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Robert Wheatley

Member since September 2007Contact Robert

CEO of Emergent - The Healthy Living Agency. My job is brand and communications strategist. Author and speaker on brand strategy, public relations, social media and crisis communications. Expert in food and beverage communications, household and lifestyle product categories. Thought leader on evolution of consumer behavior, media consumption and effective communications tools.

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  • CPG Brands: Winning In The Era Of Relevance by Laura Gurski (Marketing Insider on 11/15/2019)

    Of note, many of these new emerging brands come to market with a higher purpose that helps align their values with consumers, and imbues the brand with deeper meaning. Emphasis here recognizes that the relationship is exactly that, a relationship founded on improved product experience on the one hand and doing something important for the world at large on the other. It is difficult for legacy businesses founded on a more traditional business model and more transactional point of view about their existence to suddenly and genuinely aquire a soul -- which by the way cannot be bolted on as a messaging adjustment in the next ad campaign. Transformatiom and disruption will be required to keep up. We'll see how this shakes out.

  • The 2018 Advertising Trend: Tell The Truth by Marcia Lorente (Marketing Insider on 02/07/2018)

    Trust is the currency that fuels any kind of brand relationship. We characterize this as the era of Real-vertising. Self-reverential assertions of 'truth' are harder to make stick. While truth by definition leans into emotional cues and thus has the ability to resonate, people are looking for more. Validation by respected third parties is essential to making this work effectively. We often devote time to identifying the sources of credible truth in a client's category and make efforts to participate in those circles.It also breathes new urgency into social strategy as product experiences shared by real people carries more truth serum than brand generated promises of same. People crea about honesty, integrity and willingness to open doors previously closed to demonstrate brands are worthy of their faith.

  • Part-Trader Joe's, Part-Walmart, Lidl Launches; Can Grocery Stores Survive? by Sarah Mahoney (Marketing Daily on 06/20/2017)

    The old grocery model of selling boxes, cans and bags of food off shelves at (hopefully) high velocity and thin margins has given way to a clarion call for uniquness and differentiation in food retail banners. At the high end, experience and culinary inspiration matter, thus why the marriage of the captain of efficiency and algorithms at Amazon and the premium play in food retail with Whole Foods is such an engaging and fascinating combination. Uniquness times two maybe? Middle market food retail will get squeezed from both sides. 

  • Be A Brand On A Mission by Dan Collins (Marketing: CPG on 06/09/2017)

    An important and relevant topic!!I would go a step further and say we've moved on from the knolwedge economy to the relatioinship economy. Philanthropy is important but the thinking here goes beyond cause, to what the business fundamentally stands for beyond profit. The path to greater engagement and traction is built on a foundation of deeper meaning. Brands with a core purpose that's respectful of the interests and concerns held by their core fans and users. Here's a bit of perspective on brand purpose: http://bit.ly/2rUJKUr

  • The Purpose-driven Brand Is Key To 21st-Century Success by Alan Siegel (Marketing Daily on 05/22/2017)

    You might agree we are doing business in an era of transformational change. How relationships between brands and their core users has shifted. Deeper meaning and reciprocity sit at the foundation of how brands and businesses gain relevance to people's lives. And that has to transcend transactional thinking. Purpose is the driver of all this. Here's a shared perspective: http://bit.ly/2qbNb6Y

  • In Branding As In Life, Little Things Add Up by Larissa Faw (MAD on 05/11/2017)

    This is big thinking. And a tribute to the agency and management team at FHI to have the vision for this form of engaging communication. We've entered the era of help over hype, of deeper meaning over marketing hyperbole. Now the opportunity resides in how this material is used and manifested in other ways through content and behavior. Applause!!!

  • Dumb & Dumber: The Sad, Pandering State Of The Bud Light Campaign by (Mad Blog on 06/30/2016)

    And thus we witness yet again the slow tortuous decline of traditional ad strategy relevance. There was a time when the hokey formula would have worked in some fashion. Today its seems a bit uncomfortable and trite like a bad SNL skit thrown out there with bigger production value. You can hear the words pop and culture resonating in the conference room, as a form of tangible anchor to something hopefully relevant. For my money investing in experiences that connect with lifestyle interests may be a more useful path than this. Don't get me wrong, we all love Schumer and Rogen, but this formula has seen its day.

  • AMA Elevates Obesity To 'Disease' Status by Thom Forbes (Marketing Daily - Top of the News on 06/19/2013)

    This is yet another signal, yet another helping of evidence that a pervasive shift is underway as people start to connect the dots that what they ingest, for example, has linkage to their quality of life. This will impact food and beverage brand decisions. Belief in the end is connected to behavior. And the AMA's move will continue to reinforce changes in belief. Here's a thought on the need for change in CPG and retail world: Link: http://www.emergenthealthyliving.com/?p=568

  • Meaty: Whole Foods, Smithfield Talk Healthier Hogs by Sarah Mahoney (Marketing Daily on 05/16/2013)

    Said more simply, consumers do not want ingredients or additives that sound toxic in their food. There's a groundswell of behavioral movement towards "Symbolic Choice" in food and beverage brand decisions. Consumers are making a connection between what they ingest and impact on their health and wellbeing. Higher quality lifestyle is looking for higher quality food experiences. Natural, real, authentic. Major directional and strategic shifts in play here for food and beverage businesses. http://www.emergenthealthyliving.com

  • Embattled 'Junk' Food Looks To Emerging Markets by Thom Forbes (Marketing Daily - Top of the News on 05/08/2013)

    This insightful article touches on that incredibly complex issue of congruence -- talking talk and then walking walk can be at odds in food and bev world. In the end the crisis around obesity hits squarely on the human condition that "sensible is not pleasurable" and so the struggle continues. Great tasting foods that are better for you constitute a win win. here's a thought on childhood obesity: http://www.emergenthealthyliving.com/?p=486

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