Expo West Isn’t About Food at All

While attending Expo West, I observed many of the same trends as other industry attendees. Mushrooms for energy, focus and mental acuity. Jerky of all assortments — meat jerky, pineapple jerky and sweet potato jerky. Non-alcoholic beverages of every type and plant-powered food of every variety. And cookie dough, cookie dough and more cookie dough. And while the food was interesting, on trend and occasionally good tasting, what struck me was that this wasn’t a natural food event at all. This was an enormous 4-day brand celebration. There was creative naming — Doughpamine, Corpse Reviver and Everyday Dose. There was beautifully-crafted and thoughtful package design, and delightful and exciting brand experiences, with Oatly, Applegate Farms, Caulipower, Impossible and Kodiak, to name a few, showcasing extravagant booth design and exciting sampling opportunities. It was a potpourri of new and innovative products, of course. But, actually, Expo West was an inspiring homage to the power of brand and the potential in good branding.