Posted September 27, 2023
As a content director, I’m intrigued by changes in the food and beverage industry, down to the way language evolves to define innovation. Throughout the years at Brightly Creative, I’ve become familiar with terms like aquafaba, ashwagandha and what I affectionately call the biotics: pre, post and pro. But, there’s
Posted September 20, 2023
Trade shows are more than just opportunities to showcase your brand and products; they’re prime occasions for networking and building valuable connections. In the bustling environment of a trade show, the art of networking can be the key to unlocking doors of opportunity and fostering lasting relationships. Here are some
Posted September 1, 2023
Brightly Creative’s summer was one of change, growth and learning experiences. Through this company I’ve been able to enjoy some cool life moments, all the while becoming more adept at reporting on the food and beverage industry. I’ve narrowed down my last four months to my top three moments. The
Posted August 7, 2023
In today’s fast-paced digital world, capturing and retaining your audience’s attention is more challenging than ever (am I right, TikTok fans?). As content creators, we’re constantly seeking effective strategies to make our message resonate with our clients’ target audiences. One powerful technique that has stood the test of time is
Posted July 19, 2023
As a recent college graduate, Hailee’s career with Brightly Creative is her first “grown up” job. She spent her time in college on student government, holding the titles student body president and student trustee, where she learned to network, strategize and innovate. Read more to see what skills she’s excited
Posted July 14, 2023
When you’re behind the scenes, you don’t always get to see your work come to fruition or get complimented for a job well done. I’m lucky to say that’s not the case for me. As an event planner, I get to pick and choose some of the fun (and not
Posted May 25, 2023
Nashville was hopping at the beginning of May — and not just because Taylor Swift was in town. The Craft Brewers Conference burst onto the Music City scene, and there truly was something for every beer creator at this year’s show. We were there on behalf of the National Honey
Posted May 2, 2023
Out of all of the webinars, in-person keynotes and interviews I’ve conducted in the past several years regarding clean label listings, functionality and better-for-you ingredients, one thing has always stuck out to me. The definition of what is good for me is moveable, changeable and 100% personal. The FDA has
Posted March 25, 2023
The National Honey Board kicked off the trade show season by exhibiting at the American Craft Spirits Association’s 10th annual “Better with Age” show in Portland, Ore. As eager attendees waited outside the hall to celebrate with a special ribbon cutting ceremony, exhibitors patiently enjoyed the stillness in the room.
Posted March 22, 2023
Almost 900 new brands showed the food and beverage industry why they deserved a space at the 2023 Natural Products Expo West. Even though I believe the boom of new products that culminated from this year’s show rose somewhat from the pandemic, future success belongs to those who innovate — looking
Posted March 7, 2023
One of my favorite webinars of the year is the Symrise North America Top Trend hour, and the most recent dive into 2023’s predictions did not disappoint. I was taken on a 45-minute global journey of flavors, tastes and even emotion, and as someone who researches food and beverage products
Posted March 3, 2023
In just a few days I will be heading back to Natural Products Expo West for the first time in 10 years. My feet have hit countless trade show floors since that inaugural week in Anaheim, and it’s thrilling to be on the forefront of trends, innovations and taste tests!
Posted November 7, 2022
Food and beverage R&D departments work tirelessly to unveil the next big thing in their chosen category. Predictions abound: What do consumers expect in the future? What hot, new ingredient trend will go viral (hello, Mike’s Hot Honey)? What product will stand out on shelves above all others? After hitting
Posted October 27, 2022
Many distillers are “honey curious” but don’t know where to start when it comes to distilling with honey. That’s where we come in! The National Honey Board hosted over 30 distillers from across the country to educate their minds and palates about honey, honey bees and spirits made with honey.
Posted October 19, 2022
I love good takeout just as much as the next person, and now that I’ve had some time to reflect on Natural Products Expo East, I may have more questions than predictions about the future of the natural food and beverage industry. My time in Philadelphia started with the Thursday
Posted October 6, 2022
The newest Brightly Creative team member is Social Media Manager Mary Katherine Oellerich. She received a journalism degree, with an emphasis on print journalism, and a minor from The University of Mississippi. Since finishing college 10 years ago, she has worked in various industries, including publishing, printing, fashion and marketing.
