It’s the last episode of The Spectacular Marketing Podcast and we couldn’t end it on a better note than with cider entrepreneur/merchant/hawker, Simon Wright.

We cover:

• Pivoting from ginger beer
• What to do when people start leaving apples on your doorstep
• Tales from corporate working
• Spotting a gap for craft cider in London
• Working with Brewdog
• How cider is like wine
• Protecting and investing in yourself with trademarks
• Having patience
• Not starting something with the sole intent to sell it  

*mic drop*

SIMON WRIGHT

Starting Hawkes in 2013, with nothing more than a tiny London kitchen and a hell of an idea; Simon soon found his flagship product of Ginger Beer in hot demand across the city. Not content with just making, selling and even delivering his Ginger Beer around the capital, Simon’s ambition set him upon the world of Cider, the category that craft forgot. Now heading up a 15 strong team across sales, production, marketing and Hawkes very own Taproom/Cidery (on the Bermondsey beer mile no less) Simon works closely with Head Cider Maker Roberto, to create cider with a singular purpose in mind: To show the world the vast depth of our wonderful drink and unlock the potential behind it.

FOLLOW US:

SIMON / HAWKES

https://www.instagram.com/wearehawkes/

https://twitter.com/wearehawkes

https://www.facebook.com/wearehawkes

WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat    

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularchat 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/spectacular-marketing-limited 

Spectacular people creating Spectacular:Branding.Marketing.Digital.Content. Social.

If your brand needs help with any of these things, please get in touch…[email protected] | 020 7436 0616

We’re delighted to have the Chris Fung, ex CEO of Crussh, and his wealth of experience on the podcast this week. We cover:

• Being undercover boss
• Waiting for the market to come to you
• Overseeing 30+ launches
• Sticking to your principles and brand values
• Serving royalty
• Food tech scene
• Delivery market challenges

LINKS:

An article on the Future of Hospitality and Dining on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-hospitality-dining-chris-fung/

A piece on the Crussh experience and foodtech from the IoD - https://www.iod.com/ingoodcompany/article/my-story-chris-fung

CHRIS FUNG

Christopher Fung is the former CEO of Crussh Fit Food & Juice Bars and now a NED/Board Advisor/Investor in a number of disruptive high-growth potential Food/FoodTech and Ed/EdTech businesses.

He has a wide-ranging background spanning from working at consulting firm Bain & Co across the Sydney, Stockholm and London offices and having previously studied Manufacturing Engineering and Industrial Design.

Having led Crussh for over 13 yrs, Chris is giving back by sharing his experience with the next generation of entrepreneurs and is involved in a number of businesses from Music Tech for restaurants, Healthy pot noodles & Smart Vending machines, to customer engagement tech for hospitality and retail amongst other things!

Ex-CEO || Crussh – Fit Food & Juice Bars

Board Advisor || Ambie – Effortlessly Managed Music for Business

Board Advisor || Cheerfy – Personalising Everyday Customer Experiences

Board Advisor || Feedr – Great Food for the Office

Board Advisor || Mr Lee’s Pure Foods – Award Winning Healthy Cup Noodles

Board Advisor || Nutrifix – Find Your Healthy Nutrition App

Board Advisor || Pasta Evangelists – Restaurant Quality Pasta Delivered Fresh to your Door

Board Advisor || Real Good Ketchup – Taking Sugar off the Table

Venture Partner || Emerge Education – Yoto – A Clever Speaker Empowering Children Through Play

External Council Member || University of Gloucestershire

FOLLOW US:

CHRIS

Twitter: https://twitter.com/_ChrisFung

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat   

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/    

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

We’ve got an information-packed hour this week with Julian Ross from Wireless Social.

