What the client asked us to do

“Help us develop a strategy and brand concept to get into the refrigerated pasta and sauce business.”

What we did

In 1986 pasta was cheap belly filler. Dry spaghetti and jarred sauce defined the category. “Fresh” pasta and “gourmet” sauces with 30-day shelf-life were possible due to new packaging technology. However, FDA approval of equipment had nearly two-year lead time, and client had no refrigerated distribution capability.

We proposed

1) buy an existing “fresh” pasta and sauce business;

2) develop restaurant quality meals and position as main meal alternatives to meat, fish and chicken;

3) use Contadina brand name for immediate recognition and Italian expertise;

4) emphasize product freshness dating as a signal of quality and taste.

The result

Contadina pasta and sauces business established as category leader and Nestlé entry into refrigerated foods.

What the client asked us to do

Develop a marketing strategy to compete with air shuttles going between New York and Washington.

What we did

Recognized that service on a train, no matter how good, could not compete with a perceived travel time difference of 45 min. versus 5 hours. Proposed that a “Metroliner Express” service be created that could get from NY to Washington (or the reverse) in under 3 hours. We reasoned that only then would the train’s amenities (and perceived safety) have leverage over a crowded air shuttle for a significant number of business travellers.

The result

In 1982, Amtrak’s Metroliner Express service was launched, promising “New York to Washington in 2 hours and 49 civilized minutes.” A NY/Boston version was also created. The northeast corridor is now Amtrak’s largest revenue generating service and a head-to-head competitor with air shuttles.

What the client asked us to do

“Nestlé bought Herta because of its reputation for high quality and the inherent convenience of cooked meats. How can we integrate Herta, a traditional German sausage maker, into Nestlé’s culture and markets and not lose its roots as a “charcutier”?”

What we did

Arrived at two conclusions:

1) new products would be the key to growing Herta’s business;

2) convenience and healthful profile should be the two key drivers of all new products. The goal was to participate in more meals and meal occasions, from snacks to center of the plate.

Each product should enhance meal preparation or provide an easy way to put good tasting food on the table. Focus on lower fat meats, (turkey, chicken, fish), integrate vegetables with meats, eliminate work.

Proprietary technologies for dessert doughs and mousses applied to new heat and eat center of the plate entrees and snacks.

The result

Sales increased in double-digit amounts since over twenty new products were introduced to Herta’s line in France. Facings in the refrigerated cabinet increased by more than 50%.

What the client asked us to do

Pasqua Coffee Bars was created about the same time as was Starbucks. Pasqua’s owners needed a strategy, brand identity and position that would allow it to compete and survive in the wake of the Starbucks tidal wave.

What we did

Our counsel: when you are fighting an enemy that has 1000 tanks and you have 5, build airplanes, not tanks.” We proposed that Pasqua partition the market between destination coffee bars and quick service ones, and that they dominate the latter and stay away from the former.

Emphasize freshness, which is an advantage for food and coffee, speed of service, and convenience of location. Cater to 7 am to 7 pm workers and invest in smaller, low cost outlets rather than expensive high rent store fronts.

The result

A new brand identity was created that translated the position into all aspects of the business. Low cost kiosks were created for office building lobbies; graphics reinforced the new identity. Pasqua not only survived but increased per store sales for the last two years while many competitors fell away.

What the client asked us to do

Danish Distillers and Hiram Walker decided in 1989 to enter the imported vodka market. Could we create a product concept, position and brand identity that would be able to carve out a piece of this lucrative market in the face of Absolut and Stoly?

What we did

Concluded that four things were needed to succeed: a bottle design that was irresistable, a product concept that would leverage its Scandinavian roots and a name that would be memorable and appealing. The fourth requirement? Patience and time to establish the brand.

Created a position based on coldness--a quality associated with Scandinavia and vodka. The name: FRIS; a conjunction of the Danish word for ice and the Swedish word for frozen. The bottle was designed to reflect modernity and tradition. Recommended that the Danish Royal Warrant be affixed to the bottle for authenticity. The product was “engineered” to taste better as it got colder.

The result

Fris is one of the top five imported brands while many others have come and gone in the last seven years.