My advertising and marketing career has been focused on the marketing of food. I found a love for advertising at the age of seventeen. Food was a natural target. I was an average overweight teenager.
When I was 19,1n in 1997, I had my first co-op job in Manhattan. I worked for the Food Group. An advertising agency that was one of the biggest in the food industry. They were on Madison Avenue. My boss was Don Axelrod. He was one of the worst bosses that I ever had. He was violent and loud. We worked together on Uncle Ben’s Rice and Nabisco. I remember getting lessons in supermarket shelf positioning and product photography. After a few months in the role, I went to the wedding of my sister in Tel Aviv. I did not have a job when I returned. It made me sad as I was 19 and got really sad.
The next opportunity for me was as an Intern. I worked for Mad Dogs And Englishmen Advertising Agency. President Nick Cohen was really great and warm as the head of the office. He came back to lead the company that he founded and works there today. It was Robin Hafitz, who is currently with Open Mind Strategy, that gave me an interest in account service. My responsibility was in the production of commercials. The commercials were especially funny and included this gem that I produced in 1997 as an Assistant, Carpet, For Yoo-Hoo Chocolate Drink.
My career In food marketing took a back seat to the production of commercials. This included producing a short instructional video for Mcdonald’s franchise owners. So, fast forward to 2005. I worked in the Petsmart marketing department. Marketing bags of treats and food for not just cats and dogs but all animals. Then in 2013, I started my first food company. Churrasco Shop was already started by my friend Josh Koplin and I was brought on as a partner to market the company. It became a number of years before it gained traction and now we are the most dominant Brazilian BBQ supply website on the internet.
In 2015, I lost a client that worked in the bulk natural foods market. When they let me free, I launched my own natural foods website for Dried Fruits and Nuts, Wholesale Nuts And Dried Fruit was born out of losing a client that I enjoyed and the discovery that I had Diabetes. I wanted to market products that were healthy like almonds and apricots. To speak about and work on ads for products that can actually heal people through fresh foods. Since I now believe that I am not sure how I could go back to marketing sugary drinks and processed foods.
Words By Matthew Baron