We cover:

• 36 things you can find out about someone when they log in to your Wi-Fi through Facebook
• How your Wi-Fi can help you test the effectiveness of your a-board
• Having more data than you know what to do with
• Increasing your TripAdvisor rating
• Why GDPR is good for business

JULIAN ROSS A passionate entrepreneur, Julian is the CEO of Wireless Social, a provider of Wi-Fi and guest analytics solutions for the hospitality sector. Julian’s career began as Audit & Accounts Manager with Josolyne & Co Chartered Accountants & Business Advisers in Cheshire, followed by 8 years as Account Manager at ntl:Telewest. Colleagues past and present testify to Julian’s unique vision, his exceptional interpersonal skills, tremendous energy, and his ability to bring new ideas to the market. Julian set up Wireless Social in 2013. Today the company has over 3,500 hospitality customers and in excess of 11 million active users of its social Wi-Fi service in the UK. FOLLOW US:

Julian Website: www.wireless-social.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julian-ross-48b8899/

WE ARE Spectacular ⠀   
twitter.com/spectacularchat      www.instagram.com/spectacularchat   www.linkedin.com/company/spectacu…arketing-limited Spectacular people creating Spectacular: 
Branding. 
Marketing. 
Digital. 
Content.  
Social. If your brand needs help with any of these things, please get in touch… [email protected] | 020 7436 0616

This week we talk to Carolyn Ball about how food became a trusted friend that ‘spoke’ when she couldn’t. An ally during postnatal depression and an experience that has shaped her perspective on the foodservice industry, and on selling as a profession within it.

We also cover B2B marketing and how businesses can leverage their food offering to reward and attract employees.

LINKS:

Recommended reads – a mix of science, spirit, sales and cultural inspiration.

Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating by Prof Charles Spence https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0241977746/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_L8DwCb0YA20EF

GROW: How Ideals Power Growth and Profit at the World's Greatest Companies by Jim Stengel https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0753540665/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_s8DwCbKZKFKAV

Buffett's Bites: The Essential Investor's Guide to Warren Buffett's Shareholder Letters  by LJ Rittenhouse https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/007182328X/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_Y7DwCbH67BHPS

The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World by Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0735207151/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_U_x_o7DwCbCW4TX8N

Subscribe to The Week, buy The Spectator regularly and really look forward to the FT Weekend - particularly for its ‘Notes from a Digital Bunker’ section.

Recommended podcasts:

TED Talks Daily

The Guilty Feminist

The GaryVee Audio Experience

Live Brave with Margie Warrell

I’d also highly recommend Mark Pitcher’s Smash The Box You Tube channel and the ‘Insight Timer’ app. I *try* (!) to meditate daily with guided sessions, which you can listen to for free.

There are some great courses available too - I’ve just finished an excellent one by Lisa Abramson (£4.99 for 10 days).

CAROLYN BALL

Carolyn, Sales Director at Gather & Gather, has become obsessed by finding out more about how food can ‘speak’ for us - to everyone we care about; how it can *really* contribute to our teams and our customers. Without whom the whole thing folds. Through listening, reading, researching, eating (!) and meeting, she’s developed a hybrid and unorthodox sort of perspective - on the future of food as a different kind of ‘heritage industry’....Her real passion is to hunt for yesterday’s magic and explore tomorrow’s theories; figuring out how we can translate them today. Having transcribed 15th Century recipes and interviewed many an interesting soul for a couple of news desks, Caroline has always seen food as one of the world’s greatest vehicles for communication and revelation.

FOLLOW US:

Carolyn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-ball-7969135a/

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat   

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/    

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

Get ready for a lesson from ideas machine Alan Twigg - everything from how to brief, how to pitch and how to go viral online and be talked about in everyday conversation.

