IN THE TRENCHES: Innovative companies have leading edge
IN THE TRENCHES: Innovative companies have leading edge
A salesperson was just completing a long-winded presentation to a retailer. After it ended, the retailer asked, "So what's new about your item?"
Not expecting that question, the representative hemmed and hawed, "Well, umm, I mean, umm, well & nothing. But the package is neat anyway."
What company can afford to throw away valuable revenue dollars by not being inventive? Today, companies have to be "sly as a fox" in creating something new and of value for consumers. And if they're not, they're sunk.
The word is "innovation." This is the pivotal requirement in moving a company forward by making it exceptional rather than just common.
Many companies often make innovation an afterthought. Months and years go by in companies only to find them producing the same items in the same packages that the founders developed 40 or 50 years ago. Although still around, these same companies will eventually fail because they become fixated on the past and lack the desire to be creative.
On the other hand, many organizations have great vision and make innovation a standard commitment. They are energized with a hands-on dedication to be inventive.
What motivates a company to innovate? I contacted some very enthusiastic people in the produce industry and asked them for their perspective on innovation.
Matt Seeley, marketing director of The Nunes Co. Inc. (Foxy Fresh Vegetables) in Salinas, CA: "Insight comes from observations. Listening to consumers, networking with retailers and monitoring lifestyle trends play an enormous role in helping us develop new products or new initiatives with customers. Innovation, in its simplest form, comes two ways: developing something completely new or taking an existing item and making it better or different."
Ed Kershaw, chief executive officer of Domex Marketing in Yakima, WA: "Innovation is the driver of our industry. The best practices, quality and taste are all becoming commodities by their continual barrage of babble. Innovation is the 'how to' vehicle for separating the 'Great' from the 'Good.' But innovation, like software, is a fleeting moment, as competitors benefit from our innovations. Therefore, in today's 'play-to-win' environment, innovation is a total, never-ending commitment. Innovation raises the bar. Commitment to innovation raises the bar higher."
Mike Aiton, senior vice president of Sun World International in Coachella, CA: "Sun World was built on innovation and has become synonymous with this concept throughout the [1990s]. Items which were launched as specialties have become mainstream and a big part of today's produce department. Elongated sweet red peppers, seedless watermelon, Superior seedless grapes, DiVine ripe tomatoes, which was the precursor to the vine-ripened tomatoes of today, and even Flame seedless grapes are all part of our heritage. Today, we operate the largest private grape and stone fruit breeding facility in the U.S. and continue to release new varieties with special flavor attributes. We see there being two ways to survive: Be the low-cost provider or have unique differentiated products, which can get us on the supplier short list for today's retail and wholesale community. We have selected this option and continue to work to maintain the position we have developed."
Derrell Kelso, owner of Onions Etc. in Stockton, CA: "You can be as innovative a person or company as there is in the industry, but if you are not adaptive, it means nothing. To be innovative in the produce industry, you must visualize something that has never been seen before. For innovative people, that is not the difficult part. The difficult part is having the patience for people to finally visualize it themselves and finally adapt. The time between innovation and adaptation is the determining factor of success and failure. In the past 100 years, our society has made more strides than it did in the past 2,000 years. Technology will not slow down. Competition will eat up companies that don't have the ability to innovate and adapt as fast as others. The big will fail because of their lack of adaptation to new innovation and the small will grow due to their adaptation to innovation. This is how it has been from the beginning of time in nations, civilizations and organizations."
K. Steve Phipps, principal owner and sales and marketing director of Market Fresh Services in Lee's Summit, MO: "We study the industry and develop solutions. We rarely have a retailer tell us to do this or that, but we always have great reception when we take our show on the road. It is called proactive marketing versus reactive marketing. We create new items and packaging that offer value exchange to the entire supply chain and consumers."
In order to get just one sale today, organizations have to excite people with something new and different beyond the ordinary. Changing lifestyles demand it. Consumers like and accept change today more than ever before.
Some companies may be enjoying a fair business in the produce industry today, but if innovation is nonexistent, a negative message develops. But the companies with aggressive leaders in creativity are usually those at the top of the heap.
Successful innovators spend time with customers and learn from them. They ask questions and seek suggestions. They create long, boring survey reports. Besides, most people never read them anyway. They simply venture out into the trenches and meet directly with customers inquiring about their needs. Senior management is the key element of innovation. When company leaders encourage their people to share ideas and suggestions, it's amazing how many become marketable successes.
