The document details the author's experience revamping sales of an underperforming cereal brand in Mexico. They developed a three-phase plan to understand the market, sales teams, and consumers. Insights showed competitors dominated supermarkets while the brand had potential in wholesale. The author helped sales teams understand barriers and traveled with them. Consumer research found the brand was seen as value but prices and quality did not match competitors. A strategy was created and the brand was re-launched with changes. Focus shifted to specific regions and in-store materials promoted the wholesale channel.

1. 1

3. After graduating from the PepsiCo
Marketing Trainee Program I became
a Sr. Brand Coordinator having the
Local Brands in my scope of
responsibility
The brand’s sales tendency was
negative, the value equation was
wrong, sales were centered in one
channel and most importantly it did
not had the same importance as other
categories in the company
I needed to revamp sales with the
help of different stakeholders and
teams

4. I developed a three phases plan to understand
where the Brand was standing
First
Understand The Cereal
Market in Mexico
Second
Understand The Sales
Team Needs
Third
Understand the consumer
with qualitative studies

5. During the first phase, I needed to understand how the market was
doing with all of its players
Our competitors where
stronger and very
dominant in the
supermarket cannel
However, they did not
have good penetration in
the wholesale cannel,
specially in the northern
areas of Mexico

6. In the second phase, I needed to realize how the Brand was
positioned internally with the Sales Team
After holding meetings with
Sales, I came to realize that
there was a lack of
understanding of the barriers
they had when selling cereals
on the marketing side such as
price and promotions
I decided to present them my
analysis on the market.
I traveled with some members
of the sales team to the
northwest area and get to
know the WholeSale channel
first hand

7. Finally I needed to understand the consumers’ perception on the
Brand
The main insights were the Following:
1. The Brand was perceived as a value per money
Brand
2. However, the prices were similar to those of our
competitors
3. The quality was not the best and the product did
not taste good

8. Once I finished understanding were
the Brand was standing, I held a
presentation with all the stake holders:
1. Revenue Management
2. Finance
3. Sales
4. Research and Development
We developed a strategy that had the
following phases of execution

9. Re-launch the product with the
following changes
1. Quality
2. Price / Kilo
3. Size Impression

10. Focus our sales activities in three main areas of
the country in the Wholesale channel
1. North
2. Northwest
3. Pacific

11. Develop InStore Materials,
Promotions and Activations that
worked for the channel

15. I was promoted to Sr Early Engagement Manager for the
AMEX Loyalty Partner last year
My business goal is to bring incremental sales to my retail
clients by bringing new customers and incremental sales
in different categories
Since we have all the transactional information of the
clients with the Loyalty Partner card, we have a lot to
work with
With the information plus the targeted strategies
PAYBACK can make in its platform, it can change the way
to target different demographics and segments
My most important client is one of the biggest grocery
retailers in Mexico, with more than 70 years in the
market

16. One of the best tools PAYBACK has in its digital
platform are the targeted coupons
With this strategy a Brand can target an specific
demographic, group of shoppers, or it can even be
used to test products
Since my client is a retailer, I thought that selling the
coupon idea was going to be a very smooth
negotiation
This was not the case

17. Their rejections were the following:
1. They argued those digital strategies only worked
in developed countries, not in Mexico
2. It was very disruptive, and they could not afford to
change a strategy that has already proven to be
effective
3. The Marketing Department argued that the
customers were used to In Store materials and
radio communications

18. My team and I decided to tackle their
objections by making a pilot project with two
strategies
1. Frequent clients in the store
2. Clients who no longer shop in the store

19. Once again we met with the CEO and the Board of
Directors of our client and we proposed the following:
1st: We would make a pilot test, and moreover we would
fund it
2nd: The pilot would be for frequent clients and those
who stopped going
3rd: The pilot was targeted in Mexico City
This was a great risk since I was going to invest my
team’s budget, but I needed to let the client have real
proof of how the coupons work

20. After having meetings with other teams in the organization, and verify that our
pilot was going to be a success we launched the test
We could not believe the results
Our Email Marketing Strategy was a sucess
having a 35% Open Rate
There was a very high coupon use among
the clients targeted
That month we generated the 0.5% of the
total sales made by this retailer
Everything was incremental

22. Throughout my career I have led groups
directly and indirectly to develop projects
With this experience I have been able to have
a constant growth in the corporate ladder
Understanding situations, persuading and
leading people from different backgrounds
are skills I have learn in my career
But my life goal is to become an entrepreneur
and lead other projects

23. Entrepreneurial
Mindset
IE can help to understand how to lead with the
perspectives of an entrepreneur
During Core Period I plan to take the subjects related
to Entrepreneurial Mindset
In the Start Up Lab I will be challenged by my peers
when selling my ideas. This would require new
persuasion techniques for me to use
And finally the diversity will teach me how to adapt
my communication style with people with
backgrounds much different from mine