Here’s what’s on the menu for The Drum’s Focus Weeks
From the booming gut health industry to the emerging ‘mood drinks’ category, global editor Cameron Clarke introduces our Food & Drink special and shares schedule for the rest of the year.
The Drum's Food & Drink Focus Week runs from February 19 until February 23 / Adobe Stock
The truth about The Drum’s daily reporting is that we’re never sure exactly where it’s going to take us. This month alone, we’ve bounced between brands as diverse as Dickies, Tinder and Uber Eats as we document the exploits of the advertisers of the moment. And don’t get us wrong, we’re not going to stop chasing the marketing zeitgeist any time soon. But we also know that in an industry in perpetual motion, where the news of the day zips by in a flash, sometimes you need time to pause and make sense of the bigger picture, too. More than once, you’ve probably asked yourself, how can I block out the noise and take stock of the stuff that truly matters most to me and my market?
Well, we might just have the answer.
Today, we’re excited to introduce The Drum’s Focus Weeks, providing a widescreen examination of some of the most consistently compelling client categories, such as Travel & Tourism, Health & Pharma and Retail. Think of them as field guides, with each month bringing a new dedicated collection of inspiring interviews, best-in-class case studies, thought-provoking features, hands-on explainers and convention-defying opinions. This is considered, curated coverage you can set your watch by, tailored to you and your world.
And where better to start than food & drink?
From fast food to sloe gin, mighty conglomerates to maverick independents, the forever-changing food & drink space (or food & bev, if you prefer) is bursting with lessons for seasoned category experts and hungry newbies alike to digest. And even if you don’t work in this field, you can treat this as your early warning signal to the trends that will shape your shopping carts and dining experiences for months to come.
The menu this week, concocted by our brilliant brands specialist Hannah Bowler, includes walkthroughs of Britvic and Dunkin’ Donuts marketing strategies courtesy of their CMOs; an examination of how the gut health movement has spawned not only a category but a cult-like following; a dissection of how generative AI has already become so prevalent in food & drink advertising and its potential consequences; and profiles of the new age soft drinks shaking up the status quo.
And, in collaboration with our fantastic partners at Kantar, we’ll also bring you exclusive insights into the secret ingredients brands such as Cadbury, KFC, and Starbucks have drawn upon to make some of the world’s most unforgettable food & drink advertising. You’ll find all this and more, including great contributions from our members across Open Mic and The Drum Network, in our dedicated hub, updated with new features every day this week.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on our coverage and ideas for this Focus Week and those on the horizon. Reach out to us at editorial@thedrum.com. In the meantime, see our full schedule below.
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February 19-February 23: Food & Drink
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March 25-March 29: Entertainment
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April 29-May 3: Health & Pharma
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May 27-May 31: Retail
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June 24-June 28: Travel & Tourism
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July 29-August 2: Sport & Fitness
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August 26-August 30: Consumer Technology
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September 23-September 27: Fashion & Beauty
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October 28-November 1: Finance & Utilities
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November 25-November 29: B2B