Not expecting that question, the representative hemmed and hawed, "Well, umm, I mean, umm, well & nothing. But the package is neat anyway."
What company can afford to throw away valuable revenue dollars by not being inventive? Today, companies have to be "sly as a fox" in creating something new and of value for consumers. And if they're not, they're sunk.
The word is "innovation." This is the pivotal requirement in moving a company forward by making it exceptional rather than just common.
Many companies often make innovation an afterthought. Months and years go by in companies only to find them producing the same items in the same packages that the founders developed 40 or 50 years ago. Although still around, these same companies will eventually fail because they become fixated on the past and lack the desire to be creative.
On the other hand, many organizations have great vision and make innovation a standard commitment. They are energized with a hands-on dedication to be inventive.
What motivates a company to innovate? I contacted some very enthusiastic people in the produce industry and asked them for their perspective on innovation.
Matt Seeley, marketing director of The Nunes Co. Inc. (Foxy Fresh Vegetables) in Salinas, CA: "Insight comes from observations. Listening to consumers, networking with retailers and monitoring lifestyle trends play an enormous role in helping us develop new products or new initiatives with customers. Innovation, in its simplest form, comes two ways: developing something completely new or taking an existing item and making it better or different."
Ed Kershaw, chief executive officer of Domex Marketing in Yakima, WA: "Innovation is the driver of our industry. The best practices, quality and taste are all becoming commodities by their continual barrage of babble. Innovation is the 'how to' vehicle for separating the 'Great' from the 'Good.' But innovation, like software, is a fleeting moment, as competitors benefit from our innovations. Therefore, in today's 'play-to-win' environment, innovation is a total, never-ending commitment. Innovation raises the bar. Commitment to innovation raises the bar higher."
Mike Aiton, senior vice president of Sun World International in Coachella, CA: "Sun World was built on innovation and has become synonymous with this concept throughout the [1990s]. Items which were launched as specialties have become mainstream and a big part of today's produce department. Elongated sweet red peppers, seedless watermelon, Superior seedless grapes, DiVine ripe tomatoes, which was the precursor to the vine-ripened tomatoes of today, and even Flame seedless grapes are all part of our heritage. Today, we operate the largest private grape and stone fruit breeding facility in the U.S. and continue to release new varieties with special flavor attributes. We see there being two ways to survive: Be the low-cost provider or have unique differentiated products, which can get us on the supplier short list for today's retail and wholesale community. We have selected this option and continue to work to maintain the position we have developed."
Derrell Kelso, owner of Onions Etc. in Stockton, CA: "You can be as innovative a person or company as there is in the industry, but if you are not adaptive, it means nothing. To be innovative in the produce industry, you must visualize something that has never been seen before. For innovative people, that is not the difficult part. The difficult part is having the patience for people to finally visualize it themselves and finally adapt. The time between innovation and adaptation is the determining factor of success and failure. In the past 100 years, our society has made more strides than it did in the past 2,000 years. Technology will not slow down. Competition will eat up companies that don't have the ability to innovate and adapt as fast as others. The big will fail because of their lack of adaptation to new innovation and the small will grow due to their adaptation to innovation. This is how it has been from the beginning of time in nations, civilizations and organizations."
K. Steve Phipps, principal owner and sales and marketing director of Market Fresh Services in Lee's Summit, MO: "We study the industry and develop solutions. We rarely have a retailer tell us to do this or that, but we always have great reception when we take our show on the road. It is called proactive marketing versus reactive marketing. We create new items and packaging that offer value exchange to the entire supply chain and consumers."
In order to get just one sale today, organizations have to excite people with something new and different beyond the ordinary. Changing lifestyles demand it. Consumers like and accept change today more than ever before.
Some companies may be enjoying a fair business in the produce industry today, but if innovation is nonexistent, a negative message develops. But the companies with aggressive leaders in creativity are usually those at the top of the heap.
Successful innovators spend time with customers and learn from them. They ask questions and seek suggestions. They create long, boring survey reports. Besides, most people never read them anyway. They simply venture out into the trenches and meet directly with customers inquiring about their needs. Senior management is the key element of innovation. When company leaders encourage their people to share ideas and suggestions, it's amazing how many become marketable successes.
