Everyone who works in public relations plays an advocacy role. So you have to believe in your clients’ products. If your heart isn’t in it, you can’t promote with conviction.

Of course, sometimes the product may not be what you would care to cook or eat yourself. But if you know that it fills an honest need for some other segment of the population that’s okay, too. If I were only going to promote products I love, my next client would have to be a foie gras account, like my lucky colleague, Karsha.

One client product I’m personally crazy about is Kerrygold Butter. It is just plain unctuous — rich and creamy — with a remarkable natural golden color. The cows in Ireland are not confined to barns but get to roam free during the day, eating a diet of the greenest Irish grass (not grain). So the butter from these contented cows turns out a deeper gold color from the beta carotene in the grass. Not only is it a great table butter and butter for cooking, it’s the queen of butters for baking. [more…]

During the Great Depression, my grandfather urged his children to be farmers because everybody has to eat. Today, we might say the same about food marketing.

The difference this time around is that we have many more choices. So it’s not enough just to produce food. Marketers are battling for share of stomach. This is where niche marketing comes in.

The auto industry is suffering, but Smart Cars and Mini Cooper sales are booming. They’ve found just the right niche in this environment — small, but cool cars that are fuel-efficient at a fairly reasonable price point.

According to today’s Wall Street Journal, (subscription required) another industry looking for a niche is the $25 billion appliance industry. With the housing slump, appliance sales are declining. Consumers aren’t likely to upgrade for new features in this economy. But they just might — to accommodate a lifestyle change. [more…]