I didn’t realize that it’s been two weeks already since the last blog post here. So a bit of a long one, with a couple long reads, but all did somehow catch my attention enough to share.
 
 
Came across something that I don’t know how I missed when they first did it (the date of videos online go back at least a year), a flavor profiler. It is a flavor company, but they created a test that will tell what kind of person you are. And further, the ad campaign is about how like-flavor people would make good romantic matches. And they back it up with a study and data.
(link to Campaign: How Knorr’s ‘Love at first taste’ bonded the brand with millennials)
(link to the test on Knorr site)
What’s your flavor?
 
 
Not too long ago Pepsi tried to do an ad with a socialite in an attempt to make a statement on the current mood, tension, and political climate in society.. and it totally backfired on them and they took down the ad the next day. It might be a difficult thing to do, create an ad that makes a strong statement and not come off as an ass. But it can be done, as seen here by Heineken.
(link to AdWeek: Hey Pepsi, Here’s How It’s Done. Heineken Takes On Our Differences, and Nails It)
 
 
While on a bit of a political and cultural bend, here are two more interesting writings about it:
(link to The New Yorker: America’s Most Political Food)
(link to Vice-Munchies: The Struggles of Writing About Chinese Food as a Chinese Person)
Both thoughtful pieces.
 
 
And here is a bit of a feel-good story about a long lost recipe. And hard work and tenacity. Actually it makes me want to start cooking some foods my mom used to make for me.. hmmm…
(link on Bloomberg: A Dying Man’s Lost Recipe Made His Daughter a Multimillionaire)
 
 
As I have mentioned in the past, vending machines, healthy food, and technology all interest me. Here is info on a salad vending business making a leap and expanding.
(link on FoodDive: Salad vending machine company Farmer’s Fridge plans expansion)
(link on the Chicago Tribune: Farmer’s Fridge will expand its salad vending machines regionally)
 
 
And here is one close to my heart (and tastebuds). Two things I like a lot, coffee and chocolate. Information on how they are similar and the science behind them and why they are good for you. As you probably know, I work with ChocoVivo bean-to-bar hand crafted chocolates.
(link to ChocoVivo: The Science Behind Chocolate And Coffee)
 
 
Whole Foods has been in the business news quite a bit lately, so many have opinions on what they should do, or can be done, or … here they break it down to say it is complex, like a chess board where all the pieces are rubber banded together and as you move one piece it puts pressure on other related pieces.
(link to Forbes: The Problem With Whole Foods)
 
 
There has been a fairly recent cottage law in California that makes it possible for home cooks to sell certain non-pershible (bread, candy, etc) to the public. There seems to be a possible expansion of that, to other types of foods. I’ll have to keep an eye on this one.
(link to Civil Eats: A New Law Would Legalize Selling Home-Cooked Food in California)
 
 
Online grocery has seemed to be a tough nut to crack, but Amazon seems to have most of the momentum. Here is some news of Shipt and Costco trying give them some competition.
(link to CNBC: Online grocery start-up ‘neck and neck’ with Amazon as competition heats up)
 
 
Unicorn toast?? really???
(link to the Denver Post: From unicorns to avocado toast, hipster fads jack up food prices)