Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeffrey Spear
Hi Jeffrey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
With an interest in art since I was 6 years old, my parents signed me up, and kept me enrolled in private art training for many years. Looking for a way to apply what I had learned, I entered college with an interest in Scientific Illustration. After being introduced to this thing called Graphic Design in my freshman year, I found I enjoyed that direction better.
At the time I graduated from university, the major markets for Graphic Designers were New York, Chicago and Los Angeles. Wanting to make a name for myself, and not caring for cold weather, Los Angeles (Santa Monica to be exact) was my only realistic choice.
I was recognized as a good designer in L.A. and an even better type designer. Deciding to focus exclusively on hand rendered logos and trademarks, I was well received in the entertainment industry, producing art titles for TV shows, movies and record albums. When I developed the iconic “Bad” title for Michael Jackson, everything took off.
Over time, my work evolved, centering more around consumer lifestyle products including real estate, toys, games, sporting goods, food and beverage industries. At the same time, wanting to be able to prepare my own meals, I attended cooking school. With my culinary credentials, it was easy to shift my work focus once again, this time, exclusively on food and beverage products.
With more than 45 years in business, working as the President, Director of Strategic Planning and Creative Director at Studio Spear, I’ve attracted client engagements on every continent except Antarctica. In addition, I’ve become an accomplished trade journalist and food writer, providing stories and industry insights to a variety of trade and consumer publications. I’ve also written three cookbooks, the most recent a Florida Book Awards gold medalist – “My Life in Gluttony: A Culinary Adventure.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I learned early in my career that, if you stop promoting, your business will die. It’s a non-stop activity that most definitely has its ups and downs. I think the biggest hurdles to overcome have been learning to embrace the computer, learning to embrace the internet and, right now, learning to understand and embrace AI.
We’ve been impressed with Studio Spear, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Studio Spear provides effective marketing counsel across a variety of agribusiness, food, foodservice and consumer lifestyle sectors. With an impressive roster of both international and domestic clients along with unparalleled creative leadership, Studio Spear has helped brand owners and manufacturers maximize production capacities, modify formulations to better align with buyer preferences, enhance packaging and brand presentations for both trade and consumer audiences, develop new marketing strategies and tactics, penetrate new markets and increase sales.
Studio Spear’s successes have all relied upon a strong foundation in strategic planning – conducting thorough industry research, identifying category trends & buyer preferences, responding to new technologies, leveraging operational strengths, accurately evaluating market opportunities and minimizing competitive threats.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Being self employed, the level of isolation that Covid-19 imposed on the world was nothing new to me. That being said, I had enjoyed frequent, in-person engagements with clients all over the world that came to an abrupt halt. With travel no longer feasible, learning to work remotely for absolutely everything was a new experience. So was Zoom. Today, it’s all become commonplace and expected.
Pricing:
- Every engagement is different, requiring advance research and planning.
- Pricing is typically based on client budget, market dynamics, business objectives and the level of effort needed to create successful outcomes.
- There is no such thing as “one size fits all.”
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.studiospear.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio_spear/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/studiospear
