The Food Group

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Design & Content Strategy Lead of a food & beverages company

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

They make food beautiful in photos, videos, etc for a multitude of purposes

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire The Food Group to accomplish?

• Shoot food imagery for eCommerce retailers

SOLUTION

How did you find The Food Group?

Online Search

Why did you select The Food Group over others?

• High ratings
• Pricing fit our budget
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from The Food Group were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The Food Group was to deliver 15 food photography images that showed our products in situation. They provided food styling, prop styling, and supported with art direction. They also were full service and gathered all of the food/product for the shoot.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

15+ stunning food photos

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Yes, they did deliver all items on time. They were very communicative over email and video conferencing. They provided well-organized deliverables, descriptive pre-production documents, and easy to understand invoicing. They were very flexible in terms of meeting my needs or accommodating changes.

What was your primary form of communication with The Food Group?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They truly have so much passion for what they do, and they treat you like a human. You feel that they care and they take care of you through their shoots. Honestly, they are so talented with their work and I didn't feel like just another client to them like I have with others.

Are there any areas for improvement or something The Food Group could have done differently?

No they're great!

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the content and community manager at Sheringham Distillery. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Food Group?

We’re experiencing quite a rapid growth internationally, so we’re entering new markets. Our company is doing a huge brand refresh, and The Food Group is a big part of it. We want to upgrade our content and solidify our brand standards.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Food Group provides a photographer for cocktail photos, which we share the most with our followers on social media and our cocktail catalog on our website. Each time they shoot for us, they ask for feedback, and we help them refine what they do for us.

Moreover, they develop content for us. For instance, I send them five recipes every month. Then, they produce photos for each recipe following our brand pillars, colors, and branding. They create different looks for each cocktail. These photos are used on our website, social media, and other marketing materials. 

What is the team composition?

One person from The Food Group coordinates everything and ensures she has everything she needs for the recipes. We communicate with her back and forth about our vision for each photograph. Including her, three other people work with me. 

How did you come to work with The Food Group?

We found them through a referral. 

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working with The Food Group in December 2021, and the engagement is ongoing. 

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

The Food Group has helped us bring our branding up to speed, allowing us to get the attention of distributors and customers. We’ve launched into new markets, and the team has played a huge part in that. 

Meanwhile, they have a quick turnaround time and produce high-quality photos quickly. They’re truly professional. Everyone on the team is nice and always looking to improve their work. We love the photos — they’re outstanding — but they still ask us for feedback so they can keep doing better, and they always knock it out of the park. 

How did The Food Group perform from a project management standpoint?

The Food Group has quick communication and tells us clearly what we can expect from the photos. Beyond that, they always throw in a nice surprise for us within the shots as they produce the best photos for us. 

In terms of tools, they use Zoom to show me the setup of a shoot before they produce the photos. This way, they ensure we’re interested in what they’re doing. Other than Zoom, we use emails and phone calls. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

The quality of what they produce is truly professional. What stands out is that they’ve spent a lot of time researching and getting into our brand. That’s their unique quality, and they don’t produce the same thing all the time — they give us truly fresh and interesting content. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there aren’t any. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

If you want to upgrade your branding or bring it to a particular standard, then the Food Group is the team to do it for you. They take time and research your brand. The team is creative and innovative; they produce beautiful photos that speak to your audience. Other teams don’t facilitate conversations. By contrast, The Food Group bends over backward to ensure everything exceeds our expectations. 

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I head up the digital, social, e-commerce, and design team at a major baked goods company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Food Group?

We were developing a lot of recipe content to support our digital and social platforms and realized that we couldn’t handle it internally with our current capacity. We enlisted Food Group to shoot these recipes for our various brands.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Everything that The Food Group has provided was shot in their own virtual studio or in-person studio, depending on the content. We collaborated on the taking of the photos, and they handled all the editing based on our feedback.

They’ve been great in terms of providing insight into the photographs and shots based on our production. For example, if we’d like to shoot something in a certain way but it feels too rigid when it’s all set up, they’ll be very proactive in providing recommendations to make it more authentic.  

What is the team composition?

We work with two people: a stylist and a photographer.

How did you come to work with The Food Group?

The design team lead at the time had worked with The Food Group in some capacity, and that person introduced me to them.

How much have you invested with them?

The cost is upwards of $230,000.

What is the status of this engagement?

We’ve been working together since January 2021.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

I can’t attribute sales directly to their work, but, comparatively, their cost is about 10% less than their competitors’. We really value how quickly they turn things around. We can typically shoot 6–6 recipes in a day with The Food Group versus 4–6 with their competition. Overall, they’re a great vendor and partner to work with.

When we share their photos compared to those taken by another vendor, our team generally ops for those taken by The Food Group. There’s a vast difference in the quality of their skills. This year, we’ve moved all our brands over to The Food Group, rather than splitting them between two vendors as we’d done previously.

How did The Food Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They’re always available to answer questions and provide quotes and valuable options. Additionally, The Food Group keeps us on time, working flexibly when we need them to. We mainly communicate over email.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Their quality of work and service is a major differentiator, as is their receptiveness and flexibility. They provide their own input based on their expertise, and it’s very valuable.

Are there any areas they could improve?

