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Keeping the industry informed of Retail Foodservice happenings and the market dynamics affecting the horizontally integrated supply chain has been the mission of the Synergy Group since its inception. The unabated growth of Retail Foodservice is clear and compelling, prompting Synergy Group to break new ground with targeted media that fills the need for an informed and savvy “go-to” resource for information, education, inspiration, and guidance. Our Synergy Group Newsletter will be published every other week with new insight and different topics to pique your interest.
CONTENTS Page 1 | Information Economy Page 2 | Auto Parallel Page 2 | Identity Crisis Page 3 | SWOTT Platform Page 3 | Trade Spend Management Page 4 | Synergy Group Brands
INFORMATION ECONOMY n an "Information Economy", where knowledge is the primary raw material, Synergy Group, a Retail Foodservice consulting agency, has parleyed three decades of experience as the foundation of our company into distinctive, practical go-to-market solutions. This enables manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to navigate with confidence the challenges of growth and change in Retail Foodservice.” - Bill Pizzico Today’s environment no longer reflects traditional, vertically integrated market channels where the audiences were firmly in their places and easily identified. Now they are on the move, watchful for new and exciting meal and menu options in customary venues as well as locales unimagined a decade ago. This sort of horizontal integration spans multiple supply chains and consumer touch points creating uncertainties among participants as to who is the customer and who is the competition. In an “information economy” where knowledge is the primary raw material, Synergy Group, a premier food-consulting agency, has parleyed two decades of
seasoned knowledge into distinctive, practical go-to-market solutions enabling manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to navigate the challenges of growth and change in Retail Foodservice. Twenty years ago Synergy recognized the legacy channels blending and understood the reach and magnitude of that effect on food distribution. The realization led us to define Retail Foodservice. It is the standard bearer of an economic opportunity where knowledge spawns fresh ideas that shorten the pathways to sustained product success and business growth. Broadening ethnic tastes, expanding cultural diversity, and the power of social media have altered the ground rules forever. “Retail Foodservice is not only a convergence of marketing and business planning; it is, at heart, reliant on incisive communications for direction and action.”
Synergy Group has harmonized its unique insights and fashioned a suite of branded tools for market fitness, providing the speed-to-market competitive edge to grasp
opportunities and avoid peril. Retail Foodservice is not only a convergence of marketing and business planning; it is, at its heart, reliant on incisive communications for direction and action. The information economy is where the food industry will separate the leaders from the laggers within the Retail Foodservice channel. Retail Foodservice Today, Synergy’s groundbreaking digital journal, extends our reach as the “go-to” information source, laying bare supply chain challenges untouched by traditional media and sketching out growth solutions unseen by others. The need for go-to-market flexibility and creativity has amplified the scrutiny and influence of Retail Foodservice. Its “food effect” has realigned two food worlds as no other, commanding attention throughout both supply chains. It is here and it is here to stay.
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Synergy Group Newsletter June edition 1 is published by
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AUTO PARALLEL
SWOTT PLATFORM
ynergy Group defines Retail Foodservice as the convergence of traditional Retail and FoodService to spawn a powerful third food distribution channel. GAS POWERED CARS
While the occurrence may seem simple, its go-to-market application is complex. Retail FoodService needs communications between the established vertical channels in order to blend its own integrated supply and production, and establish unique go-to-market standards. In parallel, the auto industry built gasoline powered cars and electric cars in their respective vertically integrated production channels without a horizontally integrated communications approach between each other. Hybrid cars today are producing an alternate consumer solution for a select audience demanding more fuel efficient
ynergy adds the second “T” – trends – to the customary SWOTT acronym to underline the importance of understanding the currents of market change in order to determine more precise courses of action that help clients achieve their desired growth objectives. Comprehensive market research not only enables us to grasp how trends affect business success, but also to predict how they will impact growth tomorrow, facilitating better guidance to clients’ use of vital resources.
ELECTRIC POWERED CARS
HYBRID CARS
cars that may not have been created. Today, Retail Foodservice is the consumers hybrid car for food choices. Retail Foodservice fuels a more efficient and more productive means to satisfy consumers’ demands for new and exciting meal and menu options in customary venues as well as locales unimagined a decade ago.
“Retail Foodservice needs communications between the established vertical channels in order to blend its own integrated supply and production....”
This horizontal integration spans multiple supply chains and consumer touch points has in certain created uncertainties among supply chain participants as to how to navigate this new channel.
With the continued evolution of the Retail Foodservice channel, it is more important than ever that your corporate brand identity and image stand tall amongst the crowded market of “foodservice at retail” companies and their respective products, where, for the most part have lost their brand identity once they get to the operator's back of the house operations, and/or display cases. Today, manufacturers must work very hard for its fair share of “space identity.”
No longer is the day when the brand, whether corporate and/or product brand, has its own unchallenged space or is automatically recognized for its brand value. This New Food World Order of brand identity in the operator's space is valuable and has made their (operator) name the brand of choice in the consumer’s mind. Retail Foodservice has changed the rules of “case and space” identity. Today menu development, product development in combination with consumer lifestyles ever changing; menu planning options, they now demand “advanced thinking” and “timely execution” to find relevant space. “...It is more important than ever that your porporate brand identity and image stand tall amongst the crowded market of “foodservice at retail” companies and their respective products...”
