by Rowena Zahn
Old friends and acquaintances were reunited and new connections between industry professionals, students, and Chapman faculty were made at the recent Food Science Networking Night. Attendees were able to mingle before being greeted by Dr. Elaine Schwartz, Assistant Dean of Schmid College, who highlighted The Keck Effect and the opening of the new science building in the Fall of 2018. King’s Hawaiian sponsored the event and Director of Baking Science, Torrey Nelson, spoke to the crowd about the culture of King’s Hawaiian that is steeped in family tradition. He described “ohana,” which means family, which was extended at the event by the company’s sharing of their trademark rolls with all attendees. It was hard to miss the smiling faces who happily brought King’s Hawaiian Dinner Rolls home!
Geoff Kutnick presented on digital strategies that Halo Top and Nissin Cup Noodles have used to engage their customers. He spoke about various tactics that center on social media engagement which have set those brands apart from the rest of the space. Halo Top and Nissin Cup Noodles have participated in festivals, offered prizes and giveaways, and debunked the myth that traditional marketing is the only way to increase sales of ice cream and ramen noodles. Kutnick encouraged the audience to be open to new ways to promote products and offered outside-the-box examples to help industry professionals stay current.
