Interview with Leanna Rice, Marketing Manager at Organix
Find out why, when Leanna Rice saw an advert for a marketing manager at Organix, she thought it was fate – and why she believes having a strong brand is crucial for success.
How long have you worked for Organix?
I started at Organix on 15 June 2015, so just over two years.
Where were you working previously?
I worked for P&O Cruises in brand management and advertising roles for seven years.
How did you come to work in marketing?
After I graduated from university, I started working for Wrigley’s chewing gum in trade marketing and transitioned into brand management with my first job being the assistant brand manager on Hubba Bubba bubblegum – a very different children’s product to the brand I work on today!
What drew you to Organix, as a company?
Fate I think! The Organix opportunity landed in my inbox after I had moved to Bournemouth from Southampton and had been commuting back and forth for a year after returning from maternity leave. I was struggling with the daily commute and the effect it was having on the family and started to think about other options.
At the same time I had discovered Organix foods and my little one was obsessed with them! Therefore, when the opportunity appeared in my inbox and I dug a bit deeper into the background of Organix, I couldn’t have been more excited, it really did feel like it was meant to be… and it was!
Talk us through your day-to-day tasks…
My role is massively varied so there are never two days the same, which is why I love it! Daily I will flit from meetings to discuss long term business projects, signing off advertising creative, 121’s with my team, liaison with our comms agencies and marketing partners, including Chessington World of Adventures and The Gruffalo as we have just launched a new on pack promotion!
Why is having a strong brand crucial for success?
It’s important for any brands survival but within the baby category, it somehow seems even more critical. Baby and toddler food is so emotive as every parent wants to ensure they are doing the best for their little one and luckily Organix are one of the few brands that are really getting it right.
Ever since Organix was founded 25 years ago with a clear purpose to make a difference in children’s food, a single-minded vision has driven everything we do as a brand ‘’We want to see a world where healthy, nutritious food is a real choice for everyone’.
What is most important when it comes to growing the brand?
As mentioned Organix has a clear purpose that sits at the heart of everything we do and it is essential that we stay true to that purpose. For our brand development, we need to spread the story of Organix to ensure more parents know about the great food we make and the principled way in which we do it.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Everywhere! We have a rigorous business planning process which ensures we look at market and category trends, analyse our regular brand and comms tracking, undertake significant concept and usage research with parents and use the data, insight and creativy within our business and via our agency partners to develop our business plans.
As a business we are always looking at trends in adult food and in what children like to eat, and identifying ways we can make it better for children.
What’s your office like?
Organix is a really unique office environment where the brand’s mission and spirit is alive in everything we do everyday and guides all the decisions we make as a marketing team.
Our HR team have developed a ‘Wake up to Wellbeing’ programme that, includes a monthly massage, learning lunches, after work events such as paddleboarding or trampolining and more practical advice on things like pensions and finances. It really is a great place to work.
What hopes do you have for the brand?
Organix is a wonderful brand that has so much opportunity for growth. My hope is that we can continue to drive awareness of the great food we make and ensure mums understand how principled we are in the standards it must meet for us to sell it.
97% of parents say that ‘healthy’ is the most important factor when making food choices for their children, however currently the healthier choices on offer to them are very limited. I also want to ensure we continue to drive value and growth as we have been over the last few years.
Do you have any branding tips for small businesses?
Yes, I have four important pieces of advice:
- Identify your USP and ensure you bring it to life in your marketing.
- Be consistent with your branding, fonts, style of imagery etc to build brand recognition.
- Stay relevant by monitoring the market, consumers and competitors and evolve as necessary but staying true to the brand you are.
- Spend your marketing budget wisely. Identify how you can reach the most relevant consumers in a way that will really resonate with them.
And how can small businesses not make common marketing mistakes?
Plan thoroughly! Plan for the year ahead and try not to knee jerk and go off-piste unless really necessary. Ensure your whole business is aligned and you are all pulling in the same direction as communication is key. Make sure you really understand who your target market is and identify the best ways to reach them without wastage.
Organix make tasty, organic foods for babies, toddlers and beyond. You can find out more about Organix on their website.
