“Thanks, this is awesome! With everyone’s budgets shrinking, this helps… for free! Foodservice Rewards is very worthwhile.” writes Melissa P. – Distributor Sales Rep, Houston, TX – in this communication by DOT foods to their distributor customers.
On 10.08.09, In Distributors, DOT Foods, by Tiger
“Thanks, this is awesome! With everyone’s budgets shrinking, this helps… for free! Foodservice Rewards is very worthwhile.” writes Melissa P. – Distributor Sales Rep, Houston, TX
Distributors focus on private label to increase according to this Technomic report…
According to Technomic’s Distributor Intelligence Service, July 2009, distributors view their house brands as increasingly more important for future success and many are investing in more sophisticated brand building efforts.
The good news for manufacturers is that 72% of those surveyed indicated that “manufacturer specification” is the biggest obstacle to selling private label – here’s an excellent example of how Kraft uses targeted direct mail to drive those customer requests and unit-level compliance.
On 06.10.09, In Distributors, by Tiger
SYSCO Central Alabama greatly impressed us by preparing this marketing piece from scratch without our prompting or involvement – using the resources available at foodservicerewards.com/distributor. This clever initiative provided MA’s customized selling collateral making Big Mike’s kickoff meeting there all the more successful. Tip ‘o the hat to Chris Craddock at Complete Foodservice Solutions for [...]
SYSCO Central Alabama greatly impressed us by preparing this marketing piece from scratch without our prompting or involvement – using the resources available at foodservicerewards.com/distributor.
This clever initiative provided MA’s customized selling collateral making Big Mike’s kickoff meeting there all the more successful.
Tip ‘o the hat to Chris Craddock at Complete Foodservice Solutions for the introduction :-)
On 06.09.09, In Distributors, by Tiger
The DSR incentive has the attention of Cash-Wa reps as illustrated by this testimonial…
From: Mark Robinson [mark.robinson@cashwa.com]
To: Zoladkiewicz, Michael
Hi Mike,
This program is the easiest one out there by far, and the rewards are great. This is a no brainer – anyone that isn’t working this is missing out on great rewards and also missing out on helping your customers earn rewards for buying products they are already using and future sales when they get online and see what other products have reward codes on them.
I simply ask the customer if they are interested in getting rewards for the products they are buying, and they ask “How is that?” and I them show them the enrollment card that I always have with me. I then tell them I can get them 500 bonus points by enrolling them and I help them go thru signing up if the internet connection is there.
I have already redeemed enough points for a new set of Callaway golf clubs and can’t wait to use them, which won’t be long now spring is just around the corner. I will be getting a few more great gifts with the points I have accumulated.
I haven’t come across any other program out there that has so many great things to offer to both the DSR and the customer. I would advise any DSR – if you haven’t started signing up you are missing out because the points just keep adding up on my end, I get a email just about daily of points being added to my account.
I would like to thank everyone at Foodservice Rewards for this great program and look forwards to signing more people up.
Sincerely, Mark Robinson
No Show Food Shows are the latest trend among distributors trying to cut costs. See how SYSCO MN is supporting Foodservice Rewards in this one…
One of the latest trends in distribution is to stop hosting food shows (or at least scale back their frequency.)
They’re expensive to produce, and lately, because of lack of attendance, more and more suppliers are complaining that they aren’t getting a good return on their investment.
Typically a supplier pays a booth fee, then spends additional funds on allowances on the cases of product which are booked at a show. This allowance is only available to those operators who attend the show and book product.
Typically the allowance will be $0.25 – $1.50 off per case. The funds will be automatically deducted from their invoices. If you don’t go to the show, you don’t get the allowances. While at the show, you book enough product to cover the amount that you’ll buy during the shipping period (this is how long you’ll receive your allowances). The shipping period is typically 6-8 weeks.
An operator can “book” product but then decide not to buy the products in the following weeks. There’s really no way to enforce it. Meanwhile, the distributor tells the manufacturers how successful the show was because they “booked” 200,000 cases of product. In reality, during the next 8 weeks, they might only ship 50% or 60% of those cases. Financially, the supplier is only responsible for allowances on cases actually shipped.
