Contributor Bios

Mary Lorson
Director of Business Solutions

FOOD & BEVERAGE EXPERIENCE:
The Hershey Company, Campbell’s Soup Company, Diageo, Aramark, B&G Foods

MOST MEMORABLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING:
I was helping out with a food company’s innovation process. We decided to talk to less-engaged demographics to get some new answers to old questions. I spent that Sunday afternoon at my clients’ sides interviewing twenty-something gay and lesbian singles in a speed-dating format, in a dark disco, with drinks in hand. Next we trekked across town to a Hari Krishna temple to join them for Sunday Feast Night, enjoyed in traditional Indian dress on a big lawn, with meditative chanting wafting out over it. We finished up the day at a swanky urban bistro trading war stories, drinking great wine and eating a wonderful dinner al fresco. I wish every day of my marketing life could be that rich, that interesting and so full of great food and great conversation.

FAVORITE CUISINE/FOOD:
Barbecue. I’m from the Midwest. It’s genetic.

FAVORITE FOOD MOVIE OR FOOD TV SHOW:
Chocolat: A woman and her daughter open a chocolate shop in a small French village and low-key, art-film humor ensues.

DREAM FOOD & BEVERAGE CLIENT (AND WHY):
Vlasic. They are the best pickles ever. Are you listening, Pinnacle Foods?

THREE FOOD & BEVERAGE PERSONALITIES YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH:
Martha Stewart, Julia Child (circa 1970) and Stephan Hallem. Hallem may need some explanation. He owns Ye Old Pork Pie Shoppe in the U.K. I’m fascinated by his quest to get Melton Mowbray Pork Pies under EU protection. I haven’t been to the Pork Pie Shoppe yet, but I will get there someday.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING SUCCESS STORY OF 2010?
The growth of a viable lunch crowd at convenience stores. Wawa and Sheetz blow me away.

Dave Shoffner
PR Strategist

FOOD & BEVERAGE EXPERIENCE:
Turkey Hill Dairy, Utz Quality Foods, D.G. Yuengling & Son, the Pennsylvania Winery Association, National Watermelon Promotion Board.

MOST MEMORABLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING:
Leading a group of actors dressed as angry chickens into the Pennsylvania Farm Show to “protest” our client’s salad dressing and marinade. The client was exhibiting inside, the temperature was in the single digits outside, and the actors/chickens were beginning to freeze. We spent half an hour out in the cold explaining to some confused and amused Pennsylvania State Police officers that this was all part of a clever guerrilla marketing campaign. We finally made it inside, where the chickens (and the client’s product) were a huge hit.

FAVORITE CUISINE/FOOD:
Italian and any inventive take on the traditional hamburger.

FAVORITE FOOD MOVIE OR FOOD TV SHOW:
Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the 1971 Gene Wilder version, not the 2005 Johnny Depp version). All the bad kids got what they deserved, but I always thought Augustus Gloop got a bad rap. After all, who wouldn’t try to take a drink from a chocolate river?

DREAM FOOD & BEVERAGE CLIENT (AND WHY):
Any fast-casual burger chain. It’s such an iconic, all-American food, and it’s almost guaranteed to be a fun client. Fuddruckers, Red Robin, Five Guys – they’re all good.

THREE FOOD & BEVERAGE PERSONALITIES YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH:
Anthony Bourdain (he’s seen it all and he tells it like it is), Alton Brown (an encyclopedia of food knowledge), and Joey Chestnut (anyone who can eat 68 hot dogs in 10 minutes has to be an interesting dinner guest).

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING SUCCESS STORY OF 2010?
This will be the third time I’ve mentioned burgers, but the biggest success story from a personal and professional standpoint would have to be the rise of the gourmet burger. Whether it’s a fancy restaurant adding dressed up Kobe beef burgers to the menu or fast food chains doing some great things with Angus beef (thumbs up to McDonald’s), the entire trend is fascinating, and I hope it sticks around for a while longer.

Kristen Jenkins
Senior Public Relations Strategist

FOOD & BEVERAGE EXPERIENCE:
Turkey Hill Dairy, Chocolat Frey AG, Midor AG

MOST MEMORABLE PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IN FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING:
Chocolat Frey was introducing a new and exclusive line of chocolate bars at Target stores across the nation. With it being the summer season, we thought of promotion that puts a twist on the traditional chocolate martini. We worked with a renowned mixologist (“The Martini Czar”) to create several “Freytini” recipes featuring the new chocolate flavors. But we needed to be sure that the drink recipes were easy to make, and tasted great—so I spent an entire day with “The Martini Czar” experimenting with different ingredients and taste-testing the Freytini recipes.

FAVORITE CUISINE/FOOD:
Any kind of ethnically-diverse cuisine—especially Italian—it’s required since I married into an Italian family!

FAVORITE FOOD MOVIE OR FOOD TV SHOW:
Eat, Pray, Love. I love Liz Gilbert’s book, and even had the privilege to work with her. And Julia Roberts was excellent in bringing Liz’s no-holds-barred, eating-for-the-love-of-it character to life on screen.

DREAM FOOD & BEVERAGE CLIENT (AND WHY):
America’s Favorite Cookie®: Oreo…we go through about a bag a week in our house! How about I work for cookies, Kraft?

THREE FOOD & BEVERAGE PERSONALITIES YOU’D MOST LIKE TO HAVE DINNER WITH:
Andrew Zimmerman—because like him, I too am fearless when it comes to eating just about anything—plus, I’ll travel anywhere to try something new!, Julia Child—because of her unabashed take on cooking. Can’t we all be as adventurous?, Mario Batali—my Italian mother-in-law would love for me to get Italian cooking tips from a master!

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING SUCCESS STORY OF 2010?
Mini-everything. From desserts to burgers, it gave those who were watching their waste—or those who couldn’t make their mind up on one dessert—the opportunity to have their cake, and eat it and several other flavors, too!