LINKS:

A recent article from Alan: https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2018/10/05/the-future-can-wait-let-s-sort-the-present-first

Flying sushi : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9RKXO1rr7g  

Pizza selfies : https://www.dominos.co.uk/blog/pizza-selfie-ultimate-wedding-gift/  

Corona wave of waste : https://www.campaignlive.co.uk/article/corona-wave-waste-wieden-kennedy-amsterdam/1484584  

Brewdog No Label : https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/blog/no-label

Paddy Power's Hollywood Sign: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddy_Power_Cleeve_Hill_Sign

ALAN TWIGG

As Global Head of Consumer at integrated comms agency Way To Blue, I take a lead role in building holistic creative campaigns for clients across paid, earned and owned channels. Campaigns that embrace PR, advertising, social, digital and influencer communications. We are potent storytellers at heart - bloody good ones at that and we create all our own social content and editorial assets to bring those stories to vivid life in a compelling way. Current clients range from Red Bull, Expedia and InterContinental Hotels Group to Hamleys, Nickelodeon and the gorgeous cognac Camus. Lots of awards over the years, but most importantly I have learned lots and still do every day.

Some notable clients over the years for various reasons - Waterstone's, Hamleys, UEFA Champion's League, YO! Sushi, Dominos, Highland Park single malt, Harper Collins, The National Lottery, Bombardier, Continental Tyres, M & S, Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Grants, Nintendo, Dairylea, Marriott Hotels, Peroni, plus the other 398...sorry, 399 I've worked on in the past....and sorry for those I haven't mentioned - I loved every one - well apart from npower!

FOLLOW US:

Alan / Way To Blue

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed /

Twitter: https://twitter.com/twiggasaurous

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alan.twigg.1

Website: https://www.waytoblue.com/

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀ 

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat   

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/    

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

We’re delighted to have Kieron joining us this week to take us through his hospitality journey and hear practical advice for restaurant managers to help them succeed.   

We cover tipping, attracting talent, attracting customer and making memories.

KIERON BAILEY

“If talking about & building an amazing guest experience is the fuel to my fire then helping you to deliver the same for your guests/customers is the firework show!”

Kieron is an operations specialist who has worked with some of the biggest names on the high street throughout his career; from Hard Rock Café International, Wagamama, Costa Coffee and Scottish &Newcastle, always achieving success through his teams, working with the belief that when you empower your team to achieve great things, they will achieve greatness for our guests.

Throughout his career Kieron realised that he loved the challenge of solving problems in tough sites, from his first adventures in pub management in tough community pubs that needed some love to amazing city centre live venues that allowed him to engage his entrepreneurial spirit and implement his vision for working with the community to deliver extraordinary experiences for his guests.

Throughout his career, Kieron’s service style was based around his philosophy of “Make memories, not stories” this focused his own and his teams thinking on the idea that our guests come to us to make memories and we should strive to be a big part of that, after all what other industry invites us into some of the most memorable moments of their customers lives?

Kieron now works in three key areas, with SME’s to develop their brand and business through the mindset of think local, act national. As a passionate advocate of the coaching strategy throughout the years to develop numerous managers through his career, Kieron operates very much in the sphere of restaurant coaching working with business owners to create their own solutions as experience has taught him that ideas and strategies created within the business are destined for successful results rather than opinions from outside the four walls.

The second area is as a facilitator for blue chip retail clients on topics from leadership, coaching, DiSC Profiling and customer experience, these are all subjects he is passionate about and loves to engage groups with interactive sessions that challenge their thinking and development.

Finally, Kieron is a speaker on the same subjects, but primarily guest experience and the importance of delivering extraordinary experiences that sit with our guests forever in their memories. He hasbeen described as “an engaging and entertaining speaker with a dry sense of humour” Kieron set up his business with one clear goal, to do only the things that make him smile, building businesses, developing people and sharing his knowledge. He is on the right track.

FOLLOW US:

Kieron / The Boy Bailey Speaks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/boybaileyspeaks

Twitter: https://twitter.com/experience_101

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/theboybaileyspeaks/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Theboybaileyspeaks/

Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-boy-bailey-speaks/id1329434487?mt=2

Web: www.theboybailey.com

Email: [email protected]

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat  

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/  

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

We're back with Alison Battisby to get an insight on how social media will play out in 2019... the tools, the platform updates, the trends.

