info suisse Spring 2015
Food & Beverage | SCCC Consulting
Food & Beverage | SCCC Consulting
March 2015
Project Caliente
(Philipp Gysling)
Project Caliente: How the SCCC Helped Wander AG Launch Caotina in Canada
About 18 months ago the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) decided to start offering some new services to Swiss companies interested in breaking into the Canadian market. These new services had never before been offered in a systematic way through our chamber, but given the ongoing internal discussion about the role of the chamber in general, the board decided that this was an important way to keep the organization relevant while at the same time supporting Swiss organizations. This new orientation must also be seen in the context of the void left by the closure of the Consulate General in Toronto as well as the relocation of the Swiss Business Hub (SBH) to Montreal. The consulting services are offered against a fee and they are designed on a case-by-case basis.
We have now completed our first "pilot" consulting assignment which gives us the opportunity to file a short report on our experiences. One of our board members was approached by Swiss food company Wander about two years ago. Wander was contemplating an entry into the Canadian market with its Caotina hot and cold chocolate drinks. This initial contact led to our first consulting gig. Wander's initial objective was to determine the opportunity of the Canadian market, the feasibility of entering it and the cost associated with the above. After some initial discussions and analysis we were able to submit a proposal to Wander outlining how the SCCC would be able to assist them in their Canadian endeavour. Our proposal was designed to give Wander all the strategic and local intelligence that would allow them to make an informed decision for their Canadian intentions.
The SCCC's proposal centered around its strong local network and connections in the food industry and its ability to connect with relevant players in that market. Not only did the chamber propose to produce tangible deliverables such as a market analysis but it also proposed to broker meetings with local partners that would potentially be critical for Wander's success in Canada. Wander representatives visited Canada twice during the course of our consulting engagement and, in addition to that, there were multiple phone conferences and even meetings in Europe. During their visits to Canada members of the SCCC team accompanied the Wander team to meetings in Montreal and Toronto with distributors, marketing agencies, market research firms and potential clients. All the meetings and documents produced during our engagement allowed Wander to make an informed decision about their Canadian strategy based on sound intelligence and hands-on experiences.
The outcome for Wander was that they would attempt to establish themselves in earnest in the Canadian market, not simply by shipping a few pallets of Caotina to be anonymously placed in a some grocery store shelves, but together with strong Canadian partners that have access to the right distribution channels and that would actively support their brand here. Our own relationship with Wander also grew during the project so that Wander has engaged the SCCC on an ad hoc basis to make sure we would be available to support them further should there be a need. On the periphery of this project, our chamber members in general were involved in this project as well through a market survey conducted by a Wander intern. Well over 100 respondents completed the survey that was distributed through our mailing list.
The current status of Caotina's introduction to Canada is that the product has been shipped and is on its way across the Atlantic. It should arrive at the port in Montreal shortly at which point the last bureaucratic hurdles will be cleared with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Consumers should see Caotina in Canadian grocery food shelves within a few months.
In hindsight and overall, project "Caliente" (our internal code name for the project) has been a fantastic experience for us as a chamber. Not only did it give us a chance to share our Canadian expertise and network but it also allowed us to experience first-hand and from the bottom up what the strategic thought processes are for a mid-sized Swiss company considering tackling a new market.
We look forward to the next opportunity to support a Swiss company with its Canadian plans and to leveraging our extensive Canadian network. We also look forward to sharing our network with the Swiss Business Hub with whom we are planning to work together closely going forward.
Contact the chamber to start a discussion about how your company could approach the Canadian market and to take advantage of the network that SCCC can offer.
Philipp Gysling
SCCC consulting
philipp.gysling@meshinnovations.com
+1.416.871.8159
About 18 months ago the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce (SCCC) decided to start offering some new services to Swiss companies interested in breaking into the Canadian market. These new services had never before been offered in a systematic way through our chamber, but given the ongoing internal discussion about the role of the chamber in general, the board decided that this was an important way to keep the organization relevant while at the same time supporting Swiss organizations. This new orientation must also be seen in the context of the void left by the closure of the Consulate General in Toronto as well as the relocation of the Swiss Business Hub (SBH) to Montreal. The consulting services are offered against a fee and they are designed on a case-by-case basis.
