When you hear the word “broker,” you probably think about a stock broker, making deals for clients on Wall Street.
A food broker makes deals for manufacturers – deals that get their products sold in stores across the nation.
Many companies are experts in producing packaged goods but when it comes to getting their products into the hands of consumers, they may not have the retail expertise or the relationships to ensure full market value and exposure for their product.
“Our job as a food broker is to get your product onto store shelves, help you market your product to customers and maximize your sales,” said Tae Sung Kim-Kelly of Sefide Global.
Even if you’ve got an exceptional food product, moving from development into sales and production can be a daunting process. Manufacturers often find themselves with a long to-do list:
- Research the market and competition.
- Choose the best product size, package and price.
- Develop a unique selling proposition (USP).
- Get appointments with retail category managers.
- Pitch product in person to corporate headquarters.
- Negotiate financial agreements.
- Develop in-store promotions.
- Create systems to track contracts, purchase orders, schedules, production, shipping, etc.
Many food producers don’t have the in-house capability to handle the whole sales and marketing process, Tae Sung said.
“Companies are busy concentrating on developing great products, and many of them don’t have a marketing staff,” Tae Sung said. “That’s where we come in as food brokers.”
5 reasons you should consider hiring a food broker:
- Food brokers can provide sales and marketing services without adding to staffing costs.
- Food brokers have established relationships with retailers, so they know what the stores are looking for and what it takes to get a deal.
- Food brokers can help you set up the systems you’ll need to analyze your sales and marketing data.
- Food brokers can help you choose the right packaging and price point.
- Food brokers can target the retailers that fit your product the best, saving you from spending valuable time and resources on pitching products that don’t fit each retailers specific go-to-market strategy.
And the relationship doesn’t stop after the deal is made, Tae Sung said: “We support our clients in continually improving their product positioning and marketing strategies so that they don’t just maintain their store position, they are actually growing sales.”
