Coca-Cola Solid Brand, Solid Partnerships, Drive Branded Continuity

 

If you ever wondered why, you might pay just a little bit more for a global legacy branded product, stop wondering.  You don’t become a global brand without first producing a quality consumer approved, accepted, and apricated product. According to Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® they become a global successful brand by focusing on consumers and clients consistently with a continuity in proactive branded messaging.

The Coca-Cola Company recently announced the launch of “Coca-Cola Leader Lab, a people-centric leadership program that addresses a significant issue facing the future of foodservice: attracting, developing and retaining an engaged frontline workforce.

Labor challenges, particularly the high turnover rates of frontline service employees, continue to be primary concerns of the foodservice industry. According to the most recent National Restaurant Association survey on restaurant business conditions, more than six in 10 restaurants are understaffed and 79 percent of operators say their restaurant currently has job openings that are difficult to fill. While wages continue to be a driving factor in attracting talent, 70 percent of the variance in frontline employee engagement and performance is attributed entirely to frontline managers (Gallup Workplace, 2022). 

Coca-Cola saw a tangible opportunity to support its foodservice and on-premise partners in solving this issue. “No single foodservice brand can fix this problem on their own. As more of Gen Z enters the workforce and steps into leadership roles, the entire industry needs to think about how they are attracting and developing their current and future frontline talent,” says Dagmar Boggs, Coca-Cola’s President of Foodservice and On-Premise, North America. “As a total business partner dedicated to helping our customers grow their brands, Coca-Cola is uniquely positioned to provide an industry-wide solution that will help equip and transform our current and future foodservice leaders.”

Through actionable, video-driven content, Coca-Cola Leader Lab helps develop frontline people-leaders by giving them the skills they need to grow in their careers and help others grow in theirs. The program is hosted on an easy-to-navigate website, and its quick-hitting, “bingeable” video modules account for the minimal margin of time foodservice employees have for additional training. 

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SHARE OF STOMACH

Partnerships Can Drive Success

The training modules focus on building core capabilities in an engaging and relevant way for a multicultural audience of emerging Gen Z leaders. Participants will gain insights into six transformational leadership skills, with an optional add-on module on culture building:

1.       Casting Vision: Starting a leadership growth journey by knowing the direction and why

2.       Critical Thinking: Turning obstacles into opportunities that improve team performance

3.       Communication: Communicating in a way that is simple, specific and connects to both hearts and minds

4.       Conflict Resolution: Understanding conflict types and how to create a plan for resolution

5.       Collaboration: Knowing how, where and when to include others

6.       Coaching Mentality: Embracing different perspectives and actions to achieve specific results

“It’s no secret that a brand’s customer experience will never be better than its employee experience. Employees are naturally wired for growth, and there’s a critical need for foodservice brands to improve how they engage and foster the professional growth of their frontline teams,” said Boggs. “Coca-Cola Leader Lab gives our partners a meaningful way to invest in the frontline individuals directly responsible for driving their customer loyalty.”

If you have not tried Coca-Coca’s Leader Lab yet, it is free to all Coca-Cola’s Foodservice and On-Premise Partners.  The team at Foodservice Solutions® thinks you should.

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Little Caesars Living Room Food Marketing

 

How do you plan on becoming the first choice for consumers in a crowded, competitive, compelling food marketplace? Getting the customer to think of your brand first over your competitors’ brand has been an on-going struggle for many.  However, Little Caesars might just have found the new electricity to do just that.

According to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® “Little Caesars new partnership with NHL Hockey is a close to the perfect interactive participatory food marketing ideation, I have ever seen. Talk about top-of-mind food branding.”  

Johnson continued, “in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as; corporate partnerships, fresh foods, perfume, cosmetics, online ordering, delivery, self-driving cars, plant-based foods, music, streaming, food sampling, toy’s, podcast, movies, cereal, developing brands, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable.

So, when Little Caesars announced that it wants to buy the naming rights to living rooms, basements, and anywhere NHL hockey is watched. In exchange for signing a naming rights contract for your viewing space, you can get paid in Crazy Bread every single week for the remainder of the NHL season, Johnson knew it would be a hit.