Posted August 12, 2022
Video can be both the simplest and most confusing thing to have to deal with. It’s very much something that feels like a mountain of an obstacle to have to climb over to understand, but honestly when distilled into small parts it’s overall a pretty simple concept. And video is
Posted August 2, 2022
During the course of the pandemic, our social media feeds were flooded with videos of people diving into at-home culinary experiments. Loaves of banana and sourdough bread, espresso martinis, mason jars filled with overnight oats and anything air fried … there was never a shortage of culinary creations designed to
Posted July 8, 2022
One of my favorite aspects of our partnership with the National Honey Board are the competitions. Each year, our team makes improvements to elevate and improve on the year before, and this year we had a whopping 350 meads — the maximum cap — entered into the Mead Crafters Competition. I love
Posted June 30, 2022
Our team was buzzing with excitement as we kicked off this year’s #honeybeersummit in Austin, TX. Alongside @honey4pros, the Brightly Creative crew came together with brewers from across the country as they learned about the functionality of honey within the brewing space. In addition to technical sessions and networking, this
Posted June 21, 2022
The Specialty Foods Association (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show culminated in an international meeting of the minds — and taste buds — at New York City’s Javits Center. If one show can define where the industry is evolving and the abundance of opportunities in the specialty food market, this was it. The
Posted June 6, 2022
A lot of time and energy goes into creating a company’s brand — from its mission statement to the logo treatment and color palette. But a somewhat underappreciated part of brand creation seems to be the font selection, as evident from the literal hundreds of Helvetica logos you see on
Posted May 17, 2022
Our lives are truly spiced up with the endless array of flavor combinations in the world, however recent inspiration has certainly stemmed from the longest period of isolation in our lifetimes, and culinary experts and food developers are incorporating what matters most to consumers into menus and retail products. A
Posted April 12, 2022
As someone whose job revolves around social media, I shouldn’t play favorites when it comes to platforms. But — Instagram, you have the biggest piece of my heart (sorry, Facebook). Over the years Instagram has climbed its way to the top of my list. Now don’t get me wrong, I appreciate
Posted April 1, 2022
Is it just me, or did this year just take off? It seems like just yesterday the team was coming back from our winter break and catching up from our time off. You know what they say, time flies when you’re working hard … or something like that! Honestly, time
Posted March 9, 2022
Though I have only been at Brightly Creative for a little over 6 months, I am no stranger to the creative process. Although the resources available to designers have greatly expanded over the years it has not made the ability to brainstorm or come up with creative solutions any easier.
Posted March 3, 2022
When the Super Bowl champs — or any sports team for that matter — win the big game, they fly into a pile of screaming delight, jumping up and down in the height of joy reminiscent of childhood. GONG’s Super Bowl commercial showcased sales floors, ringing the gong every time a sale
Posted February 18, 2022
When AOL launched instant messenger in 1997, I was in sixth grade. Like most 11 year olds I was awkward, insecure and trying to navigate the social scene of middle school. I was the tallest girl in my grade, had braces, wore glasses and was sporting a bad at-home perm.
Posted February 8, 2022
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” We’ve all heard it. But, is it? The line was first heard as a slogan in the 19th century by Kellogg’s, naturally to sell its new breakfast cereal. Marketers latched onto the saying, but nutritionists have as well for a number
Posted January 31, 2022
I have a friend who passed out in a Burger King when she was 10. Decades later, the memory of that embarrassing moment has driven her away from BK for life. I, on the other hand, love the smell and taste of a good BK burger. I do not have
Posted January 21, 2022
There’s no doubt that global influence has hit U.S.-based supermarket shelves and restaurants like we’ve never seen. Could it be a result of the lack of travel and the lack of cuisine we experience while crisscrossing the globe on epic vacation adventures? No matter what the reason, Flavor is certainly
Posted January 10, 2022
We’re an elite 8 now at Brightly Creative, and the newest cog in our ever-growing wheel comes to us in the form of social media. We’re excited to provide even better social media management both internally and externally, and Lauren Beers is the perfect person to take us down the
Posted December 22, 2021
We’re heading into the New Year with smiles on our faces, thankfulness in our hearts and high fives to another wonderful year of triumphs and wins through adversity. As the Brightly Creative team takes a well-deserved break for the rest of 2021, we each took a moment to reflect on
Posted December 13, 2021
Color is probably one of the most discussed topics in the world. Companies can spend weeks deciding slightly different shades of yellow for their logo. Or how many hours did you spend staring at your wall, holding up two paint cards to see which would look better for your home?
