By Fiona Hamilton, director of strategic growth 

As the conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt supply, food inflation remains high, and consumers spend more cautiously, pressure is increasing on foodservice buyers.  

The impact is clear: less time, tighter margins, and little appetite for just another product pitch. 

Buyers need solutions that work in the reality of a busy kitchen. And that shifts the role of marketing and how we sell. For those that want to win, it becomes less about pushing products harder and much more about showing how you solve real operational challenges. 

The brands cutting through are starting with the problem – labour, consistency, cost, speed, additional profit potential – and showing where their products can help. 

Get that right and buyers don’t just see your product. They see it working in their world. Which is much more likely to result in a ‘yes’. 

How to reframe your narrative: 

Start with your USP – but make it relevant
Differentiation still matters, but only if it connects to a real need. Don’t just ask what makes you different; ask why that difference matters in a busy kitchen. If it doesn’t save time, reduce stress, improve consistency or drive profit, it’s not your strongest story. 

Prove there’s demand
Buyers are risk-averse so demonstrate that your product is already resonating with consumers. Use strong social proof to build immediate trust and credibility. That could be usage data (“9 out of 10 consumers would choose X”), or compelling consumer testimonials. 

Highlight your operational edge
Focus on tangible improvements your solution delivers in practice: faster service, simpler prep, lower costs, or improved labour efficiency. The clearer the day-to-day advantage, the stronger your proposition. 

Quantify the commercial impact
Show how your offer improves performance where it matters most – margin, throughput, or meal-time spend. Wherever possible, give numbers to it to turn interest into a clear business case. 

Speak your buyers’ language
Lose the brand jargon. Step into their world – whether that’s the kitchen or boardroom. Talk covers, wastage, labour constraints and service pressure. When buyers feel understood, they’re far more likely to engage. 

At its core, this approach is about reducing risk. The more proof you provide, the easier it is for buyers to make a decision. Then the faster your sales team can move. 

Create your selling story 

If you need help shaping your brand narrative, let’s talk.

By Rachel Taylor, managing director 

Did you know that in a single week, high quality CEO thought leadership can drive an average of $367 million in shareholder value? 

Me neither. But according to this article by Axois, the American news website and media company, real money and real momentum is there for the taking – if you do it well. 

Why this stat matters to me as a comms specialist (and why it should matter to you, too) 

Thought leadership is more than just op-eds and LinkedIn posts. It’s a strategic lever to fuel business growth.  

When a leader says something clear, useful and human, it changes how customers, investors, partners and employees behave. That ripple turns into meetings, sales, deals, hires, and yes, market value. 

What good thought leadership actually looks like: 

• A sharp point of view. Not safe. Not vague. Something people can repeat. 

• Plain language. No jargon. Real sentences that sound like a human. 

• A useful takeaway. People should leave knowing what to do next. 

• Perfect timing. The same idea can flop or fly depending on when and where it lands. 

How we help leaders turn thoughts and ideas into business impact 

We treat thought leadership as a strategic engine that delivers real commercial results. We advise and guide, prototype, test and measure.  

Here’s the short version of how we do it: 

• Find the signal. We dig until we find the gold – that one idea that only you, or your CEO, can own. 

• Make it sing. We shape that idea into a crisp, repeatable message that energises and inspires your stakeholders.  

• Launch it smart. We create targeted amplification strategies that demand attention and reach all the right audience groups with laser-like precision. 

• Measure the right things. We’re not about vanity metrics here at William Murray.  Quality, sentiment, inbound conversations, sales leads and business signals matter to us. 

Let’s make your voice heard

If you want your ideas – or your leader’s ideas – to open doors, change minds, influence customers and drive business growth, we can help you find the signal and make the market listen.  

No fluff.  

Just ideas that move people – and numbers.