wearing someone's logo

[shroomgirl]

oh man I feel a need to vent.....and ask for your input....please.
I took on a consulting gig on a food show. What has ended up being a last minute venture has turned out OK in most aspects. I lined up 7 chefs for the DEMO stage....talk and cook for 45 minutes. When the powers that be figured out that restaurants would not buy a booth (DUH! and what I said from the beginning) they felt more participation from local cooks important. Thus I came up with 16 more warm bodies.....caterers, restaurants, pastry and schools. So, my agreement with them is $ and ads.....this is cool. Now they want me to wear a sponsor's chef coat with their logo (instead of my own with my own logo). I got a problem with wearing advertising that is not paid for in the sense that this was not agreed to at the beginning....as a matter of fact I said I wanted to wear my own clothes.

I've come up with donated foods (they had budgeted $1500)
I've come up with trade for ads kitchen equipment and small wares
I've lined them up with a few sponsors
So I've essentially came up with the monies to pay me.

One of the sponsors has a CC "food handlers license" that wants to be on the main stage 10 minutes prior to Two CEC's doing certified angus beef......really cheesy. I e-mailed my contact back that putting food handlers licnesed in the program will make any person in food laugh....
They undercut the great talent I found them by pushing in someone to talk 10 minutes prior. It ticks me off. There is no thought process behind this....it has leanings toward industrial foodshows not toward general $30ph paying public. ARRRGh....there is also little consideration toward CLOGGING up the stage.

And what is it with ice carving???? That's where I totally lost it.

Sooooo now that I've vented (not nearly enough) the question is
would you wear another's logo when there is opportunity for many to see yours?

It's frustrating working through 3rd parties....a non-profit hired me and their sponsors are the ones talking um into the changes.
*I said I'd not go to committee meetings. pretty sure this was the sane thing to do but it is becoming clear shtuff is going arye.

 

[chiffonade]

This is where you have to decide whether this particular stepping stone is worth boosting your career for the day you can flip off anyone who makes a similar request - or - Stand up for your pride and dignity and say "No thanks, I've got my own."

Is it a deal breaker? Do you lose the job if you don't march in formation? It comes down to "how much is it worth to you to do this gig and move up/on with your career?" And will this boost your career so much it's worth it to do??

 

[shroomgirl]

Well, I would like to play again....at this point it appears to be what I've been building up to for a while.
I did get booths for the farmer's market and they will donate product for the samples.
It's less about pride as a marketing standpoint. I'm not widely known for catering and that is where I see the majority of my easier monies made....people call more than ever for PC but it is considerably less for me to PC than to cater a dinner for 14.....
I'm known for the market and known for mushrooming and known for PC....now is the time for more consulting and catering larger parties.....I'm on the way but still could use the additional advertising....
If I were the consultant for the sponsor that would be one thing, I find it a grey area and if push comes to shove will wear their coat but......it may mean some additional bargaining on catered events with the non-profit that is my direct source...
I have to keep telling myself the reason they hired you was because they are not food people....it is a totally different world to them and they don't have the direct connections.

 

[shroomgirl]

I just talked to my mentor who said remember the golden rule...he who has the gold makes the rules....your right if I wanna play their game I play by their rules. hmmmm.

 

[ritafajita]

Is there a way to wear the sponsor's logo and promote yourself at the same time? Could you do both?

I'd be frustated, too. Changing the rules in the middle of the game always gets to me. Surely, though, with all you've done to help out, they'd be willing to compromise and let you promote yourself some. I hope so, anyway. Good luck with it.

RF

 

[chef1x]

Yeah, that's a tough one.
Frankly, I think it sucks, and wouldn't want to do it.
But from the way you describe it, it doesn't sound like it would hurt you too much. And there is always maybe some kind of positive return you could wring out of it.

So, in general, I wouldn't do it or want too, but sometimes you may not have much of a choice, and it won't kill your personal brand of quality.

Looking at the food show here today, it re-reinforced my general feeling of disdain about participating in them; I mean, do I really want to cook with Heineken? Cook with Fred's Super Base,etc?
Not really, but sometimes we have to in order to do what we REALLY want to do.

 

[cape chef]

Just a little background on Shroomgirl

I don't think she'll be cooking with the big beer guru's

She will be working,teaching and foriging with people really interested in food and the soil.

She's a force in slow food and the Chefs collabrative and has offered many of us inspiration here on Cheftalk.

her web site is http://www.saucecafe.com/ and Shroom runs the Claytons farmers market in St Loius.

