Account Call
Met with Rick Keziah and his team for the first time as Nicole Hulstein has moved on from the Produce Fruit CM. We had a productive meeting discussing the 2022 crop season and impact that pricing has on the category. Rick is a seasoned CM and understands the importance of merchandising cherries, he was especially interested in the intent program that will increase the promotional pay out by adding "health messaging" in the ads.
Additionally we discussed the digital aspect of promotional support and how it will drive the consumers to the online purchases and conveying our health messages.
I will be following up with Jamie Schultz regarding the digital programs and discussed alternatives that will give a better bang for the dollar investment with the account.
Rick is a season veteran of the produce category at Food Lion he understands the magnitude that the categories has on consumers and the overall impact on the sales and profitability of northwest cherries. He is a good ally for produce category and fully understands the impact that produce has on the consumer. One of his team members mentioned "Cherry fatigue" regarding consumers take away. ! I responded that the fatigue is more of a reflection of the produce department as a whole that should be analyse by Food Lion. Bananas grapes- apples- berries All experience some kind of fatigue and that's on them not thinking out of the box to incite there consumers or "new" consumers.