Further, the British celebrity chef also pursued several endorsements: sharing the vision of the importance of fresh and tasty food, Jamie became the advertising face of Sainsbury$$s$,$ one of Britain$$s largest supermarkets, from $2000$ to $2011.$ His influence on consumers$$ cooking styles became apparent; for example, in a promotional activity in $2005,$ Jamie added grated nutmeg over spaghetti Bolognese which caused the sales

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of nutmeg to shoot up from $1400$ jars to $6000$ jars a week within a week$$s time.The German headquartered firm Hello Fresh, which delivers fresh, preportioned ingredients to consumers as a meal$-$kit, started a co$-$branding relationship with Jamie in $2016.$ The company$$s business model and Jamie$$s philosophy seem to match perfectly: having fun while cooking fresh food in a simple way. In addition, the deal included the promise to make donations for every box sold to Jamie Oliver$$s Food Foundation, which tries to improve food education.

Next to his entrepreneurial projects, he also engaged himself in social marketing fighting for environmental causes as well as against childhood obesity $($by proposing a sugar tax on soft drinks$)$ and advocating healthy and nutritious school diners in the UK$.$

All these ventures helped to further enlarge the fan base Jamie had already built up with his TV shows. Moreover, he did not shy away from more dialogue$-$centred activities with his fans that helped to leverage fan engagement even more: the British chef created online presences on Facebook $(6\mathrm{.}8$ mil$-$lion subscribers$),$ Twitter $(6\mathrm{.}75$ million followers$),$ YouTube $(4$ million subscribers$),$ Instagram $(7\mathrm{.}2$ million subscribers$),$ and Pinterest $($more than $259,000$ followers$)\mathrm{.}116$ His strategy of regularly adding relevant $($and even personal$)$ content, per$-$sonally contributing to people$$s comments and discussions as well as listening and even reacting to trends emerging from the community $($e$.$g$.,$ gluten$-$free$/$dairy$-$free cooking$)$ makes these channels impactful, engaging, and attractive to users.

However, the Briton also experienced strong criticism as not all his endeavours met the approval of his entire fan base and certain statements created tension within it$.$ Jamie, for example, hurt traditional souls in $2016$ when he put forward the inclusion of a particular kind of sausage $($chorizo$)$ in a Spanish Paella. His variation of the classic dish was perceived as an insulting transgression and led to an outcry on social media over cultural food traditions. Twitter users who felt provoked became emotional sharing their confusion, upset, anger, and rage. The reactions even made headlines in several leading British newspapers. In early $2018,$ Jamie$$s popu$-$larity came under fire when a recipe for a cookie milkshake containing six times the

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recommended daily sugar intake was published on his website. For his fans, he had messed with the value of healthy food he personified. Even his admirable commitment against childhood obesity went too far for some: nutritionists and dieticians criticised the negative language used by him in the campaign $($e$.$g$.,$ war on obesity$),$ which affects vulnerable children. After an interview on a British morning TV show about the campaign, he got criticized by many viewers for being too patronising about the subject. What is more, being an open advocate for environmental responsibility, Jamie$$s partnership with the oil company Shell, which involved healthy on$-$the$-$go food being introduced by Jamie at $500$ Shell service stations, was deemed hypocritical by politicians and fans.

Summary of Case

This case brings to focus the brand that TV personality Jamie Oliver has established by promoting healthy and nutritious cooking and by inspiring cooks who are looking for simple yet fun recipes. Using an approach that emphasizes simplicity, he aims to remove any anxiety associated with preparing food from scratch. This philosophy has won him many fans, who interact and engage with him on social media. Leveraging his fame, he has entered into several co$-$branding engagements with companies like Sainsbury$$s and HelloFresh.

Discussion Questions

CS$7-1.$ Describe Jamie Oliver$$s brand personality. With which kind of consumer personalities or lifestyle and psychographic characteristics does this brand identity resonate?

CS$7-2.$ You have seen some examples of brand relationships that Jamie Oliver has entered into. Can you think of other brands that would fit Jamie Oliver? Explain the reasons why.

CS$7-3.$ As you have read, Jamie Oliver also received criticism for his work. How do you suggest Jamie should address this criticism?

CS$7-4.$ Jamie Oliver also ran his own chain of restaurants. Several had to close over the last years due to financial difficulties. What impression do you think this makes on the brand of Jamie Oliver?