Get this, as part of the contract, fans will agree to always refer to their living rooms (or wherever they watch the games) as the “Little Caesars NHL Viewing Room.”  As payment, contract signors receive a code for free Crazy Bread in their emails every Wednesday throughout the rest of the NHL season (with any pizza purchase).  A copy of the official naming rights contract can be viewed here: https://pizzanighthockey.com/naming-rights

Yes, the first 600 fans to sign a naming rights contract get an even sweeter deal:

·         Signage to display in their viewing area that reflects the new name

·         An official copy of their naming rights contract

·         A $50 NHL.com shop gift card to show their support for their favorite NHL team

·         A free ExtraMostBestest pizza with purchase of any pizza, every single Wednesday for the remainder of the season

·         A VIP lanyard they can wear while watching hockey in their official “Little Caesars NHL Viewing Room

Jeff Klein, senior vice president of global marketing at Little Caesars, stated, “We know many NHL fans will continue to be rooting from home,” … “And, as fans watch their favorite team take the ice, they can have a delicious, buttery Crazy Bread close at hand in their official Little Caesars Viewing Room.”

To sell the rights to your living room in exchange for Crazy Bread, visit PizzaNightHockey.com or check out the Little Caesars Facebook page. Are your food marketing programs interactive and participatory? Are you looking a customer ahead?  Don’t let your brand look more line yesterday than today or tomorrow.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Sprint Food Stores Differentiation That Smells Like Success

 

With so many convenience stores, chain restaurant menus, and grocery stores service deli’s all looking a like successful brands must create a point of differentiation that customer can take note of according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

So, how can consumers tell if your retail food outlet is different than your competitors? How can you send a message and then reinforce that message in the-minds-eye-of the consumer so they will elect to come to your restaurants, c-store, or deli?  Well, at Sprint Food Stores point of differentiation is just a little less common approach but it clearly is edifying its brand identity with consumers: it appeals to the nose and your sense of smell.

Sprint Food Stores partnered with Prolitec, a provider of ambient scent delivery systems, to launch a three-store pilot starting in 2017. After testing Prolitce product and finding a uniformly positive response, that drove new electricity into the brand and brand messaging, Sprint rolled out the program to all 30 of its Central Savannah River Area convenience stores.

The key to the program's success lies in how it affects customers' emotions in ways that colorful signage or a good two-for-one deal can't. This partnership with Proltec will drive new electricity, top-of-mind brand awareness, top-line-sales, bottom-line-profits, all while edifying brand relevance according to Johnson.

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as; corporate partnerships, fresh foods, smell, online ordering, delivery, self-driving cars, plant-based foods, music, streaming, food sampling, toy’s, podcast, movies, cereal, developing brands, grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different and this fits that bill according to Johnson.

In a press release Prolitec stated, "Our sense of smell is the only [one] of our five senses tied directly to the emotional side of our brains, making scent a powerful way for businesses to form connections with their customers”.

Today, Sprint Food Store customers will smell the Verbena Provence fragrance when they enter a store. The fresh citrus scent has a bright, crisp, modern feel. Thematically, it is intended to support Sprint's concept of "Next Level Convenience" with a touch of surprise for those walking inside for the first time. The fragrance's bright citrus notes pair well with the colors of the Sprint brand, while the youthful, crisp vibrance of Verbena Provence fits the lighthearted and fun spirit of Sprint's marketing.

Additionally, rolling the program out across the chain reinforces its place in Sprint's brand identity by providing continuity, ensuring that all customers have the same experience regardless of which store they visit.

The selection of a particular scent is the most important step in the process, before any in-store testing begins. Prolitec noted that another of its retail partners opted for a diffused coffee fragrance and reported a subsequent increase in in-store dwell time that led to a 5 percent boost in sales.

Prolitec's press release went on to say, "Fresh, welcoming scents can be more appropriate for brands with less focus on foodservice," … "This concept is what Sprint employs. Their fresh citrus brand scent greets shoppers right at the front door, encourages them to linger longer shopping, and reassures them the space is clean and safe.".  Do you cook from scratch in your stores or do you assemble meals?  What sent will your customer find in your store.

