Over the last few weeks we’ve been speaking to both established and  start up brands in food and drink at the IFE and Food Expo shows. There were some great conversations and insights and we’ll be sharing more of this over the coming weeks, but one thing that was evident was the closeness between start-ups and their customers. 

Customer closeness grounded in lived understanding

There was real clarity in who they were targeting, what problem they were trying to solve, and where current products were missing the mark. Not just in a theoretical sense, but grounded in real, lived understanding. You could hear it in how they spoke - the specificity, the conviction, the belief in what they were doing and their ability to genuinely make a difference. 

It should come as no surprise that these start-ups and fledgling businesses were passionate, committed and truly invested; they need to be in such a competitive environment. And seeing them with family members supporting them on their stands was a joy - there were definitely some proud parent moments 😊 

The other thing that was great to see was their genuine curiosity and desire to learn. They asked questions of us, our thoughts on categories and emerging trends. They weren’t afraid of hearing opinions that were different to their own, or challenged their perceptions. In fact they relished it. There was an openness, a willingness to truly listen, to accept feedback and input that would help them to shape their offer.  

It struck us that what start-ups have in abundance, and what many brands lose as they grow, is true customer closeness. 

When distance creeps in

Unfortunately, as brands grow, they can become distanced from those whose problems they’re trying to solve. The very things that enable growth - structure, scale, efficiency - are often the same things that create distance.  Decision-making moves further away from the front line. And slowly, almost without us realising, distance creeps in. 

After a while we can start believing that we know our audience. That we understand them, how they think and behave. We’ve done the learning. Yet this complacency ignores the reality that people are multi-dimensional and nothing is static. Needs shift. Contexts change. What mattered six months ago may not matter now. And without real closeness, those shifts are easy to miss. 

People become consumers. Consumers become numbers. And just like that we lose connection with those that we’re trying to design for.  

We become driven by metrics. Metrics that we take at face value without questioning whether they’re right, or what lies beneath them. What’s driving them. What they’re NOT telling us. We optimise for what’s visible - clicks, sales, penetration - mistaking these signals for understanding. 

The power of communities

Not all, but an increasing number of start-ups build through creating communities - something that becomes harder, but more important, as brands scale. They focus on getting into the hearts and minds of their target.  Those who will champion them and ultimately become their best brand ambassadors. It creates a groundswell that can make brands seem bigger than they are - and therefore more desirable to others. Brands like Bold Bean Company, Botivo and Northern Pasta Co. are building in this way. Staying close to their audience, shaping their offer in dialogue with them, and creating a sense that people are part of something, not just being sold to. 

This is a powerful way to build a brand, especially given the challenges of dealing with large scale retailers and the commercial pressures this brings. But building a community helps in other ways too. It provides a small, yet safe environment to test and learn. To gain honest feedback. To refine, adapt and improve in real time, rather than relying on assumptions. 

And most of all it keeps brands truly close to and in touch with their target. 

The challenge, of course, is how you hold onto that as you grow. 

Create space to listen

As we’ve said, closeness at scale doesn’t happen by accident, it needs to be designed for, to ensure it doesn’t fade away. It needs to be protected. Rebuilt as you evolve. That might mean creating deliberate spaces to listen. Not just through data, but through direct, human interaction. Talking to people. Watching them. Staying connected to real lives, not just reported behaviours.  It might mean empowering teams to spend time with customers, rather than insulating them behind layers. Or recognising that community isn’t just an early-stage tactic, but something that should evolve with you. 

Growth doesn’t have to mean distance, but genuine customer closeness requires intent and commitment.  

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