ALL PHOTOS TAKEN FROM INSTAGRAM @heyitshuy_

Hello everyone and welcome back to the fifth content strategy blog! This week me met with the exceptional award winning photographer, fine dining marketing manager and foodie Huy Tran. With two degrees under his belt in marketing and applied economics, and his career being a combination of creative and analytical work, for Tran everything has always been revolved around food and culture. Tran began his career with a strong passion for food and photography, which he developed since starting out as a photographer at the age of 12 using only the camera on his phone. He then moved to Canada from Vietnam as an international student where he transited into the marketing industry. During his degree, Tran got his first internship as a marketing strategy analyst for an agency called Global Team Blue, which was responsible for everything related to content and strategy for the Ford automotive company. Tran then joked about how he learned a lot about trucks, which is something he never thought that he’d have to learn about, however, he also learned about brand affinity, consumer metrics, analyzing a lot reports and conducting a lot of research on audiences. Huy later worked as a marketing specialist for one of Toronto’s most beloved food delivery apps called Foodora Canada, managing content for various platforms and leading significant advertising campaigns. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic he lost his job at Foodora Canada because they closed down. Eventually, another door opened for Tran as he joined Aburi Restaurant Group; which is a group of Japanese fine dining restaurants located in Toronto, Vancouver and Japan, as a digital marketing manager. The pandemic forced the Aburi Group to pivot its business model, introducing grocery options alongside restaurant services. Tran played a crucial role in developing new marketing strategies to adapt to these changes. He helped pivot the business by introducing at-home dining options and a grocery concept. In addition, he emphasized the importance of quick adaptation to market trends, developing cocktail and meal kits to meet changing consumer demands. I personally found it very inspiring when he stressed the necessity of quick responses to emerging trends, because you never know when it will become the most useful, for instance during the pandemic when consumer preferences rapidly changed.  Later that same year, Tran led one of their restaurants, Minami Toronto to win The Americas’ Best Designed Restaurant of 2021 by the Restaurant & Bar Design Award. Much recently, Aburi Hana; the Toronto restaurant, was the first to be awarded a Michelin Star in the history of the Canadian culinary landscape. During his presentation, Huy also highlighted his experience with content development across various media outlets and platforms such as TV and radio ads, and emphasizes the importance of adapting content for specific markers, with a strong emphasis in Canada with its bilingual audience of English and French. Additionally, he mentioned how important it is to conduct competitive analysis and content audits; similarly to the assignment for this class! He reiterated that by completing a content inventory, it will help you to evaluate what to keep, remove, or enhance based on performance metrics, and that regularly evaluating existing content helps ensure that marketing strategies align with business goals and market demands. Some of the biggest takeaways from his presentation was his tips for success. The first being always keeping an eye on industry trends. By staying updated on industry trends, it will be valuable and essential for relevant and current content creation, which also helps reach a larger audience. The second was maintaining consistency. Maintaining a consistent strategy in content quality and frequency helps in producing consistent quality and quantity of content that helps to build brand recognition. The final key to success was the notion of trust building. Establishing trust with the audience through quality and trustworthy content which then fosters loyalty and engagement, is vital for audience retention and growth. Huy Tran’s journey from photographer with a passion for food to an award-winning marketing expert demonstrates the power of adaptability, consistency, and trend awareness in content development. His ability to merge creative vision with analytical skills has not only helped him navigate challenges like the pandemic but also helped brands to new heights in a competitive industry. By staying on top of market shifts and fostering trust with his audience, Tran’s insights serve as valuable lessons for anyone looking to succeed in the changing world of marketing and content creation. Thanks for reading! 🙂

– Taahirah Baksh – 10/23/24 –