So, the diffusers themselves create "scent experiences" that are hypoallergenic, leave no residue, and neutralize unpleasant odors. Touchless technology enables remote monitoring and service.

After launching the ambient scent program, Sprint has received widespread positive feedback from customers, and store managers unanimously agree that the program adds to a positive in-store experience for customers. 

Sprint Food Store Manager Michael Thomas stated "Customers say it smells good as they walk in,". Customer comments highlight the "fresh," "spring-like" and "amazing" store scent. Multiple store managers report that customers have even asked where they can purchase the scent for themselves.

The battle for share of stomach has never been more intense so if you are not working to differentiate yourself from competition both within and outside the industry, you just might have a problem. Are you ready for outside eyes for inside results?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Battle for Share of Stomach

Grocerant niche Energized with New Electricity

 

Grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food has taken center stage once again in 2020. That said the upward trend has seen 9.45% year over year increases for the past 7 years and prior to that run has a 5.8% average increase for the 9 years before that.  Regular readers of this blog know that and know that the trend is your friend.  Ah, success does leave clues.

While those late to the party are touting the pandemic as the fuel that is driving their current success and ‘thoughtful planning’ the team at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® including their Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson simply have been rewarded with ‘belly laughs. You have to admit, it’s kind of absurd to claim victory when you only came to the party this year and are still half dressed!

So, what are the undercurrents of success driving grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food? Our grocerant scorecards indicate fresh fast service via delivery with an electric vehicle. Yes, the new electricity is ELECTRICITY. 

In Miami our scorecard respondents over whelming let us know that they like delivery via the Chevy Spark.  Now we must note none of our clients in that area used the Spark but one pharmacy does, they have 24 and the reception from the consumer is positive. Even more important is notable because we focus on food and beverage yet it still came up and stood out. With 300 miles a charge the Spark could be your next food marketing spark.

Regular readers of this blog also know that Electric Bikes are in demand around the world in urban setting where traffic, pollution, and parking hamper grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh food delivery. 

Electric Vehicle manufacture UBCO has launched its 2021 product lineup regular readers of this blog know UBCO.  Long lauded for the practicality and versatility of their 2X2 Utility Bikes, UBCO has stepped it up a notch with their latest offering.

UBCO CEO Timothy Allan stated "Over the past two years plus, our product development and international supply chain team have made huge improvements to the performance, durability, security, and intelligence of our bikes. Now the rider experience is next level."

“To date, our customers love the fact that our bikes are so quiet to ride and effortless to maneuver. The new bikes build on this legacy and amplify it. The power to weight ratio is just right, we’ve improved motor efficiency, and made a myriad of improvements to the control and handling,” says Timothy Allan. “They’re a real joy to ride.”

The improvements include a 10% increase in motor efficiency as well as 23% more battery capacity. Together this means a 33% increase in range at top speed. With a top speed of 50kph (limited to 45kph in Europe) the new bikes weigh as little as 64kg (depending on the model) and can travel around 130km between charges. Also, the bike and battery are both designed for disassembly, further improving the sustainability of these electric utility vehicles. Will electricity be you new electricity?

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

At Jersey Mike’s Subs Partnerships Drive New Electricity

Who is not ready for some baseball on TV?  I know I will enjoy watching some live baseball, heck any live sporting event will get my attention. But, baseball I’m in.  So, the 2020 baseball season is about to get underway.  All Star, player Aaron Judge is teaming up with Jersey Mike’s Subs to entertain fans and make a big difference in local communities and drive some new electricity into the Jersey Mike’s brand.

In a new marketing campaign, Jersey Mike’s will donate $1 million to Judge’s ALL RISE Foundation, which inspires children and youth to become responsible citizens by engaging them in traditional summer tie activities, from camps too reading programs. The goal is to encourage them to reach unlimited possibilities.

