BrandHive, a leading healthy lifestyle branding agency providing high level strategic planning and branding expertise to consumer packaged goods and value-based ingredient companies, today announced that its co-founder and partner, Jeff Hilton, was selected by the Vitafoods Executive Advisory Board to lead three educational events at the global nutraceutical event, Vitafoods Europe, on May 10-12, 2016 at Palexpo, Geneva, Switzerland.

Hilton’s first session, “What the personalised healthcare consumer trend means for manufacturers and suppliers?” will address how category, channel and technology convergence in the marketplace has changed the playing field for manufacturers and suppliers. Hilton will discuss why consumers are seeking more integrated health solutions and how supply channel partners can capitalize on that demand. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 10th, at 16:40 – 17:00 at the Life Stages Theatre.

Hilton’s second session, “Addressing opportunities in the expanding active nutrition marketplace,” will examine how the sports nutrition sector is expanding into active nutrition with tremendous implications for product and consumer segmentation. Hilton will also address how to launch a successful active nutrition product. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, May 10, 2016 at 12:45-13:05 at the Vitafoods Centre Stage.

In the third session, “Leap-frogging: How branded ingredient suppliers can build consumer awareness on a limited budget”, Hilton will discuss cost effective ways to establish a consumer presence for a branded ingredient to assist manufacturing brand partners in educating consumers about ingredient features and benefits, as well as stimulating demand for the finished products that contain the ingredient. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, May 11, 2016 at 09:30 – 09:55 as part of the paid Conference Proceedings.

“There are significant, relevant trends shifting the marketplace for manufacturers and suppliers involved in the functional foods, nutraceutical and personal care industries,” said Hilton. “I’m looking forward to joining other industry and academic experts to present strategic insights which I believe will impact the success and profitability of today’s brands. I’d also like to congratulate the Informa team on their 20th anniversary! BrandHive reaches its 20-year milestone this month as well. We’re proud to be in such great company in celebrating and acknowledging the success and growth of the health and wellness industry.”
Vitafoods Europe is the leading exhibition for the nutraceutical, functional food and drink dietary supplements industries. The event is expected to attract 900 global suppliers showcasing thousands of innovative products while providing strategic direction and expertise for operating a strategic business. For more information, please visit http://www.vitafoods.eu.com/.

BrandHive, a leading healthy lifestyle-branding agency, was retained by Coffee Blocks, the creator and manufacturer of an instant butter coffee beverage for active adults, to develop a brand story and messaging, as well as redesign their product packaging for a retail launch. The new packaging was previewed earlier this year and made available to retail customers nationwide in recent weeks.

In 2014, Coffee Blocks founder, Tom Meredith, turned to Kickstarter for support of his passion to make butter coffee easier and more convenient to consume for adults seeking sustained daily energy and improved overall wellness. Joined by several partners, it didn’t take long for Meredith to reach his goal and begin selling product online.

Coffee Blocks is packaged in convenient squeeze packs containing coffee, grass-fed butter, coconut oil and free-range egg yolks for use as a single-serve hot beverage. Once hot water is added and the contents are mixed, the outcome is a blended and balanced butter coffee that can be enjoyed immediately. Coffee Blocks delivers sustained energy, increased mental clarity, fat burning benefits and overall good nutrition.

“Drink. Feel good. Repeat. – We developed a daily credo for Coffee Blocks that reflects its simple and straightforward approach to better nutrition,” said Jeff Hilton, “Whether it’s the brand story, logo or packaging, it’s critical for food and beverage brands to connect with consumers in a meaningful and relevant way. We’re proud of how the brand elements supporting Coffee Blocks have come together and expect continued momentum with consumers in the marketplace.”

Coffee Blocks uses premium, all-natural ingredients and no artificial emulsifiers, fillers or preservatives. The product is sold at retail in a package of 8 convenient squeeze pouches. For more information, visit CoffeeBlocks.com.

Jeff Hilton, BrandHive’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, will participate in an educational panel on Brand Stewardship at Natural Products Expo West 2016 in Anaheim, California next week. The panel, Supply Chain Stewards: Finding the Right Partners for Your Brand, will take place on March 11, 2016 at 2:30-4:00 PM PST at the Anaheim Marriott on Convention Way. Kuli Kuli Founder and CEO, Lisa Curtis and Applied Food Sciences, Inc. VP of Product Innovation & Marketing, Jackson Zapp, will join Hilton for the informative and multi-faceted session.

