As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2021, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate the opportunities I have been given in an industry traditionally not known for its female-friendly workplaces. Today in 2021, there are organisations in place to encourage more women to set up agencies (I’m thinking of The Agency Collective) and initiatives by associations like The Alliance of Independent Agencies to promote diversity in the agency world. But I rather suspect there were no such organisations or initiatives back in 1987 when Fiona, our CEO, took the leap of faith to set-up what is now known as jellybean.

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Did you know that Canada is the 2nd largest country in the world? To put it into context, it would take you the same amount of time to fly from Heathrow to Dubai, as it would to fly from one end of Canada to the other.

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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?

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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?

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Last Friday (23rd October) we took part in our own Wear It Pink day to raise money for Breast Cancer Now.

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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.

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This September saw jellybeanwork 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.

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This summer has been a busy one for our consumer/retail team with not one but two exciting launches…

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As we continue to struggle as a nation to cope with the impact of Covid-19 on a local, national and international level, and adapt our lives to a new normal in order to keep the R number below 1 and implement strategic lockdowns in specific communities, I stop to reflect on the impact this pandemic is having on our 2020 project helping girls in Zimbabwe continue their education. Whilst we complain about compulsory quarantine after a 2 week holiday in Spain, rally against wearing face masks in busy public places, miss having mass social gatherings with our friends and family and struggle with continuing to work from home in an ever changing landscape, spare a thought for a country that is suffering from a poor harvest, rampant inflation and a growing Coronavirus problem.

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As jellybeancelebrates its 33rd year in business and manages its way through the Covid 19 lockdown I take a rather irreverent look back and reflect on what was happening in the UK in 1987 – the year that it all started and our business was established. I am sure it will jog some memories and I hope it brings a smile to a few old faces who remember those days as fondly as I do.

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Yesterday’s announcement to open up hospitality and UK tourism from 4^th July was just the life line the industry had been campaigning hard for. Married with the unseasonably good weather we’re currently experiencing, it looks like we may be about to see a staycation boom this summer (with Bojo’s blessing). After being cooped up for so long there is a sense that certainly a sizeable chunk of the population rather fancy a change of scene having stared at the same four walls for the past three months.

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In the absence of almost all face to face interactions in our working lives, it’s amazing how quickly in isolation we have adapted and gotten used to viewing each other as small, slightly pixelated digital beings, via video platforms like Zoom or Teams.

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When it feels like we’re living in a Groundhog Day, the task of finding ways to stay positive is becoming a challenge we’re all facing. Whist we’re doing what we should to stay physically healthy, it’s equally as critical we stay on top of our mental health. Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology and host of The Happiness Lab podcast recently spoke about the ways in which we can boost our well-being during these unprecedented times. Here’s the key take-outs from her most recent Q&A:

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Now more than at any other time in recent history, food and drink suppliers, retailers and the whole of the supply chain are in the spotlight as they pull together to feed the nation. For food and drink brands looking to not just survive but thrive through these unprecedented times, now is not the time to step back from trade communications – quite the opposite is true. Stepping up, planning and managing effective trade communications is the right thing to do as it will ensure suppliers are providing retailers, trade press and other key industry stakeholders with the support and information that is desperately needed and so critically important.

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