Defining a brand can be a challenge. A brand, at its very core, is the feeling it evokes in people - manifesting through its design, values, and how it interacts with its audience. For Bold Bean, this emotional connection informs everything from product strategy to customer engagement.

But how do you build a brand that speaks to your audience?

In our recent conversation, we sat down with Bold Bean Founder and CEO, Amelia Christie-Miller, to discuss the essence of brand growth, community engagement, and reshaping consumer perceptions.

In today’s world, consumers are increasingly savvy when recognising traditional marketing tactics. As Amelia candidly shared, "I know that we could go out there and run a load of ads talking about high protein, losing weight, all of these things. And we would convert this into sales, but I don't think that would be creating the feeling that has longevity within the customer if we were to do things that way."

At the heart of Bold Bean is a simple mission: to make people obsessed with beans. "I think it is absolutely deliciousness and an experience and then also obsessive," Amelia explained. "Obsessive has to come into it because it's quite entertaining because people have not often been obsessed with beans."

Bold Bean's approach goes beyond selling their own products. Long before launching their product line, they created an Instagram account dedicated to "Bean Obsessives", using it as a platform to gather feedback on everything from packaging to branding. This early engagement allowed them to fine-tune their offering and truly understand what their customers wanted.

They're genuinely interested in expanding the entire bean category, focusing on making beans delicious and appealing to a broader audience. "We don't want to tell them they're really healthy, they're really sustainable," Amelia explained. "That doesn't sound very delicious. So what we try to do is really tempt them with a delicious recipe and then it incidentally has beans."

By maintaining regular engagement and staying open to change, they ensure the brand remains relevant. This collaborative approach fostered a sense of belonging and ownership among customers, turning them into ambassadors for the brand.

Amelia’s personal mission reflects this approach: "I wanted to eat more climate-friendly food. I do eat meat, but I didn't want to
have a fake sausage. I'd prefer to have no sausage. And I just wanted really delicious ingredients."

Bold Bean's investment in brand-building has delivered significant value. "We've been tracking that in our consumer surveys, a huge proportion, way outnumbering other brands have come from word of mouth marketing," Amelia noted. "And that is definitely something which is reflected in the fact that we've never done paid ads."

Focusing on word-of-mouth has resulted in a customer base that is loyal and engaged, creating long-term brand resilience. This kind of organic marketing is more cost-effective and sustainable in the long run than traditional advertising.

Their cookbook perfectly illustrates their strategic approach. "We've managed to get five pages in the Times magazine and in You magazine," Amelia shared. "This is an amazing space that a brand typically would never have the opportunity to get unless they were paying for it. But I think it's because the journalists felt that they could write about us because we weren't just a commercial story. We were a mission story of something greater."

This ultimately makes Bold Bean's strategy a powerful example of how authenticity, community engagement, and a purpose-driven mission can create lasting business success. By staying true to their values and connecting with customers on a deeper level, Bold Bean has not only managed to create a brand that stands out but has also made a lasting impact in the food industry.

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