Hilton and co-presenters Curtis and Zapp, plan to discuss why supply chain management and vendor partner selection/vetting is critical for market success, including its impact on development of a compelling and credible brand story for both customer and consumer outreach. Participants will learn how Kuli Kuli and Applied Food Sciences leveraged partnerships with supply chain partners to tell their own unique transparency and sustainability stories.

The Stewardship track’s aim is to educate and inform participants about the best practices of supply chain management. Retailers, distributors, manufacturers and suppliers are invited to join the panel sessions.

For more information, please visit www.expowest.com.

BrandHive, a full service strategic branding and PR/Social agency dedicated to “creating healthy buzz”, marks 2016 as its 20th anniversary.

Focused on promoting healthy, natural brands, BrandHive has a proven track record of providing innovative solutions and disruptive creativity for its clients in various business sectors including nutritional supplements, food and beverage, personal care, household products and branded ingredient suppliers.

BrandHive began operations in 1996 as the Integrated Marketing Group (IMG) when Jeff Hilton and Matt Aller, the agency’s co-founders, recognized the potential for providing integrated branding and business consulting services for health-focused natural consumer packaged goods and raw ingredient companies. Under their leadership, IMG grew into a leading, one-stop shop for strategic branding, creative, media, public relations, and digital interactive services. After a very successful rebranding in 2013, and following two decades of steady growth, the agency certainly has something to celebrate this year.

“Our success and longevity is a result of both the advanced capabilities of our team plus our concentrated focus on the natural products industry,” said Hilton. “Collectively, we offer Clients over 100 years of combined category experience. Moreover, we continue to expand our global reach, having forged partnerships with clients throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Israel, Norway, South Africa,United Kingdom, Switzerland and France.”
Hilton is a sought-after speaker for his knowledge and insights into timely marketing topics and trends. He brings unique expertise in the areas of branding, strategic planning, target audience differentiation, trend spotting, and active nutrition. This year, Hilton will lead multiple sessions at VitaFoods Europe, the World Tea Expo as well as the US-based Natural Products Expo West. Hilton’s dedication and contributions to the industry have resulted in notable accolades including recognition by Advertising Age as one of America’s Top 100 Marketers and recipient of Nutrition Business Journal’s Personal Service Award.

Aller remains at the creative helm as BrandHive’s creative director, defining creative strategy while also managing implementation at a detailed level. This sort of personal involvement, in addition to a concentrated effort on team development, has significantly contributed to the firm’s creative expertise and explosive growth.

To kick off its anniversary celebration, BrandHive will host a series of white papers, dubbed the 20th Anniversary Healthy & Natural Marketing Series, expected to roll out this Spring. BrandHive also plans to share its 20th anniversary celebrations with a little bee-themed party fun in early 2016.

“Millennials are now the single largest global demographic segment, and these 18-33 year olds are indeed out to change the world. Make no mistake about that.”

-Jeff Hilton

As a follow-up to last week’s Food Matters Live program in London ExCel, Jeff’s insight into the world’s single largest demographic segment was featured in the latest Table Talk edition.

See more of “Millennials, millennials everywhere”

Jeff Hilton, BrandHive’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, has been invited to chair and present at the 2015 Food Matters Live in London on November 17-19. The global event brings together food and beverage executives, retailers, food service providers and other industry representatives to collectively address the critical relationship between food, health and nutrition.

Hilton’s first presentation, “How to reach and communicate with millennial consumers about health and wellness,” will focus on how to address the specific needs of the 80 million plus millennials in the marketplace. In this session, Hilton will focus on how to reach millennials by establishing an integrated social media strategy across a range of channels and how to create a compelling and transparent brand story to uniquely appeal to and attract millennials. The presentation will take place on Tuesday, November 17th at 11:30 am as part of the “Marketing healthier options in practice” track.

Hilton’s second seminar, “Marketing to the active nutrition consumer: strategies and tactics,” will focus on understanding segments within the sports nutrition marketplace, how to leverage market trends, and the implications for brand communication. This session will take place on Wednesday, November 18th at 11:10 am as part of the “Mainstreaming sports nutrition for the active, health conscious consumer” track. Hilton will chair this track as well.

“Last year’s Food Matters Live event provided a tremendous opportunity to make connections across a range of relevant categories,” said Hilton. “The quality and interest in educational opportunities was phenomenal. We’re really looking forward to participating in the event again.”

Food Matters Live is expected to attract more than 10,000 visitors and over 400 exhibitors from the food, heath and nutrition sectors. For more information, please visit: http://www.foodmatterslive.com/.

