What are the creative industries?
Let’s dispel some myths before we answer that question. After all, the answer might not be as straightforward as you might think.
Myth: You must go into an industry like film, radio or video game design to be in a “creative field.”
This couldn’t be farther from the truth. Many industries outside of the traditional “creative” fields exist. For example, Ontario’s Food and Beverage Industry hires many creative roles that use their creativity to literally help to feed people!
Myth: You have to be good at arts and media to be creative.
Truth: Creativeness is a skill that extends further than just creating an art piece. The creative industries need people with specialized skill sets such as data analysis, engineering and business just as much as those who can design and draw. If we want to improve our food systems, then we need individuals who can come up with solutions to some of our biggest problems. Therefore, we need more than just artists to accomplish this.
So, with these truths in mind, let’s explore seven jobs that will stretch your creativity within Ontario’s food and beverage processing industry.
1. Digital Marketing Manager
A digital marketing manager oversees an organization’s digital programs and initiatives. The scope of their duties will depend on the size of the organization they are employed for. Some digital marketing managers specialize in roles such as social media engagement, search engine optimization (SEO) and influencer marketing.
Digital Marketing Managers must be strategic and creative with their marketing campaigns. Online, your competition is across the globe, and creative solutions are needed to get the right people to purchase your company’s product. Overall, digital marketing managers develop marketing plans and strategies and track their success through data.
2. Graphic Designer
Walking into a grocery store presents an individual with multiple options to purchase. Packaging design influences consumer behaviour and helps them decide whether to purchase a product.
Packaging conveys messaging about a product, such as what it looks like, how it tastes and its nutritional content. A graphics designer creatively and strategically designs every piece of information on a piece of packaging. They work with cross-functional teams to conceptualize and create packaging prototypes. Graphic designers may be employed directly for a company, or an external graphic company or may act as independent freelancers.
3. Packaging Engineer
Packaging engineers design, test, and carry out packaging designs for food products. As well, they decide on the shape, type of material used and how it will be used in the equipment that it will be produced on.
Packaging has two roles: Entice you to make a purchase and protect the integrity of a project. A lot of thought goes into creating a package that can do both. Packaging engineers design the packaging for food products and work in parallel with a graphic designer.
From a food safety standpoint, packaging must protect food from things like dirt and bacteria, prevent product tampering and help extend the shelf life of a product. Some products are trickier to package than others. Packaging engineers work on the front lines and use their creativity to address all concerns during production.
4. Research and Development (R&D) Product Development Scientist
Over time consumer tastes and motivations change. The food industry needs to respond to these changes by developing food products that better align with their values. R&D Product Development Scientists are like the chefs of the manufacturing world. They research and creatively use new ingredients and manufacturing processes to develop products that better align with consumer needs.
For example, many consumers are shifting away from animal-based products and more towards plant-based ones. However, this isn’t a simple task, and you can’t just replace one ingredient for another. R&D Produce Development Scientists have been working hard to figure out how to create a diverse toolset of food products to provide more options for consumers.
5. International Business Development Associate
International business development associates help companies to boost sales and brand awareness in international markets.
Across the world consumer behaviour is different so a global approach is needed to market the same product without modifying the product or marketing message. International business development associates help with this transition by determining the best way to adapt existing products and services for a global marketplace. They act as an expert in subject material, building relationships with clients and finding creative tailored solutions which are mutually beneficial for everyone.
6. Category Manager
Finding what you need in a grocery store is made a little bit easier by organizing products based on category. All the potato chips are in one section. All the bread in another. For many large food manufacturing companies, they too may have categories of products such soft cheeses or candy bars.
Typically, a Category Manager is employed to manage a category of product for their company. How big their category or group depends on the size of the company they work for. Category Managers need to be creative with how they plan to achieve long-term strategies to drive of sales. They use data collected from different sources and translate it into tangible plans. Overall, the job of a category Manager is to drive customer/shopper satisfaction by increasing category sales.
7. Flavourist/ Flavour Technology
Have you ever tried cotton candy-flavoured mac and cheese? As you can imagine from the name, cotton candy isn’t a native flavour to mac and cheese.
Making this dish that unique flavour requires the skills of a Flavourist/Flavour technologist. Flavourists create these flavours by combining natural and synthetically approved chemicals to develop flavours for a variety of food products. They work with a wide selection of compounds like extracts, oils and flavour chemicals to create the perfect combination based on customer needs.
When working with these compounds, they must be creative, considering factors such as how affordable, safe and fitting the components are for an application.
Find YOUR Creative Career in the Food and Beverage Processing Industry!
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