What if foods were made this way? Report from our presentation at Planetiers World Gathering in Lisbon

"We are not living in an era of change - we are living in a change of era".

This quote was delivered by John Fullerton , the author of the Regenerative Economy. And it was explained in a simple way with the fact that we have to give back to nature more than we take out. And that we cannot continue with an economy where food that is unhealthy for both us and the planet is cheap and food that is healthy for people and planet is expensive. So there is need for change. And that was the theme of the Planetiers World Gathering ?? defined as the The Biggest Event for Sustainable Innovation

Sustainability is not enough!

I was invited by Christoph Langwallner to join him and Scott Poynton from the Pond Foundation in a panel presentation of WhatIF Foods and how we together have worked to create a chain of values from the rural farming communities in Africa to the urban consumers in USA. This is a short version of our story with a couple of learnings from a branding point of view.

Having heard about our work for Oatly and other brands who want to drive change, Chris came to us with a clear mission to "reinvent the food industry category by category". And he had already started. His insight was clear: Sustainability is not enough - we must reconnect with the local farming communities to restore the supply chains and we must replenish the foods we eat to give us full nutrition. Not empty calories from highly processed foods coming from a limited number of intensively farmed grains and animals that contribute to the destruction of our eco systems.

What if foods were made this way? Starting the change from the ground up with local farming communities

So WhatIF Foods started the change from the ground up by finding the forgotten crops that once supported the lives of people in the villages and that were adapted to the local soils and weather conditions. One such crop is the Bambara Groundnut that is traditionally grown in West Africa but has been "forgotten" thanks to the promotion of "modern farming" with wheat and soy that need both fertilisers and irrigation to be successful. And as a result is depleting the soils.

By supporting local farming communities to grow Bambara Groundnut these villages will not only provide good nutrition for themselves, they also regenerate the soils and create a business by selling the harvest to WhatIF Foods.

You can read more about how WhatIF Foods and The Pond Foundation is working on the ground here: https://www.thehmt.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/REimagining-change-the-WhaIF-Way-August-2022.pdf

What is Bamnut? Why you must sell the brand and not the product

Today WhatIF Foods are producing Noodles and Plantmilk from BamNut (short for Bambara Groundnut) and it is always easy to focus on the product you are selling and the attributes and benefits it will bring to its consumers. But how will you get on to the retail shelves with a plant (actually a legume) that noone have heard of? And how do you catch the attention of consumers when there's sooo many new plants and plant based brands trying to catch your attention?

Oatly took the lead in the plant milk category by using a Substitution Strategy. The phrase "Wow no cow" made it clear that their brand mission was to replace cows milk with plant milk. They avoided the product trap of making competitive comparisons with soy, almond, rice and others by realising that they were selling change and not oat milk. By doing this they bonded with the early vegan movement who embraced the brand and its values as a stakeholder in change - coupled with the fact that its Barista milk created a great foam on your latte!

Join the REgeneration! Taking the lead by defining your own category

When we worked with the WhatIF team to create their Brand Torch (the methodology we use at HMT - Healthy Marketing Team to create purpose driven brands) it was clear that the people of WhatIF were representing a movement that is manifested by the "Greta-generation" ie the Gen Z, those whose future is at stake. It also became clear that the WhatIF brand could credibly take a lead for the Regeneration movement by asking the question: WhatIF foods were made this way? And demonstrate that it is possible with its transparent actions from the ground to its products.

So by being an example of regeneration based on a founding purpose the WhatIF brand is taking the lead as the Regeneration Brand in its product categories. As a leader their call to arms is "Join the REgeneration" as an invitation to a movement that we all can support.

The future is frightening! How to connect to a generation suffering from climate anxiety?

"According to a global survey published in Lancet Planetary Health, 75% of young people think the future is frightening and 45% say climate concerns negatively impacts their day."

This quote is from our HMT report on Mental Wellbeing and Consumer Narratives that connects "Food and Mood". (See link to download here: https://www.thehmt.com/gamechanger2022/)

The consumer research we did confirmed that young consumers (Gen Z) wanted to bond with brands that took action. They are losing faith in the system, in governments and politicians. So instead they are looking at brands who show them that they can make an impact - together. From this insight "Save your dream" became the theme that united WhatIF Foods purpose with the hopes of a young generation.

Epilogue: to side with the future

As a brand consultant you normally work with "clients" but when your clients are stakeholders in positive change then we become stakeholders in their brands. They carry the load, they take the uphill battle. We can only admire their courage and try to support them with what we can bring to the table: to sharpen their message!

Thanks for inviting me!

Want to know more: See the link to the WhatIF Foods branding case study: https://www.thehmt.com/whatif-case-studyredefining-a-disruptive-brand/