Posted November 17, 2021
Throughout the year, Brightly Creative gives our alcohol-fueled blood, sweat and tears to three National Honey Board competitions: beer, spirits and mead. Yes, they’re hard work. Yes, they take a ton of organizational and behind-the-scenes planning that really starts a year in advance. And yes, they are highly rewarding. We
Posted October 29, 2021
Halloween 2021 marks the return of a somewhat normal routine, with traditions being exhumed, candies being chomped and costumes making us all feel like kids again. A few of us reminisced over what Halloween looks like in our undead worlds, and I have to say, we know how to throw
Posted October 21, 2021
Words are great and all, but what would they be without someone to make them look bold, colorful and downright beautiful? That’s part of what Jon Vlasak, Brightly Creative’s newest team member, aims to do as a part of his job as associate creative director. He’s been a designer and
Posted September 28, 2021
We’re easing our way into my favorite season — trade show season — (thanks to Schitt’s Creek for the awards season joke) and Natural Products Expo East provided a little bit of everything for everyone. Philadelphia was the host city this time around, and attendees felt welcomed by a morning fun run
Posted September 8, 2021
I was born to be an editor. It’s not just my job, it’s been a part of who I am since I turned a book rightside up before I could even think about beginning to read. Just as my career as an editor has evolved, so has my love and
Posted September 1, 2021
For the seventh consecutive year, the National Honey Board hosted its Honey Beer Competition, providing an opportunity for the best brewers to submit made-with-honey beers. And also for the seventh consecutive year, the Brightly Creative team managed and ran the competition for our client. But, what does managing a competition
Posted August 3, 2021
School’s great, but it’s also costly and in some cases it might even come off as a waste of time if you reach the end and realize you learned more on your own than in the actual classroom. I get why people might feel frustrated when they want to keep
Posted July 21, 2021
I’m going to let the faithful readers of our blog in on a little secret: We are a CREATIVE agency. I’m putting emphasis on the word “creative” for a reason. With that word, depending on the day, comes a bit of pressure and a lot of pride. I’ve been writing,
Posted July 13, 2021
I’ve completely changed the way I work based on two books I read from Cal Newport: Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload In the span of about a month, I consumed these books, threw
Posted June 17, 2021
Brightly Creative has a very important word in its title. Yes, we’re a bright group both in mind and heart, but we are also a creative triple threat: noun, adjective and verb. One of the brightest — pun intended — times we shine is when we solve problems for our clients.
