Retail Message Strategy, B2C + B2B

Company Spice Islands / Sector CPG Food, Spices, Seasonings, Flavors, Extracts

B2B + B2C Channel Marketing Expands Retail Distribution and Increases Consumer Sales 3x

by Christopher Vickers, Atlanta-based Brand, Advertising + Content Marketing & Communications Strategist & Creator

Background In a category dominated by one ubiquitous brand - McCormick - it was difficult for Spice Islands to gain sales traction. McCormick not only dominates in awareness, attitudes and usage but also at retail. Where most brands have 5 to 10 SKUs or a shelf or so at most, several grocery and mass-merchandise chains (including Target and Walmart) typically display several shelves of McCormick products making the behemoth difficult to ignore.

Black Truffle, Smoked and Himalayan Salts

Research showed many consumers see little substantive difference between brands so reflexively grab McCormick. The problem was costing Spice Islands in lost sales, market share and revenue.

Opportunity Our research and targeting revealed a segment of customers who care more about quality and authenticity. We named this segment 'food explorers'. They spend more time cooking and baking than other segments and consider recipes less like instructions and more like guidelines.

Almond, Lemon & Vanilla Extracts

They tend to view cooking not as an exercise to be 'performed correctly' but as an expression of their unique personalities, a reflection of themselves. They enjoy experimenting with the addition and subtraction of ingredients to make their dishes more complex, flavorful and healthy.

Approach We developed content and communications elements for a variety of seasonings and spices focused on the key benefits of provenance, exceptional flavor and health benefits as points of difference most relevant and compelling to 'food explorers'.

Bay Leaves, Cajun & Curry Seasonings

We also developed a variety of elements targeting retailers reflecting Spice Island customer interest and satisfaction, sales growth and profitability achieved in test and existing markets. Our work included sales kits, collateral and in-store point of purchase.

Outcome We broke, as one Spice Islands brand manager calls it, 'The McCormick Curse', achieving “unprecedented sales growth” - double-digit year over year. Our marketing and sales teamwork helped increase retail distribution and consumer sales for advertised and non-advertised Spice Islands products, including increasing Vanilla extract sales 3x higher year-over-year.

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