Brand recognition is the name of the game in Bob Noble’s world.
Since founding Noble as a communications and advertising/marketing firm in 1969, he and his teams found a niche in food, working with brands including Borden, Chili’s, Uncle Ben’s, M&M’s and Taco Bell.
As chairman of Springfield-based Noble and CEO of its Food Channel Web site, Bob Noble knows how and where to market food and food services. He’s been studying and forecasting the future of food for years. He established the International Food Futurists and The Food Channel to better understand and document consumer thinking and trends in cuisine.
“I thrive on starting new companies and giving others an opportunity to grow and be a part of their success,” he says. “Right now, I have several different companies that we are building, aside from the agency. We have an insights company that analyzes consumer behavior; we are developing a full-blown media production company; we have an e-commerce store with a growing international reach; and we have an innovative video company that is changing the face of training.”
The self-described serial entrepreneur added a Chicago office in the early 1980s, bought Chicago agency BBDS in 2002 and later launched the Culinary Creative Center in Springfield with professionally trained chefs, nutritionists and food scientists. He was named the 2001 regional Entrepreneur of the Year, sponsored by Ernst & Young.
During more than four decades in business, Noble has employed thousands of advertising executives and personnel.
“Many of the advertising businesses in the community were launched on the experience gained from working at Noble,” he says. “I take an interest in what drives people, and then I use that knowledge to incentivize them as much as possible. My goal is always to create opportunities for others to step in and take the ball, and then to see how far they can run with it.”
Inside the agency’s walls, Noble has created a culture with community interests. As a company, Noble has performed pro bono work for the city of Springfield and Greene County – namely the Recreate Springfield campaign that led to citizen approval of Jordan Valley Park downtown – Springfield Public Schools, Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks, Discovery Center and Springfield Workshop. Each year, employees adopt an organization, and a growing list of beneficiaries include Isabel’s House crisis nursery and American Red Cross, while Noble personally has served on the boards of the Writer’s Hall of Fame of America and Missouri Arts Council.
From 2011 Men of the Year[[In-content Ad]]