Posted June 10, 2021
Chances are if you’re reading this blog, you already know how to write a press release. After all, they haven’t changed that much over time. And, if you don’t, Google is a functional tool that can provide a wealth of information on that subject. Speaking of function, that’s an industry
Posted June 3, 2021
Making a good looking website is hard, but making one that looks good and works to create a positive user experience (UX) can feel like a tightrope act in and of itself. Just because you hired the best designer in the world who makes you the prettiest site ever, doesn’t
Posted May 28, 2021
Social media helps people and businesses stay connected. From the tumultuous year of 2020, we can agree that social media played a major role. Businesses were able to conduct virtual meetings while employees worked from home; restaurants were able to deliver meals to hungry families and virtual parties kept hope
Posted May 11, 2021
In the last four-and-a-half years, Brightly Creative has grown past our wildest dreams. When we (Keith, Jonathan and I) started off, we had three clients and a mountain of ideas to do the best work for our clients. Now, we have expanded our team to six members and more than
Posted May 4, 2021
As if we need a reason to celebrate beer drinking … it’s Craft Beer Week next week! Shopping — and imbibing — locally are nearer and dearer to our hearts and taste buds like never before; in fact, it’s becoming somewhat of a necessity. To craft something is to make or produce
Posted April 9, 2021
Innovation in the food and beverage industry leaves me astounded almost every day. From plant-based “meat” mimickers to 3D printing of food to “new” globally-inspired ingredients that prompt me to Google “What is (insert fruit, oil, husk, grain, pulp or herb I haven’t heard of)?” Troubleshooting Cookies Lately I’ve been
Posted March 11, 2021
College is great. You can never find parking; you’ll drop a fortune on a piece of paper and if you didn’t have crippling anxiety before, you do now. One of my favorite things, however, is how professors can fail to prepare you for the real world. It’s not usually their
Posted March 1, 2021
Perhaps it’s apt that March is Women’s History Month, because we’ve been marching toward a brighter future for centuries. The three female employees of Brightly Creative are at three different points in our careers, and we sat down and chatted about women who have inspired us in our lives and
Posted January 21, 2021
Every end of year, my inbox gets inundated with predictions for the future. What are consumers going to be looking for in the new year? What trends will take over, and which ones will gain momentum or fizzle out from the year before? We’re almost a month into 2021 (already)
Posted January 14, 2021
We’re officially a six-pack, as this week we welcomed Diego Escala to the Brightly Creative team. A mass communication graduate of the University of South Florida, Diego brings a bevy of talents to the fold both professionally and personally. We asked him a few hard hitting questions about his life’s
Posted January 11, 2021
It’s a new year, new you, right? What exactly does that mean? We never have been able to predict the future, but 2020 certainly threw us for a loop. Perhaps that has made us more adaptable to change, but having goals is one aspect of both personal and professional lives
Posted January 9, 2021
It’s been a big year for Account Director Alison Wuebbels-turned-Conklin. She successfully navigated her way through an unpredictable year in our professional world, along with planning her October wedding. We’re celebrating her birthday today with our traditional question and answer session, in hopes that we all get to know the
Posted December 30, 2020
Everyone has a post-mortem on 2020, and so do I. It stunk. For Brightly Creative, the stench was less than for others, and we count ourselves as very fortunate compared to many of our friends and colleagues in the food and beverage industry. But I don’t want to end the
Posted December 23, 2020
Every day at Brightly Creative, it seems, I utter the words, “Huh, learn something new every day.” And, in my daily quest for food and beverage knowledge I truly do. Like the aquafabas and upcycling of years past, 2020 lent itself to verbiage new to my brain like Flammkuchen (German
Posted December 14, 2020
I’ve been creating and re-vamping brands for over 20 years – quite a few have been Fortune 100/500. It’s been very rewarding. However, the most enjoyable projects have been with start-ups or small privately owned small to medium size business looking to take their brand to the next level. They
Posted November 20, 2020
With little to no in-person events and interactions happening in 2020 — and likely heading into 2021 — we have more digital nomadic numbers than ever before. People are working from home, social distancing and missing the human connection and interaction that office life brings on a daily basis. Webinars are
Posted November 5, 2020
Part of our tough job as a food and beverage agency is to taste test the product. We travel the country (when possible), learning from mead makers, brewers, distillers, bakers and more who educate us through formulas, trial and error stories and tours. Sipping the finished result is arguably the
Posted September 3, 2020
Working from home, telecommuting, being a digital nomad — whatever you call it, more and more employers are embracing the “work away from the office” life. I’ll be the first to admit that I have more trouble concentrating as I get older, and there’s no way I could ever go back
