Like so many stories relating to charity support, this one concerns itself with family matters. Firstly with the birth of the Royal Marsden hospitals, and secondly with how they have come to help me and my family.
There are so many worthy charities that need support, funding, and resource. Over the years I have donated to many of them and will continue to do so, but The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity will always be my ‘go to’. My loyalty to it will never change, nor will my immense gratitude for the care that the Royal Marsden team gave my father in 1996.
The Children with Special Needs Foundation is my choice for the Jellybean 12 days of giving initiative 2020. I have been a supporter and patron for over 15 years of this wonderful local charity that was all set to celebrate its 25th year in 2020 and ramp up fundraising in this momentous year. Sadly, due to Covid, virtually all activity has had to be shelved and as a result essential funds have seriously depleted. CWSNF was inspired by Nick Ivil (who has Downs Syndrome and is still very involved to this day) and started by the inimitable and tireless Gordon and Ann Parris MBE. What sets this charity apart from so many others is that all the money raised goes to the point of need (all the hard working and enthusiastic team involved volunteer their time and expertise), every request for help is personally considered on its merits no matter how large or small the requirement and it is all about providing life-changing equipment and experiences to children with a wide range of special needs.
POV: you have just spent your Friday night recreating a recipe you found online. You’re super proud of it and want to show it off to all your Instagram followers and post it in the family group chat so you go to take a photo of it… You look at the photo, then the dish, then the photo again and realise the photo really does not do it justice.
In previous years, the night of the Cateys would see me dashing home from the office to quickly get changed into my glad rags and ‘doll myself up’ as best I could on a quick turn-around. Then I’d head up to town by train and cab, arriving in time to enjoy some pre-dinner bubbles and mingle with the gathered throng at The Grosvenor House Hotel, whilst admiring the always stunning ballroom below. This year however was (as most things have been) somewhat different. Rather than a little black dress I was in my working from home uniform of smartish top and gym gear below the waist. Instead of bubbles I had my trusty water bottle and instead of The Grosvenor House I was sat at my kitchen table-come-office in front of my laptop.
As a leading integrated food and drink agency we often get approached by TV production companies looking for food brands to take part in their programmes. However, when the call came earlier this year the production company on the end of the line was not only interested in working with some of our clients, but also with Jellybean. The question was posed…would you be open to coming on the show as a food marketing expert to give your opinion on a range of ads and different recent food marketing trends?
There’s no doubt eating certain foods affects how we feel on a physical level. From the bloating of bread to a face-freshening glow bowl, our gut is highly sensitive to different ingredients and either loves us or loathes us for what we feed it.
I was recently asked by The Grocer magazine to feature in an article about how lockdown and CV-19 has impacted the way buyers and sellers do business. As an agency, like everyone else, we have had to adapt and pivot during these strange times. Together with our valued clients we have been able to navigate through unchartered waters and find new ways of working and new ways of selling. In the feature I discuss many of the strategies and examples of things we have been doing to help our clients find their sweet spot and achieve success with their virtual sales pitches and marketing campaigns.
I can’t imagine when Kate Nicholls accepted the role as CEO of UK Hospitality, the association tasked with representing and lobbying Government on behalf of the hospitality industry, that she thought that anything could be worse than Brexit. But then Covid happened and in order to preserve the education of our nation’s children, hospitality has effectively been sacrificed not once but twice. Cue months on end of Tweeting, letter writing, lobbying, ministerial meeting and generally fighting for the support to keep hospitality businesses and their associated supply chain going during these (yes I’m going to say it) unprecedented times.
Many of us think we only speak one language, the language our mothers used to sing us lullabies, the language we were taught in school, the language we use to communicate with friends, colleagues and loved ones. But there is another language we are all fluent in… the language of food.
Like many of my fellow beans, I consider myself to have a well-rounded palate and a decent set of taste buds. So how (especially with my penchant for Indian takeaways) have I completely missed Pakora?
Plant-based is so much more than just a trend now. It is a well-established industry and lifestyle for many, which is growing across all sectors, with numerous innovative retail products releases and vegan meals launching in big-name fast-food restaurants. I recently attended a webinar which explored the current trends in the plant-based market. Hosted by Fi Global Insights, industry experts across Europe, they shared insightful studies, discussed the current trends, and suggested ways in which we can tap into the current trends. Here are my top 10 takeaways from the webinar:
We all love a Sunday roast, be that at home with our family or in a cosy pub with friends. As the nights begin to draw in and the days get colder, we may find ourselves indulging in this classic British dish more frequently, possibly in an attempt at gaining some sense of normality during this strange time. Let’s face it, Covid coupled with winter is pretty miserable without the smell of a slow-cooked, perfectly seasoned, beef joint or roast chicken wafting into our living rooms as we wait patiently to sit and stuff our faces (and then regret it the next day).
We thought we knew cocoa, until that is we started working with Olam Cocoa to launch their new range of deZaan premium cocoa powders – which made us think again! We couldn’t believe the range of colour and taste variants they had developed, taking cocoa from an everyday staple to something to truly inspire professionals in the kitchen. And it seems the more you discover about cocoa, the more there is to learn – from pH to dutching, fat content to intrinsic and extrinsic colour (who knew!). Working with Olam Cocoa on the launch of their new responsibly sourced professional range has been a real education.
This September saw Jellybean work with flavour innovator McCormick Flavour Solutions to stage its live-streamed ‘End of Summer Sessions’, featuring two of the UK’s most respected chefs hosting two unique digital inspiration demos, from their respective kitchens.
Please note this interview took place before the new regulations were announced on 22/9/20.
