Fighting Food Insecurity With Fresh Messaging

Spoonfuls saves healthy, fresh food that would otherwise be discarded and distributes it to community organizations. Libretto worked with Joni Kusminsky, Spoonfuls’ Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs, to expand a platform that Joni and her team had developed internally. The revised platform incorporated language around the organization’s growth initiatives and the evolving priorities articulated in its strategic plan. At the core of the document is the overarching idea of “Delivering Food With Purpose,” supported by key messages focused on Spoonfuls’ “triple bottom line” (People, Planet, Economy); its organizational differentiators; its work around education, advocacy, and justice; and its philanthropic priorities. 

Libretto also collaborated with the Spoonfuls team to explore alternatives to Lovin’ Spoonfuls, the organization’s previous name; modifying the name to “Spoonfuls” eventually emerged as a solution that preserved the best aspects of the existing brand while conveying the sense of gravitas and deep purpose characteristic of its work. 

In addition to external communications, Spoonfuls uses the messaging as a key component of employee onboarding. New staff members are quizzed on the messaging after several months; identifying gaps in their knowledge helps them gain a deeper connection to parts of the organization that are less familiar to them. In addition, community members and other external stakeholders have had the opportunity to weigh in on relevant parts of the messaging—helping to ensure that the platform stays as fresh as the food the organization recovers.

“It’s really helpful to go through a deep exploration of who you are and your identity as a business, so that what you say about yourself, your work, and your impact is authentic.” – Joni Kusminsky, Senior Director of Communications and Public Affairs, Spoonfuls