Aaron Judge stated, “For my ALL RISE Foundation to be the recipient of $1 million dollar donation from Jersey Mike’s is monumental for us,” “Even if our organization impacts one kid, one family, it’s making a difference in this world and that’s what it’s all about for me.” Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® believes this is a great move by Jersey Mike’s.

Adding new electricity to the value of the partnership that runs until July 26, 2020, is another partnership with Pepsi and Lay’s, where customers can order “Aaron’s Way,” adding chips and a fountain drink to their sub order for just $2.99. Fans can substitute a 20 oz. bottled drink for 50 cents more.

So, customers who order Aaron’s Way will have access to exclusive content via a QR code on 22-ounce fountain cups that links them to a web page with the videos. The four fun and uplifting videos, one released each week, teach fans:

·         Aaron’s Way to Chew Gum

·         Aaron’s Way to Relax

·         Aaron’s Way to Talk Like a New Yawka

·         Aaron’s Way to Give Back with the ALL RISE Foundation

Aaron’s Way plays off Jersey Mike’s iconic Mike’s Way of ordering an authentic sub with onion, lettuce, tomato, a blend of olive oil and red wine vinegar, and spices. A new commercial with the baseball star will air nationwide.

Yes, we have to note that , bsed on guidance from the CDC and public health authorities, only some Jersey Mike’s locations have reopened for in-store dining. Guests can place takeout orders in-store or for no contact pick-up at the door through Jersey Mike’s website or the Jersey Mike’s app. Delivery is available through the app or through third-party delivery partners. 

Driving new electricity into a legacy brand with a partnership is a good move and will accelerate the marketing messaging for all companies involved according to Johnson. How is your company positioning to grow your brand, the top, and bottom line?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why? This new partnership does all of that.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869

Just Salad Partnership with Kenneth Cole Drives Relevance

Just Salad, is one of the companies that was founded with the ‘halo’ of ‘better-for-you’ front and center within the menu and brand.  Given that one of the grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared foods hallmarks of success is Mix & Match food bundling of better for you meals and meal components its clear Just Salad’s new partnership with Kenneth Cole will drive new electricity and relevance into both brands according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

With the announcement that a collaboration with American fashion designer and social activist Kenneth Cole to design, create and provide face masks to all Just Salad employees to keep them protected while working during the ongoing pandemic. It was clear that Just Salad with stepping-up to standout.

So, the partnership came to be after executives at Kenneth Cole noticed the tremendous work Just Salad was doing and continues to do to support families and frontline workers in New York City during the COVID-19 crisis including refocusing on consumers with Just Groceries as regular readers if this blog know.

So, the masks, will come in Just Salad’s signature shade of Navy blue are being produced in Los Angeles and will have “ESSENTIAL” printed across the front with Kenneth Cole x Just Salad printed on the bottom right corner. These reusable masks also perfectly align with Just Salad’s ongoing commitment to reusability, waste reduction, and belief that planetary and human health are complementary imperatives. 

Nick Kenner, Founder and CEO at Just Salad stated “We always seek to partner with like-minded brands to make a positive impact in our community,” … “We felt the work Kenneth Cole Productions has done to highlight frontline workers via The New Courageous Class initiatives perfectly aligns with our ongoing mission during this unprecedented time. The safety of our staff and guests has always been, and remains top priority, and we thank Kenneth and his team for enabling us to provide these masks.”

Kenneth Cole, Founder and CEO of Kenneth Cole Productions stated “When we saw the work Just Salad was doing in support of the first responders during these unprecedented times, we reached out in the hope to feature these employees in our New Courageous Class campaign,” … “We are proud to design this important accessory that these individuals will wear proudly and hope that this is the first of many programs we can do together to shine a light on the everyday heroes in our community.”

Driving new electricity into a legacy brand with a partnership is a good move and will accelerate the marketing messaging for all companies involved according to Johnson. Just now is your company positioning to grow your brand, the top, and bottom line? 

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, masks, plant based foods,  sampling, toy’s, beer, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why? This new partnership does all of that.

Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a Grocerant Program Assessment, Grocerant ScoreCard, or for product positioning or placement assistance, or call our Grocerant Guru®.  Since 1991 Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869