LINKS:

Link to Avocado Social Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/AvocadoSocialMedia/ Link to Strategy Worksheet: https://www.avocadosocial.com/shop/ Our Blog: https://www.avocadosocial.com/blog/ Our Upcoming Events: https://www.avocadosocial.com/events/  

ALISON BATTISBY

Alison Battisby is a digital marketing instructor and social media expert, and founded Avocado Social in 2014 having worked in the social media industry since 2008. Alison has worked with a wide range of start-ups and growing enterprises, as well as big brands including Estee Lauder, Tesco and Pringles.

Alison is an accredited She Means Business Facebook trainer, and has travelled the world training companies including the BBC, John Lewis, Cambridge University Press and Interflora. Alison has been praised for her friendly manner and professional approach, which suits all levels of knowledge and understanding.

The Drum named Alison one of the top 50 freelancers in the UK, and Enterprise Nation named Alison one of the top 50 advisors in the UK.

FOLLOW US:

Alison / Avocado Social

https://twitter.com/AvocadoSocial https://www.facebook.com/AvocadoSocialUK/ https://www.instagram.com/avocadosocial/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/alisonbattisby

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat  

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/  

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

‘Dry January’ might be in full swing, but Luke Boase (the founder of Lucky Saint Unfiltered Lager, 0.5% ABV) sees the alcohol-free market as something much bigger. And with almost a third of under-25s not drinking alcohol… it’s time to take to take it seriously.

We cover:

• The process of creating a low-alcohol beer
• What you drink if you’re not ‘drinking’?
• Going sober for a year
• People coming into the category for a positive reason
• Serving those who are moderating, as well as the pro-sober movement

LINKS:

Lucky Saint Manifesto: https://luckysaint.co/blogs/news/blog-post-2Website: www.luckysaint.co

Going sober: Almost a third of under-25s are not drinking alcohol, researchers find: https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/a-third-of-under25s-are-shunning-alcohol-completely-researchers-find-a3957906.html

LUKE BOASE

Luke Boase is the founder of Lucky Saint, an ambitious new alcohol-free beer brand that is making waves in the London on-trade with their 0.5%ABV Unfiltered Lager.

FOLLOW US: ⠀

Luke / Lucky Saint

https://twitter.com/LuckySaintBeer?lang=en

https://www.instagram.com/luckysaintbeer/

https://www.facebook.com/luckysaintbeer

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat  

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/  

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

We're back at The Hand & Flower Fuller’s pub in Hammersmith to look back on 2018 with Mark Stretton and Mark Wingett.

We cover:

• Football at Boxpark 
• Coca Cola buying Costa
• Amazon pulling out of the delivery market
• GBK “Ruby Murray” burger
• Burger King app campaign 
• Patisserie Valerie
• Wagamama sale
• Fight against plastic

MARK STRETTON

Mark is a former journalist and industry editor.  He started his career on the Sunday Times business desk and used to write about leisure and hospitality, as well as pen the popular weekly column, My First Break (now known as How I Made It).  He joined the B2B press via The Publican as Managing Editor, before going on to become Group Editor of M&C Report (now MCA), Leisure Report and Hotel Report. Mark was at the helm of MCA for six years, building his love, connections with, and knowledge of all things food and drink. He then left MCA in 2011 to launch Fleet Street Comms, with three other people, to help companies in building their reputation and tell their stories.   

Fleet Street Comms is a leading communications, content and creative agency with deep specialism in food, drink, leisure, hospitality, travel and retail. We work with a range of clients including Be At One, Benugo, Bord Bia, Carlsberg, Casual Dining Group, Diageo Reserve Brands, Ei Group, Expedia, Feed It Back, Fourth, Lamb Weston, New River Retail, Startle, Thai Leisure Group, Treasury Wine Estates and Wing Yip PLUS the UK's leading industry membership group, UKHospitality.

