Kerb Food

Kerb Food is a dynamic player in the UK street food industry, connecting budding street food entrepreneurs with opportunities to establish their businesses under the Kerb umbrella. Kerb operates as a supportive network for these independent food businesses, fostering a sense of community and providing resources to help them succeed.

Kerb’s presence in London includes semi-permanent markets such as Seven Dials Market and the National Theatre on Southbank, and they appear at festivals and events across the UK including the races at Cheltenham. 

The brand wanted out support to learn about techniques for increasing their visibility among potential partners in the street food industry, whilst also supporting its network of vendors with effective marketing strategies.

We facilitated a comprehensive marketing training day for Kerb’s marketing team, focusing on three core areas:

1. B2B Marketing: Attracting Caterers to Join Kerb
   • Kerb’s primary challenge is to raise awareness among hospitality professionals wanting to set up their own street food brands.
   • We emphasised strategies to target the London area initially, with scalable plans for national outreach, including regions like the Midlands.
   • Key discussion points included leveraging Google Ads, SEO, social media platforms, and LinkedIn to build Kerb’s profile and reach.
   • We highlighted the importance of engaging existing online communities rather than creating new ones from scratch, using platforms like YouTube and Google’s Display Network to target audiences interested in food.
2. B2C Marketing: Promoting Vendors’ Businesses
   • The second focus was on helping Kerb vendors market their offerings to the public effectively. This included strategies for showcasing their food at both semi-permanent locations and pop up events.
   • We explored the use of Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to create engaging content that highlights the unique qualities of each vendor. 
   • Strategies were discussed for creating online support to complement physical locations, including targeting specific events with tailored campaigns.
3. Personal Branding for Vendors
   • A significant portion of the day focused on empowering vendors to build their personal brands. From emphasising their unique selling points to creating compelling narratives around their passion for food, vendors were encouraged to showcase their individuality.
   • We discussed using the Kerb website as a platform for vendors who may not yet have their own online presence. This “digital storefront” approach ensures visibility while vendors develop their independent brands.
   • The session underscored the importance of standing out in a crowded marketplace by producing high-quality content and maintaining a strong, consistent strategy.

Structure of the Day The day was divided into three main components:

1. Morning Classroom Session:
   • A presentation on key paid media and paid social marketing strategies for B2B and B2C, tailored to Kerb’s business objectives.
   • An introduction to audience identification, behavior analysis, and platform-specific strategies and techniques.
2. Afternoon Workshop:
   • We worked with the Kerb team in small groups to tackle real-world challenges, such as keyword research, improving website conversion rates, and audience profiling.
   • Teams presented their findings, fostering collaborative learning and idea-sharing.
3. Wrap-Up and Q&A:
   • Finally, we recapped the day’s learnings and addressed specific questions from the Kerb team, ensuring actionable takeaways for each participant.

The marketing training day provided Kerb’s team with the tools and insights needed to achieve their goals across B2B and B2C channels. By fostering community, enhancing brand visibility, and supporting vendors, Kerb is well-positioned to solidify its leadership in the street food industry and expand its influence both locally and nationally.