Author: Sandra Spiro–Executive Vice President/Partner
It’s October…Are you about to plan your 2011 foodservice sales organization too safely? Now is as good a time as any to make a change and KirkwoodSpiro proposes that you break the all-too-safe “task management” paradigm this year. Instead, we challenge you to think in terms of “channel vision” for your sales organization. There are at least 20 distinct industry segments and they are all worth going after in one fashion or another.
Author: Mike Kirkwood–President
From a marketing perspective, primary data is the most important form of research to better understand markets, trends, products and customers. But what if a company is still in its infancy stage and can’t afford it? Or, suppose a new market has been identified, but the marketing team is unsure about its potential and needs a quick read before further investing. Secondary data can be the answer to gain a broader understanding.
We are KirkwoodSpiro.
And we want to get straight to the point: We are not an “advertising agency.” We are BUSINESS ACTIVATORS.
That means our single-most important objective is to PARTNER with you as our client to profitably maintain and grow your business. Our experienced blend of SALES and MARKETING professionals will help you make just the right connection to sales success. Together, we will be proactive, not reactive. (more…)
Author: Kristen Minnis–Senior Account Executive (Phillies Fan!)
Roy Halladay, of the Philadelphia Phillies took the mound for the final inning of his epic no-hit, one-walk performance against the Reds in Game 1 of the 2010 National League Division Series. It was the first time anyone has tossed a no-hitter in a postseason game since 1956 when Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game to beat the Brooklyn Dodgers. In the Foodservice B2B world we practice in, how do we ‘pitch’ a ‘perfect game’ with our email marketing campaigns?
It’s incredible. There are so many opportunities for brands to partner with other brands to make some noise and increase sales volume. There is so much logic behind the initial idea. Think about all the possible matches–coffee and sweeteners, stemware and wines, seafood and sauces–the list goes on and on. But why is it that operators never see promotions featuring two complementary national brands? (more…)
Everybody talks about training: Training the direct sales team, training the broker reps, training the distributor sales rep (DSR), training the trainer. We understand that keeping employees properly trained is the first priority, but DSR training is as valuable–if not more valuable–than the ongoing investment made in employees. When you stop to think about it, DSRs are making operator calls every day, every week–sometimes visiting 8-10 accounts a day. Not only that, DSRs are calling on every segment of the business—indeed, they are a powerful bunch. (more…)
Foodservice B2B manufacturers and distributors are incorporating social media into their marketing mix at increasing rates. Even foodservice trade shows are offering social media space for manufacturer attendees in order to promote their booth messages. This year, the National Restaurant Association (NRA) opened its Facebook page to manufacturers, allowing them to post updates about events going on at their booth. Using social media spaces like Facebook and Twitter are excellent ways to get company messages across in real-time! The more ‘fans’ and ‘followers’ you recruit for your company’s page, the faster you can deliver your product or brand message—even before the catalog or sell sheet is complete, you can start the buzz. (more…)
Check out the social media campaign (www.makingyourrestaurant.com) we created for our client Cardinal International. The campaign won 50 Great Ideas in Restaurant Business January 2010 Issue. We developed the campaign around Cardinal’s objectives, designed all elements and manage/create micro site, facebook, blog and twitter content daily. (more…)
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