Posts

Picking Up Speed: Better-for-You Continues to Win!

We have so much positive news going on across the Food’NBev Connect portfolio of brands – from Zesty Z now testing their popcorn in 30 Colorado Whole Foods stores, to several brands coming to market with their initial production runs (Patch Organic and Seir Hill), to Asarasi raising a record amount in the crowdfunding effort following their appearance on The Drapers, to a number of brands getting into new distribution arrangements and others in talks with strategic investors.

 

The Fall has seen an explosion of new activity and growth for most brands and our focus in workshops on how the world is changing under Covid–19 seems to have yielded some direct results. I am turning bullish going into 2021 that our brands have generally figured out the new normal and that the consumer is continuing to pursue the long-term trends we identified for better-for-you products, with better nutrition, cleaner labels, greater sustainability and healthier ingredients. In frozen, center aisle and beverages, better-for-you is continuing to win and our brands are overwhelmingly positioned in this space.

 

Changing Our Educational Workshop Approach For 4Q

 

Moving into late Fall and early Winter, I want to change our workshop and educational thematic to focus more on helping brands by emphasizing better execution. I have talked to a number of our CEOs and some of our advisers, and we are at a great point that such a focus, under a slightly altered presentation approach, can help us solve two issues that have been brought to my attention.

 

First, we have a number of new brands and advisers who have joined Food’NBev Connect since our last in-person meeting pre-covid in March. While I have worked with most of them to find places where our adviser team can add value, many brands don’t really know the other CEOs or all of our advisers, so the sense of community and peer assistance is slowed a bit, yet it remains so important to the value that the Food’NBev Connect model provides.

 

Secondly, our workshops need more interaction and we can add a greater problem solving emphasis than just general education or discussion of a topic. CEO’s have been calling me with their unique questions and issues, and my response is often, “Have you spoken with (fill in adviser or Brand CEO)…about that? They have worked that issue before or may know someone who can help.” Many of our brands have seen the synergistic value of working with and helping other brands in our portfolio and how the ease of peer group problem solving, sharing experience and success stories, amplifies everyone’s growth opportunities.

 

Proposed Format & Topics

 

Here is what I am proposing to the community for the next several workshops:

 

1) We will focus on one broad topic per workshop, such as the following:

 

–         Front office/sales & marketing issues – including digital marketing and social media best practices, working with on-line and brick and mortar distributors & brokers, sampling and acquisition programs, public relations, new product development, etc.

 

–         Finance and Ops – including software solutions, banking, merchant agreements, outsourcing partners and advice providers, forecasting and planning, developing a business financial model, preparing for fund raising, working with venture partners and affiliates, creating a data room, reporting, etc.

 

–         Protecting the business – including legal issues, intellectual property, licensing, trademarks, patents, certifications, insurance, labor and hiring practices, overall risk management

 

2) Each session will feature sign-up pre-registration and will be limited to the first 12 brands for each session so that discussion can be maximized. This may even be too many, but let’s see how it goes. I will give some priority to newer brands, but otherwise, it will be first to respond by email to me once we send out the invite to sign up for each session. Not all brands will be interested in all topics, but your response will indicate interest and we can adjust as we go.

 

3) I will invite 2 – 3 of our advisers who have expertise in each area to join our call. I will ask them to first frame some key current topics and help us get conversation going, then it will be up to the brands to direct where it goes, with our advisers on the line to help us answer any tough questions or suggest improvements or fresh ideas on specific topics as CEOs with experience can share their approach to problem solving or which providers they used to solve a key problem. Brands, bring your tactical and executional questions and ask for help from the community.

 

Again, the goal is to provide a problem solving forum that is active vs. passive and to get community interaction increased and newer members to improve their involvement and assimilation. Each session will likely run 60 to 75 minutes in length, and we can always repeat sessions if they get oversubscribed or more conversation is needed.

 

Let me know your thoughts ASAP…I will get a schedule out for these meetings, hoping to have at least two of the three sessions done between now and Thanksgiving.

 

I will send out invites for each session as we get closer to these great events. Stay tuned!

Marketing Research for Early Stage and Start Up Companies

Marketing Research for Early Stage and Start Up Companies
July 8, 2020

Mark Peiser Profile
Principal consultant, PeiserMarketing LLC (established 2010, peisermarketing.com)
Consulting practice includes marketing research, statistical analysis, early stage data sources/technology
Former VP Consumer/Market Insights, News Corp, News America Marketing division
Former Director Consumer Insights, Georgia Pacific
Started career in market research at General Mills
MBA, University of Michigan Ross School of Business SB, University of Chicago (statistics, economics)

Topics
Overview of Market Research Introduction to Market Research Tools Business Applications
Services and Costs
Case Studies

Key Concepts
Marketing Research: gathers information about target markets and customers to inform decision making to drive business results
There are different types of market research. Selecting the right type of research is important to obtaining meaningful results

Types of Market Research
Quantitative
Qualitative
• Large numbers of customers
• Definitive measurements
• Limited answers
• Brand awareness
• Brand image
• Intentions
• Likes/dislikes
• Customer targets Primary
Customized for your business
Data collected about
A market and shared across brands
• Small number of customers
• No measurements
• Probing questions
Behavioral
• Sales
• Market share
• Purchase behavior
(how many buy, how often)
• General overview of an industry
• Typically not specific to a brand
Or market
Attitudinal
Syndicated
Third Party

