Julia White
Expert Feature
Group Marketing Manager, Yum! Brands
Julia is a super creative brand marketer with a broad skillset across insights, strategy, media and new product development. She is also an entrepreneur and started her online side hustle, Josh & Julia, while on maternity leave. Make sure to check out her Instagram for all your baby product and gift needs!
At Tasty Content, we're very excited about bringing together some of the smartest minds from the food and content industries to share a broad range of perspectives on how marketing can be used to make a business impact, while making our world more sustainable too.
Let's start light! What's your absolute favourite dish and why?
Belgian Chocolate Souffle! You just can't beat the crusty texture with the molten gooey centre. Its simple, yet decadent and is always a crowd favourite.
Could you tell us a little about your experience in the industry?
My career spans 16 years in creative and marketing fields ranging different categories including beauty, publishing, health and food. I'm passionate about bringing joy to people's lives through products that are not only functional, but also bring a sense of wonder and inspiration. I think food is the perfect for this because it not only satisfies through taste but also brings a sense escapism.
If you had $50,000 to drive newsletter sign-ups for your own business, where would you invest it?
They do say content is king and I definitely agree with this! So if I had $50,000 I would invest it in creating inspirational content that keeps customers wanting more. Beautiful contextual visuals and delicious looking food are hard to go past.
What do you think is the biggest challenge food businesses face today, and how could marketing be used to address it?
In my opinion it would be balancing the quality and preservation of the food whilst ensuring packaging is reduced or environmentally friendly. Often the two don't go hand in hand and there are additional costs associated with recyclable or compostable packaging materials, which consumers are not aware of. Educating consumers through marketing is important in driving awareness of the different choices they can make to help the industry shift towards sustainability.
Is there a key behaviour change you've noticed emerging for Australian consumers?
The shift towards delivery is the largest I have seen. Over the last two years delivery in food service has grown by approximately 66% according to CREST data. It matters because it's the new way Australians want to access their food and the industry needs to continue to ensure the experience is the best it can be.
What's the most significant change you would like to see in our industry to help make our world more sustainable?
I would like to see a shift in how consumers access their food. Whether it be consumers bringing their own packaging, investing in re-usable containers, picking it up directly from restaurants or self serving. I would also love to see a reduction in food waste through new technologies that help increase the shelf life of food or through communities coming together to share food and provide for those in need.
Where do you go for your industry trends and inspiration?
Real people and their stories inspire me so I find most of my motivation and information from following people around the globe who are passionate about what they do. This is often through podcasts (such as Bon Appetit Food People) social media or even through strolling around markets to see what local entrepreneurs have launched.
Can you tell us more about your side hustle and where the inspiration came from?
Josh & Julia is an online children's boutique that specialises in luxe bibs, sensory toys and custom tableware. I'm finding it incredibly exciting helping mothers and families choose beautiful pieces for their little ones that not only look stylish worn or in the home, but also help make parenthood easier. It's my wish that my pieces become keepsakes that can be part of memories for years to come.
Know someone who should be featured?
We're always looking to meet new industry leaders.