Posted August 26, 2020
“Are you serious?” That has been my go-to phrase for 2020. It’s been a wild ride, and it has gone by in the blink of an eye. Among all the twists and turns of a global pandemic, unemployment at an all-time high and America trying to mend racial injustices, I
Posted August 19, 2020
2020 has not been the year for large gatherings. Brightly Creative has seen its entire schedule change this year, having our travel plans delayed, shifted or nixed altogether due to canceled trade shows, conferences, in-person meetings and events. It’s truly been a year of adaptation, patience and disappointment (I may
Posted August 4, 2020
I’ve eaten a lot of weird things in my life: chicken liver ice cream, cricket tacos, fish eyes and 12 Jack In The Box tacos (no lettuce). I love food; I love weird food and I’ll try anything at least once. However, I’m struggling with the concept of lab grown
Posted July 9, 2020
Coming from a journalist’s background, the who, what, when, where and why of how we do things in the content marketing world has always been of particular interest to me. Sometimes those tenants get buried in the hopes of churning out content and “scooping” the competition. But, here at Brightly
Posted June 3, 2020
Inspiration struck last week after our first-ever virtual happy hour. We wore weird hats, and the anticipation of seeing everyone pop on screen for the first time in their chosen headwear was almost better than the hour itself. We drank, laughed and shared stories of quarantine, longed for vacations and
Posted May 5, 2020
Living in America has its perks, and one of them is the ability to celebrate almost every holiday on the planet in some way, shape or form. Cinco de Mayo is this author’s favorite holiday of the year (I admit it’s been greatly Americanized and I’m totally OK with that),
Posted April 30, 2020
One of the biggest trends in digital media right now is the podcast, and the origin story is that they were developed in 2004 by a former MTV VJ with a program called iPodder. Through the software, internet radio broadcasts could be downloaded to his iPod, and throughout years of
Posted April 21, 2020
We’ve got another Brightly Creative birthday this week — the one and only Keith Seiz! The family-man-runner-cyclist-foodie-expert-napper extraordinaire answered our questions as well this week, and it gave us an inside look at everything from airplane pet peeves to coveted travel supplies. Enjoy, and please join us in wishing Keith
Posted April 15, 2020
This week we celebrate Jonathan Galbreath’s birthday by taking a deep dive into his life with our top 5 questions we’ve always wanted to know about him. From travel, to tech, to death row, we’ve uncovered some good stuff about Jonathan during his birthday week. You’ve run a successful business
Posted March 17, 2020
Today is St. Patrick’s Day, a feast day that celebrates Irish culture with traditional Irish meals like Irish stew, Guinness pie, soda bread and of course green beer. This year, however, with social distancing in place, there’s an air of disappointment. No dancing in the streets, “Kiss me, I’m Irish”
Posted March 10, 2020
Fun fact about me: I’ve lived in more countries than states! Not so fun fact, I barely remember two countries. With being the youngest of four in a military family, most of the traveling and moving around the world happened before me. I’d like to think that being born in
Posted February 18, 2020
When the dust settles from the current new product development mania around plant-based “meats,” which products will survive and which will join New Coke and the McDLT in the halls of failed product launches? Seems like a challenging question, but I think the answer is pretty simple to come by,
Posted January 17, 2020
A large part of my job is to research trends in the food and beverage industry. While I’m used to being wowed by constant innovation in our field that results in new ways of doing things and even new vocabulary (can we say upcycling and aquafaba?), there are some moments
Posted January 7, 2020
The Brightly Creative Team has taken off in the past year with a ton of work trips, and we’re heading into 2020 with even more on the docket. As we wandered the long halls of airports across the country, we have picked up on some common food trends at kiosks
Posted December 24, 2019
The ghost of Christmas’s past, present and future is hot on our trails this time of year, and since the decade is almost over, the Brightly Creative crew is taking the time to reflect. A lot has happened in the last decade, both personally and professionally. Alison Wuebbels said: “In
Posted December 17, 2019
Team Brightly sat down last week to close out a successful 2019 and prepare to go full steam ahead into 2020. A majority of our calendar is filled with travel, from summits to competitions to trade shows. To help us start 2020 on the right foot, we start planning. Most
Posted November 26, 2019
Are three meals a day — breakfast, lunch and dinner — a thing of the past? Sure, we’ve all been known to indulge in a few snacks in between meals (midnight pizza, anyone?) but something that was once a guilty pleasure is turning into a better-for-us norm. Snacking is becoming such a
Posted November 12, 2019
Waste not, want not, a saying that’s been around since the 1700s, still rings true today. Food waste is an epidemic in the United States, yet so many people live in poverty. Although the world hunger problem won’t be solved soon enough, upcycling has reached an entire new level of