The Challenge: A leading company in the food industry partnered with SSG to research and develop a strategy for achieving sustainable and profitable growth across acculturation levels within both the US Hispanic and Non-Hispanic markets. With the goal of doubling in size within the next 5 years, the company aimed to achieve this through increased sales of existing products, potential line extensions, and the introduction of new products.
The Insight: Engage existing and young, up-and-coming consumers in new ways by making the brand more relevant.
Strategic Build/Idea: Fully investigate the complete opportunity spectrum for growth among Hispanic and Non-Hispanic segments for the company’s core product lines of Hispanic legumes, with a focus on expanding seasonality. This involved quantifying the market opportunity nationally and in CA, IL, and TX. Additionally, SSG identified priority markets and segments for expansion, and delivered essential insights for effective retailer implementation.
The Results: SSG’s robust strategy focused on the company’s merchandising and in-store product placement. Instead of keeping products in separate “Hispanic aisles,” SSG proposed placing the company’s products in regular canned foods aisles. This approach made the products more accessible to Non-Hispanic customers and encouraged incorporation of legumes into their everyday diets. The company’s rebranding efforts, expansion into more retailers, and successful Non-Hispanic consumer outreach resulted in significant growth, more than doubling its size. This milestone paved the way for the company’s acquisition by a private equity firm at a higher price.