Baking & Snack - September 2020 - 10

editorial
When 'unprecedented' becomes the status quo
I'm in a Facebook group with parents and staff from
my son's school. As you can imagine, it's buzzing every day with questions, updates, changes to the updates
and questions about the changes ... which have already
been updated.
In fact, one staff member posted that she watched a
training video on standard practices for school's opening,
and the next day, the video was no longer being used because the standards had already changed. I must confess,
that's how I feel every time I go back and read the previous month's Editorial.
Commercial baking companies have often relied on
consumer trend data to map out their product development and strategic marketing plans. But not this year.
Remember when consumers had the power? These
days, the power seems to be in the hands of the
pandemic and whatever unpredictable aftereffects follow in its wake.
Six months ago, this was all, truly, unprecedented. And now, that word is, ironically, overused. So, what happens when "unprecedented"
becomes the status quo?
Some companies are going gangbusters in all
of this, while others are doing all they can to keep
their heads above water. At this point, all we can do
is ride the storm, track the behavior and make our best
guess on what the future might hold.

PUBLISHING STAFF
Publisher
Paul Lattan
Publisher Emeritus
Mike Gude
Associate Publisher
Steve Berne
Director of Audience Development Michael Barbee
Audience Development Analyst
Dustin Pickman
Audience Database Specialist
Lindsey Sheridan
Audience Development Coordinator Carlea Schuler
Director of Digital Media
Jon Hall
Digital Advertising Manager
Carrie Fluegge
Advertising Manager
Nora Wages
Advertising Coordinator
Kayley Kerns
Design Services Manager
Elisabeth Spillman
Design Services Assistant Manager Ryan Alcantara
Production Specialist
Marj Potts
Senior Design Consultant
Becky White
Graphic Designer
Brian Peterman
Promotions Manager
Jim White
Promotions Media Designer
Abby Chronister
Sales Coordinator
Whitney Hartman

10 Baking & Snack September 2020 / www.bakingbusiness.com

Muffin Town, this month's featured bakery, has learned
to nimbly adapt to this alternate reality that we're about
call the new school year. The bakery tapped into the fact
that whether kids go to school in a building or behind their
home computer, they'll still need lunch, and it will need
to be touch-free. Muffin Town moved fast to make smart
adjustments to its packaging lines and has gone all-in on
promoting the safety of their individually wrapped items.
The company is also using social media and QR
codes to promote its website where consumers can order all kinds of goodies for the school year. I've already
looked into the crustless sandwiches for my kid and
muffin gift boxes for his teacher (and yes, that teacher
may well be me).
I have yet to find any real commonality on how any of
us are navigating through all of this. But I do know that
those who can make quick decisions on creative strategies
will stand the best chance of success.
None of us has a crystal ball (and if you do, please tell
me if my kid makes it through fifth grade). We just have
to remember that now, more than ever, change really is
the only constant. Be ready to adapt. Be ready to fail. Be
ready to try again. And then be ready to do it all over ...
at least until we get back to "precedented times," whenever that may be.
- Joanie Spencer, editor
jspencer@sosland.com

EDITORIAL
Editor
Editorial Director
Managing Editor
Senior Editor
Digital Media Editor
Contributing Editors:

Joanie Spencer
Dan Malovany
Nico Roesler
Charlotte Atchley
Anna Wiber
Donna Berry
M. Hikmet Boyacıoglu

CORPORATE
Chairman and CEO
Charles S. Sosland
President
L. Joshua Sosland
Chief Financial and
Administrative Officer
Staci Greco
Chief Operating Officer and
Executive Editor
Meyer Sosland
Chief Marketing Officer
Jim Saladin
Corporate Headquarters
4801 Main St., Suite 650, Kansas City, MO 64112
Phone: (816) 756-1000; Fax: (816) 756-0494
E-mail: BakingSnack@sosland.com
Internet: www.bakingandsnack.com

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Baking & Snack - September 2020

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