Synergy’s SWOTT analysis examines clients’ past performances, present situations, and future growth expectations. We apply that knowledge to shoppers’
ld-fashioned spreadsheets are not the way to get a full understanding of “show me the money.”
Today, as a manufacturer, your corporate brand strategy and market relevance must be alert to the operator's demands for quality and value while you as the manufacturer must rely on your corporate brand’s value to become the identity with the buyers and manufacturers to withstand the onslaught of both operator labels and manufacturer private label, to ensure winning the race for brand share identity. Corporate branding must now find its way through the myriad of; supply chain buyers, brokers, merchandisers, and category managers before the product actually gets into the consumers “meal planning” purchase patterns and buying habits, as their mainstay in their daily meal planning.
All rights reserved. Reproducton of the whole or any part of the contents without written permission is prohibited.
“Synergy’s SWOTT analysis examines clients’ past performances, present situations, and future growth expectations.”
purchase patterns and behavior models to maximize opportunities at every Retail Foodservice touch point and achieve distribution, retail, and consumer success.
STRENGTHS
WEAKNESSES
TRENDS
SWOTT
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Understanding the differences between touch points and purchase patterns is the difference between market awareness and market penetration. It requires an adept comprehension of the marketplace and a clear interpretation of the desired results.
TRADE SPEND MANAGEMENT
IDENTITY CRISIS
rand positioning in this New Food World Order is critical as to how you shape your go-to-market strategy to avoid an identity crisis.
Synergy Group, a branded company of Synergy Media LLC.
Trade Spend Management, now offered by the Synergy Group, is an at-a-glance, cloud-based platform fueled by Synergy “fusion IQ” with emphasis on the critical need-to-know trade spend data-like work flow, metrics, business logic, and analytics. Now an element of Synergy Group's distinctive go-to-market approach, the CPG ToolBox Trade Planner is yet another value-added alliance asserting our commitment to provide expert representation and direction throughout the supply chain's go-to-market processes. This simple to
navigate platform was created specifically to not only track trade spend usage, but to monitor and modify activities, and to run "what if" scenarios with speed and efficiency. “...an at-a-glance, gloud-based platform fueled by Synergy “fusion IQ” with an emphasis on the critical need-to-know trade spend data-like work flow...”
When engaged, CPG ToolBox removes uncertainties and information gaps in trade spend strategies. This invaluable resource is ideal for clients struggling to identify not only process gaps, but also for those
looking to streamline and manage trade spending. The result optimizes both top line and bottom line performances. No longer are you burdened with overdue accounting reports while questions loom about the percentage of spending allocated to whom, what events, and to which products. No longer do retailers and manufacturers have to acknowledge inaccurate figures that, in retrospect, can be calculated more precisely or guess what must be done to forecast an accurate assessment of contribution to sales. Driven by Synergy "fusion IQ", CPG ToolBox combines cutting-edge trade promotion management technology with three decades of successful direction, creation, and execution of retail trade promotions. Say good-bye to antiquated spreadsheets and welcome a comprehensive, cloud-based trade promotion management system.
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2 Printed in U.S.A. Synergy Group assumes no responsibility for validity of claims in items reported.
THE PRIDE OF THE
IS RECOGNIZED IN OUR COMMUNITY OF BRANDS
Recognized for our 3 decades for our total commitment to Retail Foodservice, the Synergy Group has built a successful "outreach" dialog with our clients and community of business associates with; Insightful information, market research, and trend watch for over 30 years.
Retail FoodserviceToday
RETAIL FOODSERVICE SUPPLIERS GUIDE
Synergy Smart Briefs
- PAGE 4 -
Smart View Series
Retail FoodService Suppliers Guide
Answering the most prominent questions of the Retail Foodservice era. Who do you call for supplier information as to who sells what and to who in the Retail Foodservice channel? From protein manufacturers to back-of-the-house equipment to front-of-the-house food display and cook ‘n hold application.
Retail Cuisine Chefs Association
SMART VIEW SERIES A 5-part content driven series defining how the sales agency (brokerage) community will survive or fail in the next 2 years.
RETAIL CUISINE CHEFS ASSOCIATION A membership association that embodies the retail cuisine chef and combines the art of foodservice production and presentation with the retail operations skills of; product development, cuisine assortment and foods application.
SYNERGY BRIEFS These one and two page information packed briefs are perfectly suited for manufacturer, retail and foodservice operators, sales agencies and distributors. They are to be used in presentation to support, introduct or validate a Retail Foodservice “go to market” strategy and/or concept.
Retail Cuisine Chefs Association
RETAIL FOODSERVICE TODAY The Source for Retail Foodservice. Presented in digital journal format every other month.
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Synergy Group Newsletter is written edited and produced by the Synergy Group.
650 Sentry Parkway East, Suite One, Blue Bell, PA 19422 O: 610-941-2113 ∙ C: 610-316-7446 ∙ F: 610-941-2105 www.synergy-grp.com | bpizzico.synergy@gmail.com
4 The Synergy Group is a branded company of Synergy Media LLC. Synergy Media LLC. community of brands are operated and managed by the Synergy Group "business of food" professionals.