I know in the end Shroom will make the right decision based on her heart.

Shroom, Springs right around the corner.

BTW, I love your logo:bounce:

 

[chef1x]

As we say in my country, "This is clear."

I sorely missed the mushroom person at the NY foodshow this year. Last year there was this small operation sauteeing some exotic shrooms to order. This year, the only demos I saw were from some broadline distributors who kinda butchered some chanterelles.

There will always be space for quality, whether you wear a stupid logo or not.

 

[shroomgirl]

Thanks!!! remember the fold over card? I'm having a stone mosaic done of the Chanterelle!

Got an e-mail this am....pecans may come in....got shrooms, got flowers, got lamb, got eggs, got honey, getting chevre!!!should be a fun time.

Coat.....these Certified Angus people are taking over the world, is it a branding thing? Guess they just have alot of farmer's money to spend....and want an Angus show.

you know this is our 4 year for farmer/chef/seed catalog night?
more come each year, I had a couple of calls over the weekend from chicken farmers who will slaughter and bring in fresh!!!Gotta love it.

 

[kuan]

Heh shroom... have you had the good fortune of meeting Carl Zeitler BTW?

Kuan

 

[chef1x]

:suprise:

BTW, shroom, that's your site?

Fantastic! I didn't know.

I'm not a member of the Chef's Collaborative yet, but I hope to be some day. I interviewed with Peter Hoffman just before he opened Savoy about 12 years ago and have dutifully followed his successes ever since. It's the kind of cooking I'd like to do.

Sounds like you have a wonderful job!

 

[alexia]

If you must wear their logo on your jacket, perhaps you could get yourself a hip cap and have your logo on it! By the time they learn about it, the gig will probably be over. Th

 

[shroomgirl]

don't know Carl....where would I know him from?

Love the hat idea....

Thanks! the site is pretty pale during the winter.....check this summer for pics and updates on visiting chefs.

 

[chefboy2160]

Remember Jim Mcmahon the Chigago bears football quarterback from the 1985 season . He was told not to display any advertising during games and in his next game he wore a headband with the name of the footballs comissioner .
I think it was Rozelle . Just be truthfull , it always wins .

 

[chef1x]

Wow chefboy,
I remember that vividly, you must be around my age
I remember not liking it at the time, though, how have things changed since then!

Ahem,
on the other hand,
I think it's apples and oranges here, advertising as a "non-celeb" chef is a little different, though I don't doubt shroom is worthy of the same status!~ It would be great to see a combonation of the two worlds, and I honestly think that's where it will end up someday. Not to beat it over the head, but what's happening to McD's is a GOOD sign of the times.

I look forward to the day when I can buy convenient, healthy and responsible product at every level of food service....:chef:

 

[shroomgirl]

Well, the volunteers and assistants, as well as the demo chefs are wearing Angus logo aprons and coats...I got out of it. Thanks for your input, it is tough for me to manuver through politics...I'm pretty ornery and don't always say the PC thing....aw well

 

[panini]

Well that's good news. I've refrained from jumping in, for my vote was not to wear any logos that were not in the original agreement. I'm not really understanding the CC thing yet. I've been to your site before and enjoyed it. I felt right from your first post that this monopolizing advertiser was not your style.
I hope you can get by my "guy" crack. I really didn't know. For all I know CapeChef is an older woman.
Your event sound like a lot of work but alot of fun.
BTW Thank goodness the Angus thing is passed here, but all through the push I could faintly tell the difference in restaurants, but the product in the supermarkets was sub par or par at best.
Of corse you never know if you're really getting it.
Hey, taking our line of Nick's Mixes to the local farmer's market.
We blend and make a variety of trail and party mixes. Any thoughts?
Pan

 

[shroomgirl]

started another thread on selling at Farmer's Markets.
Naw Capechef is a guy, not an older lady in the outskirts of NY, actually have seen him and hung out with him for a day. He carried apple cider when my heels started screaming....
CC is a group of concerned chefs that are worried about the food system as it has evolved into monopolizing companies that are eliminating artisinal foods and multi varietals. They put on wonderful programs in the NE....the Oregan chapters are active too....the concentration is mainly in Boston and NY... So Peter Hoffman and Rick Bayless are very active members...there are others that follow their lead and are conscience of their buying choices.
I'm pretty goal oriented and have made some headway in the midwest with making folks aware of local growing and buying....it will be an ongoing process for the rest of my life. Summer of 2000
I posted alot prior to opening the farmer's market, I'm not sure if it is archived but that would be where alot of whys and wherefores are....