Spotlight Series: Brain fuud

Legacy Club goes under the hood of some early stage entrepreneurs, to see what makes them and their businesses tick!

Founder of Brain fuud james newman

Please tell us a little bit about you the person (not you the business owner): A foodie at heart. A father. A runner (to keep me sane).

Describe your business in less than 30 words: A virtual marketing agency for northern hospitality and FMCG brands, offering flexible, subscription-based access to senior level marketing resource.

What industry or sector does your business fall in to?: F&B and leisure

What did you do before you started your business?: Former marketing director at Gusto Italian, a 18-strong group of premium Italian restaurants across the UK and before that, marketing director at Red's True BBQ. Prior to working in hospitality I was director at various leading communications agencies here in Leeds.

What have been the biggest struggles that you have encountered, and what did you do to overcome them?: I set the business up earlier this year, handing my notice in in January, and then all this madness started in March. My MD at the time was incredibly supportive and kindly furloughed me, and said stay on until I'm ready to officially launch, or the government stops the funding. I came off in June and started working with my former employer as my first client.

There is no doubt hospitality has been ridiculously hard hit by the pandemic, and this has flowed down to my business. I've tried to stay on message with my positioning - freedom to grow through intelligent virtual services - and this has helped. Given the situation during these difficult times, businesses may have had to make their senior marketing heads redundant, slashed their entire teams, or maybe not progressed with plans to make HQ marketing hires. My model gives these businesses an alternative option. Access to trained, senior level marketing support, but on a flexible, subscription model. I've also offered value-add services in order to win business, and this too has helped.

Have you had any external investment to date?: No

What has been the impact of COVID-19 on your business and did you make any changes, or pivots?: As above really. Given the nascency of my business, the core and only challenge to date has been Covid 19 and the fact my positioning is centred on providing freedom to grow for northern F&B businesses, an industry decimated by the gov's lockdown and (ridiculous) tiering system.

I've thought about re-positioning, but my belief is take the pain of revenue loss now, keep on message, and it will come back and my brand and offering will remain undiluted. I can make a virtue of my offering through PR and owned social channels, to reinforce the value of the offering, even though sales may not flow in immediately.

One thing I have done is look to areas of hospitality which is thriving - mobile operators, and as such I have been supporting a business down south - a mobile pizzeria - which has seen its revenue climb +220% LFL, thanks in part to Covid, plus marketing support from Brain Fuud. I've been working on developing direct to consumer (DTC) products for my clients to help drive their sales during a period when their bricks & mortar sites may be closed.

Do you have any business hero's, if so, who are they?: Not majorly, however I've always been impressed with Richard Reed, founder of innocent smoothies, and also Mark Ritson, Marketing Week columnist and marketing professor.

Financial Rewards or Business Awards?: Business Awards

What was the last book you read?: How Brands Grow, by Byron Sharp

Tell us something totally unique about your business: Our virtual director service, providing northern F&B brands with access to senior marketing resources on a flexible basis.

Finally, please tell us what we can look forward to with your business as we head in to 2021: We're working hard on developing our own products to capitalise on the inexorable rise in dark kitchens, plus some interesting DTC products. What can Brain Fuud ourselves own and develop, outside of what we do for our partners? Keep watching.