Jennifer Baum is the president and founder of marketing and public relations firm Bullfrog + Baum, which focuses on lifestyle, hospitality and food and beverage.
Bullfrog + Baum has launched the careers of chefs, created integrated marketing campaigns for international lifestyle brands and built the brands of New York's hottest restaurants. Jennifer tells us about what she has in store for 2016, including launching Claus Meyer's food hall in Grand Central Station and building Bobby Flay's new burger chain.
What does your
company do?
We are a marketing company that specializes in the
hospitality, food & beverage and general lifestyle sectors. We build and
reimagine brands, launch concepts, and promote our clients through integrated
marketing programs that continue to garner interest for the long-term.
How did you start the
business?
I have a background in beauty public relations and
restaurant operations, as well as a MBA in finance and management. While
working as the director of marketing and business development for a growing
restaurant group, and acting as the point person for their PR firm, I decided
to launch my own company. I started my company with one small, relatively
unknown client. My second client, Sara Moulton, was, and still is, a nationally
recognized culinary personality who helped lend credibility to the work I was
doing. She remains a client today, almost 16 years later and that small client
- Tao/Strategic Group - is now a huge international company and a client once
again.
What were you doing
at the time?
I had been consulting for a small firm at the time, trying
to decide what to do next. I was
pregnant with my son when I started Bullfrog + Baum which made me take pause
and make sure I was doing the right thing…but clearly it didn’t stop me from
launching my company.
Tell us about some of
the highlights of your career thus far.
From a culinary perspective, I’ve had the opportunity to
represent and/or launch the careers of many chefs you see on television today including
Marc Forgione, Geoffrey Zakarian, Marc Murphy and Alexandra Guarnaschelli, as
well as work with some of the most celebrated chefs in the world including
Bobby Flay, Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon and Alain Ducasse, to name a few.
I played
a big role in creating, developing and promoting the BLT brand of restaurants
(and continue to work with Laurent Tourondel today); launched quirky concepts
such as Rice to Riches; and facilitated mutually beneficial relationships for
real estate development companies such as Related Companies and Howard Hughes Corporation.
I worked with Westfield on the new World
Trade Center project and relaunched the iconic Rainbow Room with Tishman
Speyer.
What are some of your
current projects that you’re excited about?
We are working with Claus Meyer, the founder/partner of the
world renowned restaurant, noma, on his food hall and restaurant in Grand
Central Terminal as well as his other New York-based projects; helping Four
Seasons Hotels and Resorts gain further recognition as a stellar
restaurant-focused brand; collaborating with the Bobby’s Burger Palace internal
team on the branding and marketing of Bobby Flay’s casual burger restaurant;
and preparing to launch Carla Hall’s new restaurant here in NYC. We are also working
with Howard Hughes Corporation on the food and beverage development of South
Street Seaport which as a lifelong New Yorker it is particularly exciting to
see the transformation of that area.
What are some of the pitfalls
you’d advise against in creating a thriving business, and your tips for success?
I think it’s very important to enjoy the journey, and not
look only to the reward. There is much to be learned if you pay attention along
the way. It’s also important to hire well. It’s been said that you should hire
slowly and fire quickly and I believe that to be true. Managing people can be
the most difficult part of our jobs so you want to ensure your team is
cohesive, collaborative and supportive.
There is no one person who can do everything themselves so learn to
trust and delegate, not only the senior most people on your team but everyone.
I read somewhere that Netflix tries to hire “fully formed adults” and I believe
that if we treat our team in that manner, they will respond accordingly. It is also very important to understand who
you and your company are within your greater industry and remain true to that
vision. One must also maintain balance and take care of your most valuable
asset – yourself.
What are some of the
biggest changes you predict for the industry in the next 5-10 years?
Obviously technology will continue to be one of the greatest
influencers of change in our industry (and our clients!) so it is imperative to
stay as many steps ahead in that arena as possible. But I also think there will
be a change – or more accurately – a reverting BACK to focusing on the
importance of human connection – conversations, hand written communication,
sharing of experiences. There will also continue to be changes in how the
modern workplace operates: more
flexibility, more experiential learning and more expectations.
Linda Gaunt Communications
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