At PadillaCRT, we’re a bit obsessed with food. In fact, our Food, Beverage and Nutrition Practice has been in the game for more than half a century.
Like many of the foods we represent, we’re growing.
On Wednesday, we announced that PadillaCRT has acquired FoodMinds, an award-winning food and nutrition communications and consulting company. Headquartered in Chicago, with offices in San Francisco and Washington, D.C., FoodMinds is home to 35 associates, including 14 registered dietitians. While FoodMinds will continue to operate as a separate entity, the combination of FoodMinds and PadillaCRT gives us the third-largest food and beverage practice in the country among independent agencies.
To help introduce FoodMinds, we’ve asked the three agency founders a few questions.
The food and beverage sector is served by public relations and marketing firms of all sizes from specialist boutiques to multinationals. What distinguishes FoodMinds from other agencies?
Ten years ago, we started FoodMinds with an eye toward transforming the way the world thinks about food, nutrition and health to help our clients tell a better story. Our teams include registered dietitians and subject matter experts from around the globe who understand the food and nutrition environment. We engage with these experts to build effective programs and campaigns that help our clients achieve their goals.
— Laura Cubillos, RD
In a world where the food and nutrition conversation is constantly changing, how can communicators help brands help consumers make healthy lifestyle choices?
There’s tons of opportunity for brands to win in the business domain and help achieve public health gains. The updates to both the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the Nutrition Facts Panel can be leveraged to inform consumers and as an impetus to innovate and delight consumers. For example, we developed a program for Nestlé called Balance Your Plate that encourages consumers to incorporate smart portions of frozen foods into a healthy diet by pairing their tried-and-true favorites, like a piece of lasagna, with a salad and glass of milk.
— Bill Layden
What do you think is the single biggest challenge facing food and beverage brands, companies and/or commodity boards today?
Consumer values are shifting when it comes to food. Consumers still want food to be tasty, affordable and convenient, and now they also want to know how healthy it is, where it is produced, who produced it, whether it’s sustainable and whether companies producing, preparing and serving the food are being transparent. Food and beverage companies are striving to effectively communicate their goals and measure their progress in addressing these challenges.
— Sue Pitman, MA, RD
For more information about FoodMinds, visit their website at www.foodminds.com.