Brooklyn's Progress
August/September 2007

BY LAND GRANT

On one of the hottest days this July, the National Association of the Specialty Food Trade (NASFT) kicked off the three-day Summer Fancy Food Show (FFS) at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. The City may have been sweltering but the Brooklyn Chamber’s Brooklyn Goes Global (BGG) program proved how cool Brooklyn can be by unveiling the new REAL BROOKLYN™ branding/marketing initiative.

BGG organized and supported five of the borough’s most successful culinary-product companies in a twenty-foot booth in the New York State Pavilion. REAL BROOKLYN™’s sports-memorabilia-styled logotype and explanatory placards spotlighted the program’s driving concept. The program identified and showcased the borough’s firms for their thorough Brooklyn-ness and borough-rooted authenticity. REAL BROOKLYN™  takes advantage of the new – and very real – marketing value of Brooklyn, the edgy, hip and powerful Brand.

Nearly the entire Javits Center’s – 336,000 square feet – was given over to this Summer’s FFS. The NASFT says 2,400 companies exhibited and 25,000 buyers attended. Seventy-two foreign countries (most with officially organized pavilions for their national exhibitors) vastly out-numbered the nine American state-based pavilions on the show floor.

More Than a Convention
Food shows have delightful dimensions. At the FFS, more senses were engaged than in the typical expo. Aromas, tastes and textures added to the illusion that you were at a giant indoor picnic that crossed with never-ending, hand-delivered, catered canapés. One experienced participant warned one might become physically ill from sampling so many types of food in one, continuous, day-long feast.

Still, the FFS was all business. Trade shows and expos are the richest marketing environments in the world. Properly prepared, both exhibitors and visitors can garner important market information and effective commercial results unavailable in any similar business venue in so short a time.

Thanks to Brooklyn Goes Global Director Steve Kaplansky, the borough’s exhibitors were prepared – especially those participating in the Chamber’s shared “mini-pavilion” in the New York State section. Mr. Kaplansky a food-industry maven who has worked to ensure his program participants take part in trade shows throughout the country remarked, “We’re proud that our manufacturer’s stood out again in our BGG booth. Because of the Fancy Food Show’s impact on Brooklyn business, the future is bright for major expansion in participation here next year.”

Unveiling REAL BROOKLYN™
New this summer – and adding to the borough’s commercial impetus at FFS – was the Chamber’s just-announced REAL BROOKLYN™ initiative. Rosalie Rance, the Brooklyn Chamber’s vice president of marketing and membership, is working with Mr. Kaplansky on this innovative program to create a stand-out brand and effective marketing tool for Brooklyn Chamber Member-manufacturing companies. While handing-out distinctively logo’ed, black-and-silver, REAL BROOKLYN™ baseball caps at the BGG booth, Ms. Rance explained “This capitalizes on the popularity of the Brooklyn brand as well as the recent trend toward buying local. REAL BROOKLYN™ packages authenticate Brooklyn products to make it easy for trade and consumer buyers to identify what is made in Brooklyn.”

Other well-known Chamber Members Joyva, Sahadi Fine Foods and Angel’s Bakery proudly displayed the REAL BROOKLYN™ logo at their individual booths.

Glancing at the BGG booth she added, “Our small businesses are able to afford big marketing like ads in key publications, a strong online presence, point of sale promotions, media outreach and events. Our larger Members like 4C, Great King Tuna -formerly King of the Sea – and Tower Isle are able to stand out on the shelves in a sea of other familiar brands.”

BGG booth exhibitors themselves were – as you would expect of Brooklynites – quick with proven advice for fellow Borough business people. Erica Kalick of Erica’s Rugelach & Baking Co. stated that “to be a player, you must be here [at the FFS] – where Brooklyn meets Tokyo. To help get you here, join the Brooklyn Chamber. Get out and meet the world; the world doesn’t come to you.”

Dan Kopf of Hena, Inc. – Brooklyn coffee roasters who introduced a new packaged line of coffee called Brooklyn Coffeehouse Blend at the BGG booth – was excited about the new REAL BROOKLYN™ marketing initiative. Dan said, “We’re at the first step in the REAL BROOKLYN™ program – this [initiative introduction at FFS] is a good beginning. The most important steps are yet to come. We [Hena and REAL BROOKLYN™] both need to do our jobs. Brooklyn Goes Global is a very broad program. The marketing idea of the REAL BROOKLYN “stamp” [of authenticity on our new Brooklyn Coffeehouse Blend bags] can narrow the focus productively.”

Wine Cellar Sorbet is a new Brooklyn company with the intoxicating concept of using real wine to flavor sorbets – sorbets that are still labeled as food not alcoholic products. The New York Daily News wrote on Jul. 11 that among 2,400 companies at FFS the News chose just six top food products. Wine Cellar Sorbet’s icy-wine confections placed second. Peter Buttenwieser, vice president of marketing at Wine Cellar Sorbet, stated that “BGG is an amazing tool to get our organization to present in an arena [like FFS]. We would never exhibit on our own at this stage. We couldn’t afford it in dollars and cents or logistics capabilities. People are searching out Brooklyn. The Chamber, BGG and REAL BROOKLYN™ provide us with credibility, PR, logistics AND a hook! Marketing and selling is tough enough. Here, our marketing power is enhanced by the Brooklyn scene – which has great buzz in the food world.”

BGG booth participants met with more than 300 potential buyers from national food chains, gourmet markets, caterers and food and beverage distributors.

For more information about Brooklyn Goes Global call Steve Kaplansky at 718-875-1000 or e-mail him at skaplansky@brooklynchamber.com. To learn more about the REAL BROOKLYN™ campaign, call Rosalie Rance at 718-875-1000 or e-mail her at rrance@brooklynchamber.com.