Launching Krispy Natural: Cracking the Product Management Code
1. HARVARD BUSINESS CASE STUDY
Launching Krispy Natural:
Cracking the Product
Management Code
2. Pemberton: Introduction
Pemberton was the snack food division of Candler
Enterprises, (a multinational beverage and snack goods
manufacturer).
It was a market leader in the U.S. cookie and bakery snacks
segments of the sweet snack market.
It harnessed its owned Direct Store Delivery (DSD)
distribution system to deliver products directly from the
distribution centers to the retail stores.
Revenue - 5 Billion USD (7.7% PAT)
Compounded Annual Growth Rate -14% (for revenue over
the past 5 years )
4. CHARACTERS OF CASE AT PEMBERTON
Ashley Marney (Executive V.P. Sales & Marketing)
Brandon Fredrick (Marketing Director)
Burt Spivey (Chief Operating Officer)
Patricia Williams (President)
5. Key strategic priorities:
building a collection of attractive, durable brands
leveraging leading marketing, sales and DSD systems to
increase revenue and profits
building or acquiring capabilities in salty snack
categories.
6. Past records in Salty Snack Market Segment
This Failure was attributed to
•Limited Product Line
•Taste Dissatisfaction
11. Retail cracker sales in the United States
reached an estimated $6.9 billion in 2011.
The growth rate for the overall cracker industry
from 2008 to 2010 was approximately 2.2%
CAGR
A Mintel study of salty snacks in the United
States reported that 74% of respondents
consumed crackers on a regular basis and
34% ate them as part of regular weekly diet.
13. “All other” crackers
Experienced a 2.1% CAGR from the period
2008-2010.
Retail sales of 5.1 Billion USD in 2011 in USA
Expected to grow by 6-7% per year
15. Crackers with fillings
Although experienced flat sales during 2005-
2009, but later became the strongest segment
Retail sales of 660 Million USD in 2011 in
USA
Had a growth rate of 14% in 2010
20. Competitor’s analysis
1. Top 3 cracker manufacturers are:
Kraft Food Inc.
Kellogg Co.
Pepperfridge farm
2. They account for approx. 75% of the
cracker market in 2010.
3. Frito-Lay is rumored to be introducing
a new full line of crackers by the end of
second quarters.
25. Krispy Natural marketing strategy
Marketing:
Emphasized on heavy advertising
Promotion to the end customer and
appealing to the trade
Aggressive plans for pull spending
and trade promotions
26. Krispy Natural marketing strategy
Distribution:
Effective DSD (Direct-Store Delivery)
distribution system
Proper management of shelf inventory
and in-store merchandising
Optimizing the system to account for
longer shell life of crackers
27. Krispy Natural marketing strategy
Price:
Sought a premium strategy.
Priced at 155% above the category
average cost per ounce
Same retail price as that of
competitors but lesser quantity
35. MARKET PLAN - COLUMBUS
5 special “Krispy Force”
representatives were hired in
Columbus
These “Krispy Force” reps worked
with Pemberton regional and district
sales managers and focused solely on
selling the new Krispy Natural
product line.
36. MARKET PLAN - SOUTHEAST
In Southeastern cities, the company
was able to test its ability to reposition
the product to a more premium
offering
Here regular Pemberton DSD route
delivery representatives worked with
regional and district sales managers,
handling sales and service of the new
Krispy Natural line.
37.
38. Expectations:
Columbus would
achieve a market
share of 9%
Southeast’s market
share will rise from
9% to 15%
The company
hoped for 15%
shelf space in both
the markets
Reality:
Columbus doubled
the share target,
achieving 18%
market share with
30% category
expansion.
Southeast had a
slight increase to
just 10% with little
category expansion.
39.
40. Columbus was able to achieve an 18% market
share by stealing share from other
competitors.
However in Southeast the trade was generally
receptive to the new Krispy Natural line due to
the relatively low introductory trade case
discount of 15%.
41.
42. SALES & CHANNEL RESPONSES
The large chain headquarter buyers were impressed
with the consumer research results and inventory
turn estimates.
They also loved all the promotional activity and
consumer advertising.
The pull marketing really created a buzz and
customers were coming to the stores asking for
Krispy Natural by name
43. However one industry analyst thought that the
positive test market results were driven by
significant price discounts, couponing, and
sampling, which were not sustainable.
Also, few felt the taste preference claims of Krispy
Natural were inflated and the flavor was no better
than current brand offerings.