Monique Drummond’s Post

Friday Food Fandom Many LinkedIn posts focus on growth. Personal growth. Business growth. Here’s one about nature, showing its uncanny and ever-amazing ability for growth in its simplest form. There’s lots to learn from planting. And even more you need to learn from foraging. There’s many experts out there to help you. Great books to read. Better still, a groundswell of social posts of people willing to share their views, ideas and triumphs. I’m hungry to learn more and it may never be enough. The best is when things work out despite (rather than because of) your best efforts. Like business, there is so much you cannot predict. (don’t get me started on this ‘summer’, slugs and snails or the randomness of what makes a good year for wild mushrooms). It’s become even more satisfying whenever I have Ivy, my grand daughter in tow. She’s as keen a helper and as curious as anyone I know. Endless questions … only some of which I can answer (or understand). She’s already adept at picking ‘only the red tomatoes’ and eating blackberries faster than I can pick them. Bad weather doesn’t daunt her. What I have learnt is that I love growing things. And sharing the success of what I have grown (or foraged). It’s truly, purely and wonderfully satisfying. Do give it a go if you haven’t already. I can’t recommend it enough.

CX principles also apply to parenting … great thoughts here from Amy, our own in house expert.

Relish had a brilliant team get-together on Thursday last week, joined by sister agency RED C Research. As a great ice-breaker (not that we really needed one!) everyone was asked to name a surprising fact about themselves. Wow - what an eclectic crew we are... It really struck me that learning about the diverse range of interests, prowess and experience held within any team is a core ingredient of a solid united culture. It leads to great conversations and builds friendships. With hybrid working and a geographically widespread team - engineering these sessions is even more important. It was a cracking start to the day - setting a really positive scene to share news about our solid growth this year, the new products we're developing, and exciting plans and ideas for the future. Many thanks to Simon Thompson and Richard Colwell for putting the day together and to everyone for such a great day (and evening). Below is our list of little known personal facts... would love to hear yours.

My Friday Food Fandom this week is … Mejuicer - a brilliant brand of ginger-based shots (and now also available in larger bottles). There’s a lot to love about this brand - the Founder, Joe Roberts-Walker used to be in market research and put his consumer knowledge into practice launching this range. He’s also a great (and funny) guy with a great start-up story - they make any meeting or event go with a real bang. We’ve used them for our own round tables and breakfast events. (If they’re good enough for Spotify, Google, Vodafone, BT Group, Heinz, LVMH and Soho House to name a few - they’re definitely good enough for Relish!) Mejuicer is a real point of interest, chat and memorability - especially when hosted by Joe. - the taste of their drinks. They pack a punch (and I am yet to try their new chilli variety) … if they don’t wake you up, nothing will! - their ethos and ethics around sourcing, sustainability and recycling

It was a great day - superbly organised. Thanks Simon Thompson and all support team and speakers.

A great post, thanks Joel Barlow. There’s a vast difference between a super market and a supermarket in the Fresh category. From our extensive experience in this category over the years, the Relish view would be … The shopper is in control here. This display feels more honest. It screams ‘fresh’. It feels like everything has come straight from the field, farm, orchard, greenhouse. It doesn’t suggest ‘industrial level farming’. You almost feel like you are ‘picking your own’ - these displays invite a tactile connection. You can touch the food (creating an immediate connection, sensorial pleasure and reassurance.) You can buy just what you need and avoid waste. Like a garden, these displays have to be tended and cared for. I’d suggest Produce department uniforms should be different, have ‘gardener cues’ rather than the same ad other store staff - drive this perception even further. What works for profitability, speed / colleague time, waste levels, cost efficiencies does not always work for the shopper. As an aside, last week, I included a bag of 6x pre pack apples last week in a rare online order. One in the middle was very badly bruised. Yes, one bad apple can indeed spoil the barrel (and confidence in Ocado Retail online shopping I trialled for the first time) #shopper #supermarket

What a star-studded line-up of interesting projects! Congratulations to everyone on this short list, especially Charlotte Butterworth and Geoff Tucker from our sister agency, RED C Research.

Thank you James William de Mortimer for this great kick-off to the week. Audacious authenticity and charm - on both sides. Everyone’s a winner. I hadn’t seen this full length social post from the Black Ferns, though their meeting with King Charles and ‘That Hug’ was all over the news last week. And how true, a hug IS ‘very healing’ even if it felt like a scrum. #proudkiwi

Friday Food Fandom. I read a couple of posts this week about the lack of food posts on LinkedIn. I’m an unashamed Bold Bean Co fan as I love this brand for its products, its people and its ethos. They have just launched 3 flavours of baked beans - so excited to order these via Ocado. Baked a fresh sourdough for toasting - can’t wait for breakfast tomorrow …. What would be your Friday Food Fandom brand.

We’re really excited to see this great ad launched today. Sophie could not be a more ideal brand ambassador for Freemans. Creative ‘pre-testing’ is a misnomer, it’s not a pass / fail exam. Rather, the focus should be about evaluation and optimisation - being an ally in the process. We’re fervent believers that consumer input via early-stage individual consumer feedback (never via groups) brings so much to the final execution. Relish loves working with Freemans and MullenLowe UK - an outstanding client team.