Jamie Oliver Ltd evolves brand partnership strategy

The international company founded by chef Jamie Oliver encompasses multiple arms including the Youtube Food Tube channel, book and magazine publishing, restaurants and websites.

It has undertaken a number of successful brand partnerships, for instance with Sainsbury’s and recently with insurer LV=.

However, the group would like to establish some long-term partnerships “for a better, deeper relationship.”

It recently signed a three year deal with Bacardi for its Drinks Tube channel and “that was the first of those kind of partnerships, “ said head of commercial Lisa Tookey, talking to Marketing Week.

“Now we are seeking to do three or four of those – where the brand become part of the family.”

Tookey said: “The challenge is that everyone wants a piece of Jamie because they understand the value they get from him as a brand. We have a filtering process and due diligence to make sure any partnerships are not brand damaging.

“Our brand values are to inspire people to live a better life thorough engaging with food. We want to own food wherever that is. – we want to be the world’s best authority on it”

Regarding future growth, Tookey says that while the brand grew organically from books and TV, its YouTube content and its Food Tube channel were now a core offering and the audience it was reaching on this platform was very different from traditional media.

Rich Herd, network manager for Jamie Oliver’s Food Tube, added: “We are trying to reach a younger demographic – we know what that audience is looking for – good looking boys that can cook.

“On Youtube Jamie Oliver group is unknown, we are still tiny in that world but it is a serious place for content and we can see advertisers waking up and putting money in.”

He adds that within YouTube the group was working with Vloggers and “Youtube talent” like fashion and make up expert Tanya Burr.