This week Lumina’s Hospitality Innovation Series of webinars featured an interview and Q&A with leading chef and restaurateur Adam Handling. Adam started his culinary training as the first apprentice chef at the famous Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. He went on to work in London before becoming sous chef at the Malmaison hotel in Newcastle. He then moved back to Scotland to become the Fairmont Group’s youngest ever head chef at the Fairmount St Andrews. Following that he took on the role of head chef at St.Ermins Hotel in St James Park. From there, he entered and became a finalist in series 6 of Masterchef The Professionals in 2013. Since then he has set up his own group of critically acclaimed restaurants notably: Frog by Adam Handling, Eve Bar, The Frog Hoxton, Adam Handling Chelsea and Ugly Butterfly. Sadly as a result of the impact of Covid19 both The Frog Hoxton and Ugly Butterfly (his zero waste pop-up) have closed, but as one door closes another opens as Adam went on to reveal….
Today, Marketing Agencies Action Group (MAAG) announced its evolution into the Alliance of Independent Agencies, as part of an extensive restructure. The Alliance will lead the agenda of independent agencies and promote the sector’s interests as it faces the negative impact of COVID-19; helping independent agencies to safeguard jobs and boost agency growth.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant and negative impact on the creative agency sector, with as much as a 44% (£19 billion) reduction in turnover and projected job losses of 26% (49,000)1. Independents make up ~90%2 of the agencies in the creative sector which contributes over £43billion to the economy.
As income, jobs, ways of working, and client-agency relationships are reimagined as a result of COVID-19’s impact, it is integral the independent agency sector has a clear and action-focused voice. Until now, the sector has not had a united voice to promote its collective interests and pro-actively lobby policymakers in client-related industry bodies and the Government; the Alliance of Independent Agencies stands to change this.
As MAAG evolves to Alliance of Independent Agencies, it has appointed Matt Sullivan Managing Director, created a Members’ Board, and introduced a triumvirate of co-chairs to drive the agenda of its eight action groups.
Reflecting its change in purpose and structure, the Alliance will respond to the impact of COVID-19 with change-driving activities, including:
Lobbying for government support, such as safeguarding jobs, through independent agency representation as members of The Advertising Association and Federation of Small Business.
Providing independent agencies wider access to valuable resources, building on collaborations with other agency collectives. To date, these include Pimento, TheNetworkOne and Agencynomics.
Empowering independent agencies to more successfully navigate procurement (in an increasingly competitive marketplace) through key educational partnerships.
As the incoming Managing Director, Matt Sullivan will spearhead this change. Formerly US Vice President at The Drum & Head of the Drum Network, and prior to that, Managing Director of the DMA’s International ECHO Awards, Sullivan has extensive experience championing agencies.
In addition to his appointment, the Alliance welcomes its inaugural triumvirate of co-chairs including, Ruth Kieran (CEO, Cirkle), Dino Myers-Lamptey (Founder, The Barber Shop), and Laurence Parkes (CEO, Rufus Leonard). The co-chairs are primarily responsible for distilling the input of the Alliance’s eight action groups (in the arenas of Purpose, People, and Performance) into one united voice.
Matt Sullivan says, “Across my work with agencies of all sizes and disciplines over the last 10 years, the biggest shift has been the desire to collaborate more – especially within the independent community. This will be the key factor behind the success of the Alliance of Independent Agencies. The Alliance is bringing an amazing mix of agencies together, plus support and access to other networks; a level of collaboration that is unusual with the backdrop of competitive membership fees. It feels like the last piece of the puzzle is to unite everybody that works for or alongside independent agencies to create something bigger and more impactful. With all the talent, great work, and increased confidence, I think we can be very ambitious with what we can achieve together. Exciting times.”
The Alliance seeks to unite the thousands of independent agencies, their leaders and everyone that works in the community to make meaningful change. Independent agencies can join the Alliance of Independent Agencies with their first month of membership free, here: allindependentagencies.org/welcome
Alliance of Independent Agencies will continue to deliver the same high-quality services as MAAG, including learning and development, new business partnerships, networking and thought leadership, championing issues, a legal helpline, pitch protection, and agency purchasing power.
Note to Editors:
About Alliance of Independent Agencies:
The Alliance of Independent Agencies exists to represent and celebrate the thriving independent agency community and place it and those that work in it at the heart of the rapidly evolving entrepreneurial creative economy.
The Alliance brings the best and most forward-thinking independent agencies together to learn, share, develop their teams, products and services and connects them to best-practice, new ways of working and cutting-edge technologies and tools. And because the Alliance is run by the independent community, for the independent community we fly the flag for the independents to the entire marketing community.
FAQS – Approved for internal and external responses
What does this mean for the current directors?
Clive Mishon and Graham Kemp will remain as directors of the Alliance and support the executive team. Mishon and Kemp have both built successful independent agencies but are no longer engaged as executives in agencies. Since taking over the old MAA to create MAAG, they have made it an organisation driven by agency people, for the whole community. As the organisation evolves into the Alliance of Independent Agencies, they maintain their roles as directors – responsible for the Alliance’s financial stability and management – and welcome a new managing director and co-chairs. This is a vital step to ensure the Alliance is directed and driven by those actively involved in the day-to-day management of independent agencies.
What does this mean for the non-independent agency members of MAAG?
MAAG no longer has group agencies in membership. Recent membership invitations have been focused on independent agencies as MAAG observed the common interests and effective collaboration between like-minded independent agencies.
The latest Around Arena Webinar saw CGA Insights take centre stage with their wraparound consumer, operator and market view on ‘Out of Home – The Next Phase’. As a leading foodservice agency we logged on to hear what’s ahead for the world of hospitality and foodservice.