Jeff Hilton, BrandHive’s co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, will co-present with Imbibe’s Executive Vice President, Andy Dratt, at this year’s Best of Food and Beverage Packaging. The event will take place on October 28-29, 2015 in Oak Brook, Illinois and will bring together brand owners and supply partners to explore insights into branding, new technology, and trends related to packaging. For more information on the conference, please click here.

Hilton and Dratt’s session, “Quenching the Marketplace Thirst for Packaging Innovation,” will kick off the agenda on Thursday, October 29th at 8:45 AM. The speakers will share often overlooked insights on the evolving marketplace role of packaging design plus the impact of packaging decisions on product development, formulation and flavor profiles to meet the needs of demanding consumers. Hilton and Dratt will discuss market examples of how packaging can make or break a new brand on both the physical or virtual shelf. They will also emphasize how savvy marketers are leveraging innovative packaging to help convert shoppers into loyal customers.

The Best of Food and Beverage Packaging combines the most relevant technologies and trends in the industry with the vision needed to sell consumers in a shifting market landscape. Conference sessions will offer opportunities for critical discussions and provide insight on how brand owners and their suppliers have profited in the retail market. Learn what it takes to develop successful packaging that fits the needs of today’s consumers and offers innovation that is embraced on the store shelves. For more information, visit Best of Food and Beverage Packaging.

Jeff Hilton, BrandHive’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, will present at this year’s Petfood and Animal Nutrition 2.0 which will take place on October 20-21, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. The unique event will bring together innovators, educators and marketers from around the world to share insights on pet health and well-being. Hilton’s session, Breaking the Mold: Keys to Effective Package Design, will take place during a breakfast meet-up on Tuesday, October 20th at 9-10 AM CST. For more information on registration, please click here.

In his session, Hilton will address the evolving role of packaging in increasing awareness and stimulating brand trial and preference among pet owners in an increasingly crowded marketplace. Hilton will also discuss how savvy marketers are leveraging innovative pet food packaging to engage with decision makers and convert shoppers into loyal customers. Hilton will offer real-world case studies on how packaging can make an impact on sales to category consumers on both the physical and virtual shelves.

Session participants will learn to:

• Guide a consumer through an engaging journey with effective packaging approaches
• Present a clear and fluent hierarchy of information for harried shoppers
• Balance creativity and strategy
• Create both rational and emotional impact with pet owners
• Appeal to multiple demographic segments

Petfood and Animal Nutrition 2.0 was developed to address the current “pet revolution” and next generation of science behind the formulation, packaging and distribution of pet food, supplements and treats. The conference will address topics such as pet nutrition, contract manufacturing, independent retail, sustainability, marketing and regulatory issues. For more information, please click here.

Jeff Hilton, BrandHive’s co-founder and chief marketing officer, will present at this year’s SupplySide West conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 5-9, 2015. The highly anticipated annual event will bring together global participants in the health and nutrition marketplace for an in-depth exploration of the industry’s latest trends and innovations. Hilton will participate in the “Marketing Insights Summit” on Tuesday, October 6th at 1:05 p.m. Separate registration is required for SupplySide Summit events. For more information, please click here.

Hilton has worked to focus attention on the significant and growing purchasing power of up-and- coming Millennials, particularly in the area of health and wellness products and services. He has emphasized the need to distinguish Millennials from their Baby Boomer counterparts in strategy development around formulation and marketing of healthy lifestyle ingredients/products. In his session, “Formulating and Marketing Health and Wellness Products for Millennials,” Hilton will focus on how to meet the unique nutritional needs of this hard-to-reach demographic. He will address consumer attitudes and trends, evaluate key ingredients and nutrients, showcase innovations in formulation and discuss how to capitalize on the condition-specific health needs of the connected and empowered millennial audience. .

Session participants will learn how to:

• Address the specific health needs of the 80 million plus Millennials in the U.S. marketplace.

• Deliver health education by establishing an integrated social media strategy across a range of channels.

• Create a compelling and transparent brand story to uniquely appeal to and attract Millennials.

• Understand ingredient trends and preferences among Millennials, specifically Paleo diet, gluten-free, protein blends and supplement functionality.

SupplySide West services global participants in the animal nutrition, beverage, cosmetics, dietary supplements, sports nutrition, food and pharmaceutical industries. The five-day event features in-depth education tracks, summits, Q&A panels, workshops and VendorBriefs that focus on the latest trends and innovations in the industry. For more information, please click here.