CK FLOW

This year, I’ve had something of a eureka moment. Which is quite strange given the current context of global economic uncertainty, costs of goods and fear rising with every news update and the casual treatment of the current genocides and invasions going on around the world ignored by governments. It’s enough to make a small business owner give up entirely and go back to being a corporate drone!

But not this one. I can’t do that. I’m too far gone! And quite honestly, I wouldn’t want to unless it was to do work that felt as impactful or more so than what I do now.

So I decided back in January that I wanted to help the companies making such brilliant alternatives to animal products, to get their startups funded and supported, and to help their products reach new markets. Fate had already intervened in November when I met an export expert, Simon Bullen, who wanted to use his extensive FMCG knowledge for good so we agreed to team up and offer plant-based and vegan companies worldwide to go global!

Then Trump arrived and the week before I went to Expo West made it clear that he had tariffs in his sights. And we all know what happened next!

Simon and I had already built a tool to share with the companies that are keen to explore markets further afield, and now the tariff picture is as blurry as ever, we decided that we don’t need to let the Orange One determine the fate of what happens to us! And here it is!

If you have a business which is already at a scale where you can meet additional demand from overseas or already supply some foreign markets, then hit the link and see if you’re ready to take the plunge!

https://emma-wwi0nh4f.scoreapp.com/

One of my favourites of Simon’s export success stories is that of Colman’s Fruity Sauce - a product that doesn’t sell in the UK but is hugely popular in China, since here the market is dominated by a huge British legacy product: Heinz’s HP Sauce (or Daddies depending upon where your mum does the shopping!) But Colman’s brand was established in 1814 and is better known for its signature bright yellow tins of mustard powder and mustard pots which are massively popular both in the UK, Ireland and the US.

When HP was bought from Danone by Heinz, they moved production to the Netherlands which shut down the factory in the UK. So it was a relief for the UK economy that Anglo-Dutch Unilever, who’d bought Colman’s in 1995, had instead chosen to move operations from Norwich to Burton-on-Trent.

A far cry from Daddies!

So why do Unilever continue to make this product? Because it is SO lucrative. They’ve adapted the packaging to meet Chinese tastes and charge £5 for 335g of something made from : Spirit vinegar, date puree 22%, sugar, tomato paste 10%, apple puree 7.2%, water, modified corn starch, salt, natural flavorings, raisins 0.6%, malted BARLEY extract, concentrated juices 0.2% (orange, lemon), citrus peel (orange, lemon), onion powder, garlic powder, citrus oils (orange, lemon).

You would think they would make it themselves!

But some European brands do really well in China… and yours could to. Who knows where your brand, flavours, or colours will hit just right?!

Take Ferrero - an Italian company much loved for their chocolate and an ad campaign which was so successful that their chocolates became permanently associated in Europe with an generous ambassador who likes to “spoil his guests”.

An unlikely candidate to be a monster hit in China, you might think!

So I was shocked when I moved to Singapore and saw aisles of Ferrero Rocher lined up in the supermarkets at Chinese New Year. A Singaporean friend explained that it is traditional at Chinese New Year to gift items that are lucky, and red and gold are the most auspicious colours.

By wrapping their chocolates in luxurious gold wrappers, Ferrero had inadvertently tapped into this and made their boxes of 2 layers of 8 chocolates (the luckiest number!), THE gift for the Chinese New Year. I say inadvertent because I don’t know if this was the work of a great strategist or a lucky break. Either way, I’m sure it grosses them MILLIONS in sales worldwide every year.

You just don’t know where your next passionate product enthusiasts are! Work with us to help you identify them, and let’s give them what they want: Incredible plant-based products; made and delivered with love. ❤️