Supermarket Perimeter - May 2020 - 55

Brewing has also been essential to the success. "We worked handin-hand on recipe testing, package design, sales strategy and more,"
he said. "This partnership is an example of the whole being greater
than the sum of its parts-we are able to have much more impact and
success for the Craft Beer BBQ Collection by joining forces and working
collaboratively."
Working together takes work from both parties. For instance,
Coleman Natural Foods and Budweiser have monthly calls and are
currently going through some discussions about line extensions and
how they can collaborate from a marketing perspective.
"Budweiser is a brand that's everywhere. But when you work with
Budweiser as a partner, you realize how meticulous and careful they
are with whom they associate the brand. They're very collaborative and
want to be part of the process," Coleman said. "We had them visit our
Innovation Center to test some things, thinking about what makes sense
not only for us, but for them and their Budweiser customer."
Cimolino said it's important to nurture the relationship and he works
closely with the licensing team on what he sees in the marketplace and
consumer behavior and the changing landscape of what people like.
For example, Golden West Food Group is rolling out its new Sweet &
Spicy Jack Daniels Pulled Pork and Pulled Chicken-both in response to
growing consumer habits of spicy foods.
"It's really about communication and sharing the data that we learn,"
he said. "Even now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working
very closely with them on sharing what we are seeing with increased
demand from retailers."

JACK DANIEL'S, NIMAN RANCH

Getting the word out
While these partnerships have worked out well for all involved, a big
part of that success was getting in front of customers and letting them
experience what the teaming is all about.
While beer and BBQ are a great pairing they aren't often displayed in
the same part of the store.
"We've done some cross-aisle shelf-talkers that let people know about
our BBQ collection when they are grabbing a case of Budweiser out of
the beer cooler," Coleman said. "We're working with Budweiser this year
at the regional level to roll out some collaborative promotions where
we can. It gets tricky because there are certain states and municipalities
that you cannot offer a discount for purchasing a combination of beer
and food in a retail setting."
Niman Ranch has had a lot of fun getting the word out about its Craft
Beer BBQ Collection at the store level.
"From social media contests, a showstopper launch at the New York
Fancy Food Show and even a co-branded food truck, we have found
new ways to get people excited about this collaboration," Calvert said.
"For stores in particular, we created co-branded signage and other
marketing materials like rail strips and danglers to draw the eye of
customers to these new items on shelves."
The company also partnered on instore events to support the launch.
For example, it hosted a tailgate BBQ at a little market called Richmond
Farms in Rhode Island where folks came out to try the new line, have a
beer and meet some NFL cheerleaders and gridiron greats.
With showcases like this, these products are only going to continue
to grow.
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Supermarket Perimeter - May 2020

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