Foodsolutions repositions portfolio to US operators

'SmartStaples' busts myths about quality & value

By highlighting Unilever products which offer great value - without any compromise on quality - SmartStaples challenges some of the myths operators often subscribe to: for instance, that branded goods are expensive and unaffordable in times like these, and that to boost profit they need to cut down on quality.

Ted Skodol, Director, Customer and Channel Marketing, provides a couple of examples: "Take LeGout Cream Soup Base - it provides an excellent, high-quality alternative to cream in soups and sauces, at roughly a quarter of the price of real dairy cream. Not just that: it also saves on freezer space and cuts wastage, as it won't go off like cream.

"Becel/Promise portions also provide a double benefit. As well as being up to 30% less expensive than butter, they carry a heart-health message which diners are highly receptive to."

As Ted explains, SmartStaples is all about repositioning the Foodsolutions portfolio so that operators can see for themselves how quality and value can go hand in hand.

"We're focusing on dehydrated products, for instance, as in times like these, who wants to pay for added water? They're also perceived by many operators to be more sustainable from the point of view of packaging, transport and storage, so we've got a compelling story to share here."

Ted's team are working hard to communicate the SmartStaples programme to operators. As well as getting the message across to third-party distributors, they recently sent out an email to 40,000 operators, which offered money-off coupons on SmartStaples items as well as driving them to the website for further advice, culinary demonstrations and tips on recession-proofing their business.

SmartStaples is just one element in a much wider project on 'affordability', which has also got Ted's team rethinking packaging to make Unilever products more affordable and attractive to operators.

"Right now, operators want to order smaller pack sizes, more frequently," says Ted. "This helps them manage cash flow and maintain fresh inventory, as well as cutting waste."