Meridian Consulting Group


	Client Issue:
	A perishables marketing cooperative had high ambitions to change the way both consumers and retail customers viewed it’s products. Award winning advertising and PR delivered improved consumer scores but a “fair share” of space or promotions and a “seat at the table” with customers was not being achieved. This was in large part due to the relative lack of financial or consumer insights, both of which would quantify the client’s superior performance vs. bigger and heavier spending competitors. As in other “data challenged” categories, outmoded management practices and longstanding relationships can mask fundamental performance issues.

	Meridian Solution:
	Meridian developed a blueprint for the client to leapfrog over competition to become the “thought leader” for the entire department. Given their size disadvantages, investing in knowledge delivers a higher return than buying space or promotions and would be a sustainable competitive advantage. Meridian partnered with several leading grocers to cleanse and warehouse sales data, analyze financial performance, field custom shopper research and ultimately develop “best practices” to improve customer performance for the entire department, not just our client’s category. Sales operatives were trained to be able to evaluate a customer’s performance and collaboratively develop plans to improve results.

	Results:
	The thought leadership platform has been a mainstay of the client’s go-to-market approach for ten years, winning 5 consecutive Category Captain Best In Class awards. Share of shelf and promotion activity has increased by over 50%. Data warehousing and analysis is a key activity (managed by Meridian) which has created the industry’s most comprehensive and detailed ongoing monitor of department performance, seen by customers as an important point of difference that elevates a #3 share company to the #1 position of influence in category management decisions for this key grocery department.