Our teams deliver positive, meaningful, effective change through communications, content and creative thinking. For the businesses and brands we work with, we focus on helping them to reach their key audiences, through awareness, relevancy and connections. We advise and support clients across consumer, B2B and corporate campaigns, devising and delivering clear, compelling and concise programmes, on digital platforms, in print, or face-to-face.

MARK WINGETT

Mark Wingett is an award-winning journalist and the former editor of the hospitality sector's leading business newswire MCA. He is currently an industry consultant, and will always be a member of the Green Army (Plymouth Argyle fan!)

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mark Pitcher at https://www.SmashtheBox.me  

Personal and Employee Inspiration, Motivation, Purpose Finding, Executive Coaching

Be inspired every morning at 7.45am Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SmashTheBoxMarkPitcher/

FOLLOW US: ⠀

Mark Stretton / Fleet Street Comms

https://twitter.com/markstretton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-stretton-0b59a08/

http://www.fsc.uk.com/

https://twitter.com/fleetstreetcomm

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fleet-street-communications/

Mark Wingett

https://twitter.com/Wingers76

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wingett-87223826/

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat  

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/  

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]

We took some time out in one of the lovely beautiful bedrooms at The Hand & Flower Fuller’s pub in Hammersmith to look back on 2018 with Mark Stretton and Mark Wingett.

We cover:

• Openings and closings
• Future proofing
• Staff recruitment
• KFC chicken shortage
• Allergens

MARK STRETTON

Mark is a former journalist and industry editor.  He started his career on the Sunday Times business desk and used to write about leisure and hospitality, as well as pen the popular weekly column, My First Break (now known as How I Made It).  He joined the B2B press via The Publican as Managing Editor, before going on to become Group Editor of M&C Report (now MCA), Leisure Report and Hotel Report. Mark was at the helm of MCA for six years, building his love, connections with, and knowledge of all things food and drink. He then left MCA in 2011 to launch Fleet Street Comms, with three other people, to help companies in building their reputation and tell their stories.   

Fleet Street Comms is a leading communications, content and creative agency with deep specialism in food, drink, leisure, hospitality, travel and retail. We work with a range of clients including Be At One, Benugo, Bord Bia, Carlsberg, Casual Dining Group, Diageo Reserve Brands, Ei Group, Expedia, Feed It Back, Fourth, Lamb Weston, New River Retail, Startle, Thai Leisure Group, Treasury Wine Estates and Wing Yip PLUS the UK's leading industry membership group, UKHospitality.

Our teams deliver positive, meaningful, effective change through communications, content and creative thinking. For the businesses and brands we work with, we focus on helping them to reach their key audiences, through awareness, relevancy and connections. We advise and support clients across consumer, B2B and corporate campaigns, devising and delivering clear, compelling and concise programmes, on digital platforms, in print, or face-to-face.

MARK WINGETT

Mark Wingett is an award-winning journalist and the former editor of the hospitality sector's leading business newswire MCA. He is currently an industry consultant, and will always be a member of the Green Army (Plymouth Argyle fan!)

THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

Mark Pitcher at https://www.SmashtheBox.me  

Personal and Employee Inspiration, Motivation, Purpose Finding, Executive Coaching

Be inspired every morning at 7.45am Facebook Live: https://www.facebook.com/SmashTheBoxMarkPitcher/

FOLLOW US: ⠀

Mark Stretton / Fleet Street Comms

https://twitter.com/markstretton

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-stretton-0b59a08/

http://www.fsc.uk.com/

https://twitter.com/fleetstreetcomm

https://www.linkedin.com/company/fleet-street-communications/

Mark Wingett

https://twitter.com/Wingers76

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-wingett-87223826/

Mark / WE ARE Spectacular⠀

https://twitter.com/spectacularmark

https://twitter.com/spectacularchat  

https://www.instagram.com/spectacularmark/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/markmcculloch/  

Do you want to be on the next Spectacular Marketing Podcast? Email [email protected]