View all workAbout the project
The Challenge
Focus7 was approached by the Managing Director of Donatantonio, a food retail, manufacturing and distribution company in the food services industry, to tender for the opportunity to drive some fresh thinking and devise new ways to unlock sustainable growth for the business.
The company was 100 years old and having grown to over £25m turnover, had seen sales slip back. All areas of the business were experiencing pressure and a root and branch review was required.
Our Approach
Brand, Product & Marketing Audit
Our CEO and CMO immersed in the business and reviewed all existing marketing collateral and reviewed the company brand and product identities. They conducted confidential one to one qualitative and quantitative interviews with the Board Directors and the Senior Management Team and reviewed performance metrics. The interviews were documented, and the key findings were compiled, anonymised and presented back to the key stakeholders.
The Solution
Workshops & planning
Members of the Board and the Senior Management Team, representing sales, procurement, operations, technical and finance participated in a series of strategic workshops. These workshops were fundamental in identifying and clarifying potential courses of action.
At the end of the process, Focus7 summarised recommendations and options in a comprehensive project plan. Strategic objectives, actions and milestones were proposed for sales, marketing, operations and merchandising.
The Results
Relocation and merger
The outcomes from our research and the proposals presented were considered by the operational and holding boards. A number of staff changes were made, the business was relocated and ultimately merged with a larger group within the sector.
“The process was extremely beneficial, questioning our thoughts and challenging our assumptions, as well as endorsing many of our beliefs and ensuring the buy-in of key personnel to any changes.”
“Donatantonio is a long-established and successful food importer, with multiple brands and distribution channels. In 2017, circumstances challenged us as never before, and we brought in Focus7 to independently review the capability, structure and activity of our sales, marketing and operations functions. This involved conducting one-to-one interviews and leading group workshops with all of the management team. The output from Focus7's activities was a project plan with set of strategic recommendations which formed a key element of our development plan. ”