To be honest, I can’t think of anything. We’ve been working with them virtually since the pandemic began, and it’s gone well, but it would be nice to eventually be able to shoot in person.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Obviously, you need to work within your budget, but if you have extra dollars and want something very high quality, then The Food Group is worth the money. They bring lots of value to our organization.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the founder of a wares manufacturing and design company.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with The Food Group?

We manufacture homewares, and I was looking for someone to help me capture the essence of our products so that it was presented to the end user in a familiar form. The challenge I faced was that most people I dealt with in the marketing and promotional space tried to beautify products without thinking about how the end user would perceive them.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

The Food Group provides us with promotional photography and video production services. For our first project, they did a photoshoot and produced tutorial videos. The team handled every aspect of the shoot, including videography, scripting, location, set designs, and props. They also picked the organic features — food and drink — they would capture. The team shortlisted the actress who appeared in the photos and videos to match the profile we were looking for.

They photographed our product for distributors' catalogs, our website, social media, and retail packaging. They produced 50–100 photographs for us. As for the videos, their goal was to educate the end user on scenario-based shots to capture the essence of our product.

Their work also involved coming up with ideas for the color schemes. The Food Group also had input on a manual we designed to go with the product and our website's digital content. So far, we've worked with them on three different projects. They've captured every image of the wares and accessories on our website. 

What is the team composition?

We've worked with about seven teammates from The Food Group, including a set designer, a videographer, a photographer, a lighting specialist, and a content writer. The two founders oversaw our first project and were present on set. Everyone we've interacted with aside from them is in supporting roles. 

How did you come to work with The Food Group?

I did a wide Google search to find groups that I could interview and test. Then, I narrowed my search to vendors with experience working with organic products and homewares, and I came across The Food Group. I liked that they had a lot of experience and had worked with various clients, so they could quickly understand where I was coming from, our unique product, and our value proposition. They crafted a proposal that spoke to me and that I felt would also speak to my end users; that's how the relationship came about.

How much have you invested with them?

Our first project cost around $20,000 CAD (approximately $16,000 USD). In total, we've spent just shy of $50,000 CAD (approximately $19,000 USD) with them.

What is the status of this engagement?

We started working together in May 2019, and our partnership is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement? 

Our first year was a success because we sold every product in our inventory. I’m very satisfied with The Food Group’s work; it hit the demographic of consumers that I was aiming for. Thanks to the material, our customers have been informed and educated enough to make purchasing decisions. Moreover, my distributors have also been happy with the promotional material, so they’ve put in bulk purchase orders. 

This partnership was key for me in the early days of my business, and The Food Group has been instrumental in achieving our success so far. Their expertise has come in very handy across the entire experience. Overall, I’m honored and blessed to have them as a service provider — I couldn’t ask for anything more. 

How did The Food Group perform from a project management standpoint?

They execute project management beautifully. They use digital tools to ensure we’re all on the same page. For example, they use a board for ideas where we can approve or deny them. The Food Group meets delivery dates, and they come in at or just under the cost estimates they provide before a project. 

The team uses Gantt charts where we can look at each project in stages, from pre-shoot to crew management. On set, they provide a document to ensure everyone keeps track of time. As a result, everything goes smoothly on shoot days, with everyone contributing and making sure all the materials and tools are present. Afterward, they give us an estimate of how much time post-production will take. During this process, they reach out for input to ensure they hit the mark, and if we don’t like anything, they redo it. 

We communicate via Google Meet and phone calls; we jump on a video call with them if there’s anything that we can’t discuss via phone calls. Since we started working together before the COVID-19 pandemic, we used to meet in person in 2019. Then, we started relying on video conferencing before the shoot days in-studio. 

What did you find most impressive about them?

They make me feel like my business is their business. I’ve worked with many different vendors that are good at their job, but at the end of the day, it’s just a business transaction. Meanwhile, The Food Group has a genuine interest in my success. They take great pictures and go beyond that; they’re genuinely interested in understanding how they can help my business. 

While many service providers can take pictures or shoot videos, The Food Group cares about how that work fits into our goals and philosophy — they take a personal approach. I love working with them and will continue to do so. Additionally, I get the impression that they don’t just take any clients. Instead, they take on projects they genuinely believe in and where their skills can help. 

Are there any areas they could improve?

I can’t think of anything they need to improve; their service and value for money are exceptional. 

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

Come in with clear expectations of what you want. If you don’t, you leave the project open to interpretation, and The Food Group will need to spend a lot more time trying to craft something for you. However, even with a blank slate, I’m confident the team can deliver because they have a knack for plugging themselves into your business and helping craft something meaningful that adds value. In that case, you must keep an open mind and trust that they know what they’re doing. Still, if you have clear expectations, you’ll be in a better position to judge whether you received good value and results in the end.

In either case, you must come in with a certain level of trust. The Food Group is professional and cares deeply about their work and reputation. They’ll always put their best foot forward and try to help your business. Moreover, they won’t cut corners, and they’ll do their best to stretch your resources as far as possible to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck. The team will also deliver on time and within budget. If you go in second-guessing and interrupting all the time, you’ll make the process more complicated and lengthy. Therefore, trust that you’re in good hands with The Food Group.