Anyway… many distributors are implementing a “No Show Food Show”. They’ll compile the list of items with allowances that would have been offered at the show. They create a “book” and send it out to the customers. The customers have two weeks to finalize their orders for the next 8 weeks. The operators still take advantage of “deals”, but they don’t have to stop by a booth and talk to a manufacturer or broker. The supplier doesn’t need to spend the time, money, and energy to set up, decorate, staff, and breakdown a booth.
SYSCO MN had always had two food shows per year (Spring and Fall). This Fall was the first time they are attempting the “No Show Food Show” idea. Attached is the “book”. Check out page 24.
How ‘bout them apples?
Z.
ProGroups’s May ’08 communications to their 400 distributor members prominently features Foodservice Rewards…
Progressive Group Alliance’s newsletter goes out to all of their 400+ distributor members. FSR has a big part in this issue. You’ll find us on pages 1, 2, 4, and 7.
From: Callie Redford, Progressive Group Marketing Alliance
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 9:56 AM
Subject: May 2008 Service Matters Newsletter
In an effort to continue communicating all news and updates within Business Services, we share the attached version of Service Matters. This is the Progressive Group Alliance quarterly newsletter dedicated to the Service Provider and PRO-Vision Market Programs.
We appreciate your continued support.
On 01.30.07, In Distributors, DSR incentive, by Tiger
“Foodservice Rewards is a great tool for me to use to help my customers – plus I get something as well” writes Bob Storebeck, Martin Brothers…
“Foodservice Rewards is a great tool for me to use to help my customers – plus I get something as well.
I feel it can be a competitive advantage over a major national distributor that does not push branded items. I’ve told most of my customers about Foodservice Rewards.”
Bob Storebeck, Martin Brothers
The number of operators attached to DSR’s is growing by week:
Week ending 1/5: 31
Week ending 1/12: 35
Week ending 1/19: 35
Week ending 1/26: 59
January total: 160
Similar signs of enthusiastic distributor support include this Foodservice Rewards article in Ginsberg’s January customer flyer (designed & implemented on their own initiative!)
On 04.21.06, In Distributors, DSR incentive, by Tiger
“I am gathering rep lists from Distributor Program Managers and attending distributor sales meetings” writes Amy Bisek about our progress in growing the DSR incentive program…
63 houses have enrolled 345 385 DSRs. The number of linked customers is 245 293 (Updated: 5/18/06).
I’m often asked how we are promoting the DSR incentive program. In addition to running ads in ID Report, I am gathering rep lists from Distributor Program Managers and attending distributor sales meetings (Feeser’s last week, Cash-Wa in May) and based on the success of exhibiting at Ginsberg’s food show, we will now actively staff booths at other distributor food shows.
I am also building processes to improve DPM and DSR engagement. Soon distributorships will receive:
1) A post-registration How to Get Started Kit including a welcome letter, DSR enrollment fliers, How to Promote FSR at your Food Show flier (in development), and an Operator Enrollment Form.
2) Report samples that illustrate how DPMs can view real-time DSR enrollment progress online.
3) DSR enrollment notification via eMail (which cleverly acts as a reminder to follow up with the DSRs who are not yet enrolled.)
4) Monthly DPM and prospective DPM postcard mailings – this month’s announces the addition of Unilever Foodsolutions, Barber Foods, Basic American Foods and Sara Lee Bakery.
Please contact me with recommendations to improve our marketing efforts so that we can continue to create raving fans like Dan Reilly (32 customers linked) who enthuses:
“As a sales rep for Ginsberg’s Foodservice, our main marketing focus is to promote quality name-brand label manufacturer products at competitive prices. The big box chain foodservice distributors promote their own labels and incent their sales force on that fact. Ginsberg’s and I use Foodservice Rewards to give incentives to our customers through name-brand purchases. It works!!!
My customers now ask for products with the Foodservice Rewards yellow Reward Code labels attached. Any manufacturer that is not part of Foodservice Rewards is missing out on case sales and should consider signing up!”