8 steps to a successful food & drink brand launch in the UK

A successful food and drink brand launch isn’t about trying to out-spend the category, it’s about out-creating it. This means combining original thinking and clear brand messaging with practical application, across trade and consumer channels. Launch coverage starts new listing conversations, builds media and social appetite, and begins the brand’s journey of “relevance” to consumer culture.

1. Trade engagement: B2B PR and marketing might be seen as less ‘glamorous’ but it plays a vital role in the brand’s growth. Trade news coverage opens doors and starts conversations, directly reaching key decision makers. This can be amplified with a targeted B2B social strategy and trade media advertising, which not only builds brand awareness but shows brand confidence. Marketing trade press should also be factored into the launch campaign as it drives recognition of your brand as “a brand”. At Nexus we’ve been building relationships with key media for over 40 years and believe in exciting key opinion formers and media. We’re well versed in crafting the right stories for the trade, whether that’s retail, foodservice, manufacturing or marketing.

• Original insights: Original insights are an important cornerstone of any effective launch campaign. This is about demonstrating the brand’s market knowledge and understanding of future trends. A short consumer survey can offer very good value across media and the sales team without having to fork out for big data. Having original insights increases a brand’s credibility which is especially key when new to market. It means you can say “why you’re here” not just “hey we’re here”. It can also be the basis for at least 12 months of reactive commentary and features.

When launching Meatless Farm, we worked with a leading UK environmental scientist to quantify the brand’s environmental impact. We combined this with consumer research into the behaviours, barriers and motivators for plant-based eating. The insights provided the basis of a ferocious launch campaign, which encouraged UK consumers and foodservice operators to swap to one more plant-based meal a week. It put Meatless Farm on the map and positioned it as a leader in next generation food. The launch campaign generated over 50m media impressions, 6,000+ new Instagram followers and over 1m social impressions.

• Creator engagement: Nurturing an influencer community can be an effective way of accelerating brand discovery with target audiences. A recent study found 49% of consumers depend on influencer recommendations, with 69% trusting what they say and recommend^[1]. However, a brand’s creator campaign must be thought through and strategic. Considering a framework like reach, relevance and resonance can often help brands be much more objective about potential partners. Also deploying volume or value strategies depending on budget audience and KPI’s. Importantly this content can also reduce the content production burden across your own social channels.

• Flagship restaurant partner: Depending on the brand, Foodservice iskey in positioning your brand as an innovative, high-quality product. The sector, once referred to by preeminent marketeer, Rory Sutherland, as the ‘Galapagos islands of consumer behaviour’ – is where trends begin and work their way to retail. A flagship restaurant partner provides deeper campaign roots and needs to be supported effectively. From limited edition serves to co-branded menus and social media competitions – this is a chance for a new brand to sample, drive news and gain rapid awareness amongst trade and consumer audiences.  

• Corporate profiles: In an increasingly competitive market, business profiling is a powerful tool that can elevate your brand, especially at launch. It’s about reinforcing credibility, demonstrating ambition and flinging open doors that provide growth for your business.Business profiling opportunities can also provide strategic support for new brands looking to drive further investment. This was an important part of our strategy with Meatless Farm, where we built key business media relationships for the brand early on. These relationships continued to drive engagement and credibility for the brand, supporting its growth ambitions.

• Product placement & reviews: Whilst the brand’s original insights and creative amplification will drive front end news coverage, it’s essential any brand launch gets the basics right. There is ample media opportunity for brand launches to feature with visual cues and key consumer messaging. Whilst product placement might not seem like the sexier side of comms, it provides a drum beat of exposure for a new brand. These media reviews and recommendations can also be used on marketing assets from packaging through to a brand’s website. This type of coverage provides credibility and exposure at a crucial time for the brand.

• Strong online presence: The UK has a digitally savvy consumer base. A robust online presence, coupled with engaging content, builds anticipation and establishes your brand as a noteworthy player in the competitive food and drink landscape. Getting your community engagement right is an essential part of this. Not only does it set a president for the brand but it’s an opportunity to better understand your audience.

• Sampling: We’ve worked with a lot of brands who have excellent products and know that once people try them they’ll repeat purchase. Sampling plays an important role in speeding up that journey. Whilst a successful launch campaign should aim to generate engagement and cut through from PR and social – it’s important to not look at sampling as a ‘nice to have’. At this stage of the brand’s lifecycle, it should be intertwined with every part of the launch campaign – from bigger creative ideas through to creator engagement.

A successful UK food and drink product launch is not just about entering the market; it’s about making a memorable impact. A well-executed launch lays the foundation for sustained success, fostering brand loyalty and setting the stage for long-term growth.

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[1] Digital Marketing Institute – Feb 2024

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