Turn Up the Flavor: ROAST Content and the Soul of Your Brand’s Content Strategy 🍖
Part 2 of the Content Chef’s Guide (inspired by the Content Food Groups by Ann Handley & C.C. Chapman)
If Dessert Content is your sweet hook, your ROAST is the heart and heat of your brand. It’s the core essence of your content strategy that simmers with depth, meaning, and message — it’s what gives your entire content strategy real substance and soul.
Inspired by the original Content Food Groups introduced in Content Rules by Ann Handley and C.C. Chapman, this article explores my take on the nourishing, purpose-driven storytelling that helps your audience understand who you are beyond the scroll and more importantly, why they should care.
Just like any good Caribbean dish, ROAST supporting content is best when it’s well-seasoned, slow-cooked, and deeply satisfying. Think Curried Goat, Oxtail, or for my plant-based crew—a rich, ital stew. 🍛
No matter your preference, this is the kind of content that requires time and effort to develop, should be deeply intentional and sits at the heart of your strategy, ideally seasoned for your audience.
What Is ROAST Content?
ROAST Content is the main course in your content strategy.
It’s hearty, foundational, and infused with your brand’s origin, beliefs, and bold intent. It sets the tone for everything else on the plate—Dessert, Greens, Grains, and Hot Sauce are all crafted to complement the ROAST.
Where Dessert content answers:
“What do you do?”
ROAST content answers for your audience:
“Why should I care?”
And strategically, the ROAST is where your entire content approach begins. Before a single caption is written, you need to develop your ROAST, which is heavily informed by:
The business’ goals
The target audience’s deeper needs and psychographics
The emotional journey you want to take your audience on
Why ROAST Matters
ROAST Content builds emotional connection and long-term trust. It:
Anchors your message and tone
Aligns your content with business goals and product timelines
Attracts values-aligned audiences who believe in your why
Moves people from curiosity to connection
Creates continuity across platforms and campaigns
ROAST Content helps you filter through the noise and speak directly to the people you’re here to serve.
Your ROAST isn’t just a one-and-done story—it’s a well-seasoned base that can be sliced, spiced, and served up in many forms across your channels. Like any good main dish, it deserves to be remixed and re-served creatively. As Ann Handley says, “good content is intentionally reimagined, at its inception, for various platforms and formats.” Your ROAST is therefore the philosophy of your brand's content strategy, your why, which is adaptable in form.
Examples of ROAST Content
Your brand story — Raw, rooted, and real
Founder's POV — What drives you, what keeps you going, and what you won’t compromise on
Your brand's origin or evolution — The journey from where you were to where you are
Culture-anchored reflections — How your heritage or values show up in your business
Frameworks or content philosophies — Like this guide 😏
Make It Tender, Not Tough
🔥 Be human – Avoid the corporate fluff and the jargon. If you’re making Oxtail, don’t write like instant noodles.
🔥Season it with purpose – Your culture, values, and personal POV are your seasoning.
🔥Tell stories, not slogans – Show me the journey, the moment, the lesson.
🔥Let it simma dung – Some ROAST content takes time to develop. Honor that. It’s okay to take your time, plan and then execute. Your audience can tell the difference, and for those who don’t care, they simply aren’t your ideal audience and can/will eat elsewhere.
Key Takeaways
✔️ ROAST Content is the soul of your strategy—it defines your flavor and fuels everything else
✔️ It anchors your tone, voice, and purpose
✔️ It’s where the strategy starts, not an afterthought
✔️ Whether it’s Oxtail, Curried Goat, or Ital Stew—your ROAST should reflect the real flavor of your brand
🍴 This is Part 2 of the Content Chef’s Guide. Missed Dessert? Head back for a sweet first bite. And stay tuned—GREENS, GRAINS, and HOT SAUCE are coming soon to round out the full-course content strategy your brand deserves.