Types of Market Research: Commonly known Services
Quantitative
• Surveys
• Nielsen
Surveys Focus Groups
Primary
• Surveys and focus groups
• Focus Groups
Behavioral
Attitudinal

Sales tracking like Nielsen, IRI Media Ratings like Nielsen Habits and Practices Syndicated

Nielsen, IRI sales data Nielsen media ratings Google Analytics
National Eating Trends (NPD)
• Mintel, IBIS
Qualitative
Third Party

Business Applications: Strategy

Consumer attitudes and product usage Consumer targets and market segments
Marketing tactics such as sources of information and interest in promotion for media and promotion strategy
Retailer shopper interest (for new distribution)
Can be quantitative and/or qualitative or even use several research tools, often focuses on psychological motivations

Business Applications: Tactics
• New product ideas/line extensions
• Product satisfaction
• Brand positioning/business concepts
• Advertising
• Flavors
• Pricing attitudes
• Packaging
• Marketing spend effectiveness
• Naming
• Distribution

Services and Costs
Research investments should be in proportion to the business opportunity; don’t spend more on the research than the long term profit potential
Costs depend on

Research tool
For surveys:
Source of qualified customers (own list vs. third party survey panel) Difficulty of finding qualified customers
Number of customers
Amount of data collected (number of questions)
Client service (writing questions, data analysis, etc.)

Estimated Costs: Tactical
Tactical survey – Survey Monkey platform – no client service
– Using a customer list (if you have emails) no cost under Survey Monkey
– Purchasing survey samples via Survey Monkey
– Client service would include questionnaire development and data analysis
– If a product test, account for cost of product
Sample size (50% incidence)

Estimated Costs: Tactical (with full service)
Tactical survey – ECI full service vendor
– Purchasing survey samples
– Client service includes questionnaire development and data analysis
– If a product test, account for cost of product

Estimated Costs: Other
Strategy Research – target development, general category attitudes, etc.
– Typically uses 250-500 customers
– Client service includes objectives/strategy development,
– questionnaire development, data analysis and business implications
– Depending on qualifications, cost is approximately $5-8,000 (as a benchmark, large
marketers spend $75,000 or even more for more elaborate strategy research)
Qualitative research
– Informal interviews can be done at no or low cost
– Professionally conducted focus groups typically cost $3,500+ or greater
– Note that qualitative is appropriate for exploratory purposes, but not providing definitive
answers
Behavioral (Syndicated) research
– Ongoing sales tracking can cost $50,000+ depending on scope and support;
– One time data pulls can be less
Third Party
– May be available at no cost through Connecticut Small Business Development Center

Case Study 1: Kelly’s Four Plus Granola
• Business Issue: Line extensions with functional benefits such as energy, immunity
• Recommendation: Tactical research survey
– Consumers are screened for target requirements (200 respondents at 50% incidence)
– Rate each functional benefit for purchase interest
– Approximate cost $1000 (includes some consulting support on questionnaire design etc.)
– If conducted among current customers using their Four Plus email list, cost would be even lower
Measure Purchase Intent
Tactical 200
Survey respondents
Benefits Concepts
Cost $1000

Case Study 2: Maia Yogurt
• Business Issue: After a market hiatus, Maia is re-entering the yogurt market. The category has changed due to many new entries. Maia needs to understand target market and other go to market tactics in light of the changes.
• Before conducting research, look for industry publications on the yogurt market through the CT small business development center
• Recommendation: Strategy survey with some tactical questions
– Consumers are screened for target requirements (300 or 600 to include subgroups at 35% incidence)
– Collect attitudes and behavioral data for the category
– Include Maia benefit statement to report results from consumers interested in Maia
– Assess match of consumers to Maia benefit to identify most promising target
– Tactical questions such as package graphics options
– Approximate cost $8,000 for 600 respondents, $4,500 for 300 respondents; consulting support is recommended for this type of research
Strategy 300 to 600 Attitudes/ Tactical Cost $4,500
Survey Respondents Behavior Topics to $8,000 Maia concept

Case Study 3: Fire ox
• Business Issue: Fire Ox is launching a line of frozen vegetable entrees and some grocers have said they will accept the brand if they can be sold at a $ 7.99 price point, but to make necessary margins, they may need $ 8.49 or $ 8.99 to be successful financially…how can they use some research to help them understand their pricing and positioning?
• Recommendation: Tactical survey among target consumers who shop at the grocers (recommend survey sample for each grocer)
– Consumers are screened for target requirements (300 per grocer, assumes large retailer like Whole Foods or Stop and Shop)
– Show product concept
– Half see $7.99 price point, half see $8.99 price point
– Measure purchase interest
– If higher price is not a significant barrier to interest, use results to show each grocer that the higher price point is acceptable to their shoppers
– Approximate cost $2,000 for two grocers
Tactical Survey
300 interviews Fire Ox Test $7.99 Measure Cost $2000
Per grocer concept and $8.99 price Purchase Intent For 2 grocers points

Summary
Market Research can help your business more effectively meet customer and retailer needs
There are many market research tools to address information needs. It is important to select research tools that

– Are appropriate for the business issue and will provide meaningful results
– Are worth the investment (comparing research cost to business opportunity)
– Are affordable and actionable
If possible, seek advice on research initiatives
Questions: contact Mark Peiser; website: peisermarketing.com

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