We have now completed our first "pilot" consulting assignment which gives us the opportunity to file a short report on our experiences. One of our board members was approached by Swiss food company Wander about two years ago. Wander was contemplating an entry into the Canadian market with its Caotina hot and cold chocolate drinks. This initial contact led to our first consulting gig. Wander's initial objective was to determine the opportunity of the Canadian market, the feasibility of entering it and the cost associated with the above. After some initial discussions and analysis we were able to submit a proposal to Wander outlining how the SCCC would be able to assist them in their Canadian endeavour. Our proposal was designed to give Wander all the strategic and local intelligence that would allow them to make an informed decision for their Canadian intentions.
"SCCC’s help in getting Caotina to the Canadian market was crucial! Thanks to SCCC’s network and know-how in the food sector, we were able to analyse the most important aspects of the Canadian market and to find a suitable distribution partner. We are deeply thankful for all that SCCC has done for Wander and are looking forward to continuing our good cooperation in the next phases of the market introduction.”
Christina Kieni Römer
Director Marketing and Sales
Wander is a well-known Swiss food company that has been around for 150 years. In addition to the Swiss market, Wander is also well known in countries neighboring Switzerland, such Germany and Austria. Swiss readers will be familiar with brands such as Ovomaltine, Isostar, Twinings and, of course, Caotina. Caotina has been around for 50 years and is a market leader in Switzerland. Visit Caotina.ch to browse the retro packages and old tv commercials! Canada, however, is new ground and a new challenge for Caotina.Christina Kieni Römer
Director Marketing and Sales
The SCCC's proposal centered around its strong local network and connections in the food industry and its ability to connect with relevant players in that market. Not only did the chamber propose to produce tangible deliverables such as a market analysis but it also proposed to broker meetings with local partners that would potentially be critical for Wander's success in Canada. Wander representatives visited Canada twice during the course of our consulting engagement and, in addition to that, there were multiple phone conferences and even meetings in Europe. During their visits to Canada members of the SCCC team accompanied the Wander team to meetings in Montreal and Toronto with distributors, marketing agencies, market research firms and potential clients. All the meetings and documents produced during our engagement allowed Wander to make an informed decision about their Canadian strategy based on sound intelligence and hands-on experiences.
The outcome for Wander was that they would attempt to establish themselves in earnest in the Canadian market, not simply by shipping a few pallets of Caotina to be anonymously placed in a some grocery store shelves, but together with strong Canadian partners that have access to the right distribution channels and that would actively support their brand here. Our own relationship with Wander also grew during the project so that Wander has engaged the SCCC on an ad hoc basis to make sure we would be available to support them further should there be a need. On the periphery of this project, our chamber members in general were involved in this project as well through a market survey conducted by a Wander intern. Well over 100 respondents completed the survey that was distributed through our mailing list.
The current status of Caotina's introduction to Canada is that the product has been shipped and is on its way across the Atlantic. It should arrive at the port in Montreal shortly at which point the last bureaucratic hurdles will be cleared with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Consumers should see Caotina in Canadian grocery food shelves within a few months.In hindsight and overall, project "Caliente" (our internal code name for the project) has been a fantastic experience for us as a chamber. Not only did it give us a chance to share our Canadian expertise and network but it also allowed us to experience first-hand and from the bottom up what the strategic thought processes are for a mid-sized Swiss company considering tackling a new market.
We look forward to the next opportunity to support a Swiss company with its Canadian plans and to leveraging our extensive Canadian network. We also look forward to sharing our network with the Swiss Business Hub with whom we are planning to work together closely going forward.
Contact the chamber to start a discussion about how your company could approach the Canadian market and to take advantage of the network that SCCC can offer.
Philipp Gysling
SCCC consulting
philipp.gysling@meshinnovations.com
+1.416.871.8159
