When marketing your product portfolio to foodservice buyers, your brand needs a clear and relevant culinary perspective to help chefs and operators understand how it will fit into their kitchens and on the menu.
Here are four steps foodservice brand leaders can take to build a credible and compelling culinary voice.
1. Understand the role your product plays in the operation.
Ingredient – a raw or minimally processed food item used in recipes. Ingredients are the building blocks of more complex preparations. They typically don’t stand alone as menu items. Think: cooking oils, seasonings, value-added chicken, plant-based milk.
Component – a prepared or partially assembled product made from one or more ingredients. It is not the final dish but a distinct part of it. Premade components offered by manufacturers help operators execute multiple dishes consistently and efficiently.
Build – a fully composed dish ready to serve, made from components and/or ingredients. This is the consumer-facing menu item. It’s the final form that goes to the plate or cup.
Grab & Go – a retail-ready item sold in foodservice. If this is you, feel free to stop here and check out another post like this one.
2. Consult with a professional chef – marketers need not be in the business of making things up.
Communicate with Credibility – Collaborating with a trained professional chef gives you the confidence to speak the right language to those who will be working with your product.
Spark Recognition – Chef to chef, eye to eye – you want the buyer to recognize some authority in your culinary voice, to mirror that of a professional who really “gets it.”
Innovate – Creativity is at the heart of food and working with a trained chef can help your brand demonstrate awareness of what’s next in food culture.
Format Adaptation – Translating your products’ roles into various aspects of kitchen operations is essential, from understanding yields and measures to making sure branded communications are always cogent to a professional chef or foodservice director.
3. Align your product solution with best-fit segments based on where you can create outsized value for the operator.
Menu Mandates – like sustainability and ethnic cuisine goals in non-commercial
Consumer Trends – like healthy eating, global flavors, TikTok-worthy beverages
Operational Efficiencies – like reducing prep steps, minimizing waste, cross-utilization
Standout Experiences – like supplying one-of-a-kind flavors that drive traffic and build loyalty
4. Create recipes, usage guidelines, and other inspirational content.
1:1 Ingredient Swaps – e.g., the benefits of using plant-based milk in place of dairy
Plus-One Pantry Plays – e.g., simply combine X ingredient with our product for a signature sauce for multiple menu items
Labor Savers – e.g., replace XYZ prep steps with our ready-made component for added consistency and efficiency in the kitchen
Trending Twists – e.g., put a unique spin on your classic item with a trend-forward flavor profile for your next great LTO
It’s important to remember that every segment, and every operator, is different. Some rely heavily on specific recipes from their suppliers. Others prefer to be inspired and create for themselves. It’s your brand’s role to meet operators where they are – and where they are going – with relevant culinary guidance to help buyers understand and effectively menu your product to their customers.
