CEO Dirk Lodewijk: "Win-win-win situation through insight into consumer needs".
As a B2B company, we need to know the market in which our customers operate in order to deliver good products. That is why we think and act more and more from the consumer's needs. To know what consumers expect, we recently conducted a very extensive market survey in collaboration with Goos Eilander of MarketResponse. We looked at deeper social undercurrents to answer the question 'What moves consumers?
New way of segmentation
We looked for a smart way to classify and segmentate. Of course we mapped needs, gratifications, market size and growth. But instead of segmenting on the standard demographic characteristics, we segmented on motivations: motivational segmentation. Vegan and enjoyment, for example. For us - and our customers - these are extremely interesting segments to which we can add enormous value.
Code cracked, golden formula found
What I found most surprising about this research was the direct link to product characteristics. In fact, we cracked the code: from insight into what moves consumers and segmentation based on drives to product features and gratifications. On the basis of this golden formula, we set to work.
We have already started the marketing and innovation engine and are busy developing new ingredients. The research helps us to increase the innovation success ratio, because we can innovate in a much more focused way. After all, we now know the quantified consumer needs. An example of such an innovation is Koopmans Senses.
We cracked the code: from insight into consumer needs and segmentation by drives to product features and gratifications.
Co-creation and customer intimacy
At Royal Koopmans, we enjoy nothing more than working with our customers to develop products that matter. This is what we call customer intimacy. In fact, we do nothing more than steer our customers' product groups and brand portfolio in the right direction. Based on reality and based on the insights we have gained.
Because we have now sharpened our focus and know what moves consumers, we can - in consultation with the product developers - determine much better what, for example, a product or recipe is lacking. Or what new, adventurous concepts we can develop.
It even enables us to set up a high-quality customised innovation funnel with our customers. In this way, we strengthen the brand or enrich the products and together reach consumers with valuable and relevant products.
In our market, market research is of course often carried out, Royal Koopmans is not unique in this. What is unique is that we do this from our position at the beginning of the chain. In this way, we connect agro with the food market and establish a demand-driven chain.
Enthusiastic team
Usually, the results are presented with a lot of bravado and remain at that. We do things differently. In recent years, we have structured the organisation in such a way that we have the people and resources to make our range even more attractive. We have the team for it. With a team of marketeers, product managers and the innovation department, we are able to really help our customers further.
What we have already noticed is that the consumer research provides focus and direction and that gives energy and inspiration to the entire company. It is also suddenly much clearer which priorities we should set as an organisation, which steps are needed to be and remain successful, and where we as an ingredients company can make the difference.
From zero sum game to win-win-win
Look, you can of course be very sceptical about what we do. It is often said that b2b is a zero sum game: if I win, the other loses and vice versa. But I don't believe in that. We want to add maximum value, so that our customers deliver products that consumers want. That way, we add value to the chain instead of shifting value.
In other words, we play the game differently. Developing together on the basis of insight and consumer needs gives a much more beautiful and richer perspective. Win-win-win, in other words. For us, our customers and consumers.