factor in converting your audience’s clicks and making them valuable.Proof of sales, such as customer reviews, is very helpful in establishing a brand. Being covered in the local newspapers and news press mentions is equally essential.Follow The Virginia Foodie here:VA Foodie websiteThe Virginia Foodie on InstagramVA Foodie InstagramVA Foodie on TwitterSupport the show