The business climate is still disastrous, and every day we hear about well-known brands falling victim to the credit crunch. For every big brand we see going under, there must be a plethora of small businesses that have been taken out by this storm.
I’m a Conservative Party candidate, so I spend a lot of my time canvassing and talking to people on their doorsteps. I’m shocked at the horror stories that I’m told, of people being made redundant, or small businesses holding on by their fingernails. The situation is truly awful, and every time I look at my business, I have to admit I’m frightened that it may go the same way as the many hundreds out there.
In this doom and gloom, it’s difficult to be upbeat and forward-thinking, but these are two vital ingredients of a successful business. So I’m trying my best to hold onto those things. I’ve just started redesigning my packaging, which I must say is uplifting in itself, because the exercise is a show of confidence and hope. I’m not a great believer that you should totally rebrand, but this type of refresh can create a feeling of optimism.
I’m also developing some new products under my daughter’s name, simply called The Black Farmer’s Daughter. She loves The Black Farmer products, but she thinks we should have some chipolatas and mini sausages, her favourites really. So, ever one to get people to put their money where their mouth is, I thought it would be a good idea to launch these products under her name.
The idea behind this brand extension is that kids also deserve quality. Something I’ve been curious about, and also alarmed at, is that in this country people will buy good quality food for themselves, but not for their children. Many suppliers have tried launching a kids’ brand, but they’ve always failed. There’s something about the British consumer psyche that they can’t bring themselves to purchase things especially for their offspring. So I’ve decided to make sure my daughter’s brand appeals to both adults and children.
It’s not going to be in your classic child-friendly packaging. Even though Scarlett is young (11), she’s still serious about food, and the challenge for both adults and children is to be able to eat this product without feeling that it’s for one or the other. When I launched my brand originally, I wanted it to be gluten-free. But the moment you stick this on your packaging, you risk frightening away the conventional sausage consumer. I managed to make it appeal to the mainstream, and I’m hoping to do this again.
I’ll be starting the process of selling them at the end of this month. It’s risky in terms of whether the supermarkets will go for it. But we need a bit of courage, and a bit of excitement. I’ll know in a couple of months whether I’ve managed to get any of them to bite.
The photography for the new range was shot recently, and, I must say, she really looks the part. I definitely think the hat suits her more than me.
During turbulent times, the only thing to do is look forwards. The one thing to hold onto is the confidence within, and the faith that there will be a better future. I hope a rather arrogant, poised shot of Scarlett shows that things will only get better.
