Do The Recruiting Groundwork
By Joe DeBilio Recruiting and hiring for the food industry is unique. We don’t sell widgets or washing machines, we deal every day in a perishable, lot and date coded, seasonally sensitive world. But because the food industry is intense and fast moving, don’t rush into hiring someone just to fill a job. There is […]
The Power of Social Media for the Distributor Sales Representative
By Lloyd Oshiro Ask a VP of Sales or a Sales Manager at a food distributor what a sales superstar looks like and too often it’s a senior Distributor Sales Representative (DSR) that looks a lot like him/her. A person who’s always in motion with a cellphone that’s always ringing, always driving to the next […]
“Companies must understand WHO they want to reach before determining HOW to reach them”
Read below to view Ed Zimmerman’s insights on the current state of the dairy industry, best practices for foodservice marketing, and how the pandemic has accelerated the pace of adoption and innovation within the food industry. How does The Food Connector serve as a common thread among retailers, distributors and manufacturers in the supply chain to form […]
The Tools You Need to Sell Through the “Digital Door”
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a premium on digital communication, especially in the foodservice industry. The front door might be closed, the back door might be closed, but the digital door is ALWAYS open. Companies with a digital presence are more prepared to pivot, communicate, and sell in the “Zoom” world we now live in. […]
Does Your Marketing Strategy Communicate, ‘What Am I Most Proud Of?’
By Kristen Agin, Marketing Innovator
Marketing, like people, can have a huge personality, a strong voice and a positive influence on the people it communicates with. Marketing can also offend, miss the mark and have all of the similarities of cheap, meaningless small talk.
The mainstreaming of everything — and then nothing
By Ed Zimmerman Around 1968, when I was 10 years old, I have a vivid memory of grocery shopping at the A&P with my mom. In that first wide aisle, displayed was milk, cheese and other refrigerated foods. In the middle of the aisle, not in the refrigerator, was a large pile of Velveeta, stacked up from the floor. I asked my mom, […]
Best Practices for Successful Foodservice Marketing
Our own Ed Zimmerman recently sat down with Joe Issacs, Business Development Manager at NRM, to discuss best practices for successful foodservice marketing. Topics include: Leveraging digital marketing to turn cold calls into “warm calls” The importance of connecting with younger buyers How successful companies in foodservice have embraced technology to stay ahead Why it […]
Why Pizza Remains King
By Ed Zimmerman For those of us over 50, carry-out and delivery “back in the day” was pizza, Chinese or chicken. That was it. Those were the choices, and we were happy, but I’ll return to that later. In considering a to-go meal, these were the three choices, but pizza was always first. And the […]
Navigating Supply Chain Disruptions
COVID-19 has created supply chain disruptions in every industry. Due to perishability, the food industry has been more disrupted than others. As the economy picks up, the pace of supply disruptions will increase. When the lockdowns first started, foodservice sales went to nearly zero and retail grocery sales zoomed ahead. Food manufacturers, especially the ones that […]
The Importance of Marketing in Tough Times
Marketing during tough times is essential to sustaining sales and supporting your customers. Below is a conversation with Chris Anatra from NECS about why marketing is more important now than ever. Topics include: What tools help food distributors market to prospects and existing customers Why it is so important to assemble a database How COVID-19 […]