Brief

Innovia Technology provides innovation consultancy for the world’s best known brands but most of its work is highly confidential.  Its brief to Holdsworth Associates was to gain profile for its expertise in food technology without mentioning a client.

Strategy 

Insects could provide a sustainable source of protein but there are many hurdles to overcome – including the ‘yuck’ factor. Innovia has specialist knowledge of behavioural science and food processing and its consultant Greg Dickens, was passionate about the potential of insects to fill the protein gap.  So we developed a story about how insect protein could be processed into textured protein chunks to overcome consumer resistance.

Implementation 

To gain a hook for the story we teamed up with Harper Adam University who had just issued an ‘Edible Bug Challenge’ at the agricultural show ‘Cereals’. Using third party comment provided endorsement for the story. We contacted trade, broadcast and regional media and sold in a story about how consumer objections could be overcome and the technical issues resolved to make insect protein a viable option – offering the enticement that Greg was prepared to eat insects on request!