As we recently celebrated our 30th anniversary, we found ourselves reflecting on the journey that’s brought us here. Over the past three decades, we’ve had the privilege of working with a wide range of clients, from small startups to industry giants. Along the way, we’ve learned valuable lessons that have shaped the way we approach foodservice marketing. These insights have stood the test of time, proving that while trends may come and go, some core principles remain constant.
1. A differentiated positioning matters.
Walk the floor of any industry tradeshow and you’ll be hit with a “sea of same” messages. Yet, each time we’ve worked with clients to identify a clear white space for them, a compelling position always emerges.
2. Make it about them, not you.
No matter what your campaign or message, foodservice operators want to know that you understand their business and have a solution that will make their lives better, easier, or more profitable.
3. Operators don’t know your offerings like you think they do.
It may surprise you, but it takes a LOT of repetition to get an operator’s attention. So even when you’re tired of a campaign, give it some time and use varied tactics to make sure you’re getting the word out.
4. Do your research.
Years ago, we worked with a client on relaunching a product that had already failed the first time around. Months of R&D work went into “fixing” the issue that caused the flop. But the fix didn’t address a key operational need that would have revealed itself with the proper customer insights and research.
5. Never underestimate the power of sampling.
If you’ve invested months or years on a new product launch, make it easy for operators to try it. One operator we talked to actually switched distributors to get a favorite sauce that he first tried when a broker dropped off a sample. He then went on to build a menu that included four or five items featuring that same sauce.
6. Tradeshows are worth it, if…
It’s surprising to us how many of our clients don’t fully leverage the time and investment they make in their tradeshows. You may have the best booth on the floor, but make sure you’re reaching out prior to the show to entice them to stop by and have a solid post-show follow-up strategy to nurture the contacts you made.
7. You need both logs and kindling to build a steady fire.
It’s tempting to focus all your marketing efforts to “kindling” tactics like promotions and rebates that will drive short-term case sales. But to create a steady burn, you also need higher-level, brand-building “logs” like trade ads and thought-leadership content that showcase your overall value proposition.
8. Channel-specific messages build operator empathy.
While operators across segments experience similar challenges such as controlling labor and food costs, the daily challenges of a K-12 foodservice director vary greatly from an independent pizzeria owner. The more you can craft channel-specific messages and campaigns, the greater your chance for developing deep relationships.
9. Make it 360°.
When launching a campaign, make sure your landing page experience is a good as the tactics that are driving operators there. So often, marketers don’t allocate the resources or budget to this portion and are surprised when they see high bounce rates and low conversions.
10. What’s old is new.
In our digital and data-driven world, there’s something refreshing about old-school tactics like a print newsletter or direct mail. Consider how you can bring more tactile experiences into your marketing mix to break out of the digital clutter.
We’ve learned plenty of other lessons along the way, and we’re happy to share any that apply to projects you may have on the horizon. Get in touch to keep the conversation going!