))
The Four Seasons of Sales and Marketing for Good Food Brands
Manage episode 325897275 series 2792654
Content provided by Georgiana Dearing. All podcast content including episodes, graphics, and podcast descriptions are uploaded and provided directly by Georgiana Dearing or their podcast platform partner. If you believe someone is using your copyrighted work without your permission, you can follow the process outlined here https://player.fm/legal.
The change of seasons always gives me a lift. Spring to summer to fall to winter. It's a lovely cycle. - Georgiana Dearing
All things are made beautiful in their time. Everything has its proper timing, and every action or idea on this earth is attenable if you are sensitive to its flow and when it should come to fruition.
Business planning is no different, and if you’re a food business and sales and marketing activities are consuming lots of mental energy, then there’s no easier way to align your strategy and campaigns than with the cycles of food and farming seasons.
Every season has its own characteristic that is comparable to a phase of your business cycle. Spring is for planting, summer for nurturing, autumn for harvesting, and winter for rest and renewal. Sales and marketing activities complement each season, just as nature drives every part of the process of growth.
Even with each season mapped out, there is still a level of volatility involved because there are many things that may be out of your control. However, science, technology, and marketing principles are on your side, so you shouldn't be reactionary in your business. Knowing when each season is coming, you can proactively and successfully plan ahead for the coming months to yield profit and success.
Virginia Foodie Essentials:
- Seasonal quarters don't align with fiscal quarters and I'm not expecting anyone to change their financial forecasting just to manage a marketing plan.
- Planting. Nurturing. Harvesting. Rest and renewal. That's the cycle of farm life and also a good model for the packaged food industry.
- Farming doesn't happen in the spur of the moment. The weather and nature are forces that a farmer cannot control, farming is not a reactionary business. Your business shouldn't be reactionary, either.
- Make a plan for each season of your sales and marketing, and you'll be prepared for whatever storm that hits.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Spring is for “planting" activities for food brands, including laying the foundation for future growth. This involves seeking out new partners and exploring and building new communities.
- Summer is for "nurturing" activities for food brands, including toiling the soil of new leads, meetings, and follow-up with category representatives, sharing your founding story to new followers, and building the name and face of your brand.
- Autumn is for the “harvest” activities like prepping for end-of-year sales, closing newly-inked deals, and extending your audience before running campaigns.
- Winter is the time for celebrating the year-end, reflecting on past performance and evaluating what worked and what didn't work, then making a plan for next year's cycle. Most importantly, in this season especially, always allot time to rest and renew.
Follow The Virginia Foodie here:
85 episodes
Share
