The Brand Grower concept was inspired by growing up on a rice and sheep farm in NSW, Australia. Julie is the daughter of a farmer and an artist, who shaped strong values around resourcefulness, resilience and the power of creativity in problem solving. The experiences on the farm built the understanding that focusing on long-term growth can be a guide through the short-term challenges. Ultimately profit gives resources.

The Brand Grower approach was developed by Julie Grufstedt, a Senior Director in brand marketing with international experience growing brands like HelloFresh, IKEA, Optus, and Coles.

Notably, Julie was responsible for the significant growth of the HelloFresh group of brands in Australia and New Zealand over almost a decade. The HelloFresh brand shifted from being known as a ‘gift card marketing company’ to the meal kit category leader it is today, helping millions of Aussie and Kiwi families get dinner on the table - easier, faster, more delicious and with less waste than what they did before. During this time the business grew in line with increased marketing and product investment to meet peak consumer demand, and profitability was realised ahead of the international group.

Julie also led the growth of the IKEA brand in Australia when the company transitioned from small stores into full-sized concept stores with a self-serve warehouse. Her stewardship of the brand resulted in store visitation doubling from comparable markets and significant shifts were realised in the perception of the IKEA brand amongst Australian consumers. Julie then moved to Brussels, Belgium to be an internal consultant working with IKEA management teams in the UK, Europe and Asia and with global functional leaders, specialising in consumer insights and marketing planning.

The Brand Grower approach is a simple, yet effective guide to achieving significant long term growth for brands. Whether your goal is to rapidly scale-up to profitability like HelloFresh, or create relevance again for an iconic established brand like IKEA, the Brand Grower approach can help you reap the rewards of an abundant consumer demand.