Next up on our Talking Straight series is Chelsea Ford, Founder, Consultant & Advisor. Chelsea is a powerhouse in the FMCG space, & also hosts & runs one of our favourite podcasts, Foodpreneur & industry event of the same name.
We loved chatting to Chelsea & hearing about her predictions for the FMCG space. Here's Chelsea.
Tell us a bit about you & what you do: I am focused on firming up Australia’s position on the world stage as a thriving hub of innovation in consumer packaged goods. I do that by helping brand owners land more accounts, get product in more consumers' hands & put more money in their pocket.
What do you love about the food/FMCG industry? I have loved FMCG forever. I am excited by product innovation & the people in our industry. I want to see everyone do well. Healthy competition is good & in Australia, the industry is very small, so most of us know each other. I like to support the entire industry.
What trends are you predicting for the FMCG space for the rest of the year? Like fashion, FMCG trends come & go & sometimes they're absolutely predictable. In Australia, in the second half of the year, we'll be slowly but surely moving into warmer weather, continuing to experience the effects of the cost of living crisis & watching the US election result unfold.
On the back of those three things we'll continue to see consumers shopping for value but 'convenience' will continue to rise too, & we pay for 'convenience'. What I mean by that is, we'll see time saving mechanisms like ready-to-eat meals & self-care mechanisms like functional foods fortified for wellness & beauty outcomes, grow. Brands who want to position themselves to capture that growth will be best served by making their digital footprint more compelling & easier for consumers to shop with them online.
What’s the best piece of advice you were given? It was in relation to being constantly copied & Emma Isaacs of Business Chicks fame said to me, "you do you, no one can copy that".
& what’s the worst? In 1990, "don't buy that Potts Point studio for $99k, it is too risky!" Thanks Dad :(
If weren’t in the FMCG space, what industry / job would you do / be? There's never been another industry I've wanted to be in. FMCG has been rusted on me forever.
Complete the following sentences:
On the weekend you’ll find me: Eating at Cairo Takeaway on Enmore Road, Enmore.
I can’t live without: Tea. I drink multiple cups of it everyday. With milk in case you were wondering.
If I were a cocktail, I would be: There's only ever one, a Negroni.
My favourite way to sweat is: Dancing to very freakin' loud music.
An inspiring quote that sums me up is: “Our greatest ability as humans is not to change the world, but to change ourselves.” Mahatma Gandhi
If I could go on any reality TV show I would go on: A good quality news broadcast. I love current affairs & deep conversations - sorry, not so fun! I can be very serious a lot of the time.
To find out more about Chelsea Ford & the amazing work she does, you can follow her on Linkedin.
Comentários