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Hello Emmanuel, could you introduce yourself and Growing Ideas?
I have over 20 years' experience in consumer products. I spent 20 years in major food groups, where I held a number of positions in both marketing and sales. The job in particular that has thrilled me the most is that of Category Manager.
I made it the core of my business by setting up Growing Ideas 3 years ago, an agency that supports FMCG brands in all their Catman issues, from the most operational to the most strategic.
How do you see the job of Category Manager? You often talk about the consumer - retailer - manufacturer triptych. What's the objective behind this?
Catman's job is at the heart of industrial organizations. What fascinates me is his role "between" marketing and sales. He needs to know both facets in order to synchronize them and transform marketing or corporate strategies into sales action plans.
In saying this, it's clear that the catman's responsibility is to understand consumers, their expectations and their disincentives, to understand the retailer and its customers, the shoppers, and how they make their purchasing decisions, and finally to do all this in the service of category and brand growth.
We're talking about a B to B to C business... and the importance of collaboration between the manufacturer (B) and the distributor (B) to better serve the consumer (C).
We're talking about a B to B to C business... and the importance of collaboration between the manufacturer (B) and the distributor (B) to better serve the consumer (C).
What levers are available to Category Managers to fulfill their mission?
Traditionally, we talk about 4P of the Catman: Assortment (Product) / Price (Price) / Merchandising (Place) / Promotion. To put it simply, it's all about choosing the right products, offering them at the right price, displaying them well on the shelf (whether physical or e-commerce), and building the best animations.
And for this, the Catman relies on a wealth of data to understand, and tools to build its plans.
What are the main challenges facing Category Managers today?
Today's Category Manager is faced with a number of challenges. It's in the nature of this profession to adapt to its environment, and it's fair to say that the current period offers a great opportunity to do so.
It's in the nature of this business to adapt to its environment, and it's fair to say that the current period gives it a great opportunity to do so.
The profusion of data available, the concentration of chains with the strength of the independent model, the development of digital, the structuring and acceleration of retail media are all issues that will require catman to adapt their practices.
If we add to this the macro-economic context of inflation and changes in consumption (fewer innovations, more private labels, constant arbitration between categories...), the Catman must increasingly absorb these subjects, and we understand that this business remains more than ever a driver of transformation.
How can revenue and usage contribute to an activation strategy?
As a Catman, I'm a huge fan of anything that's at consumer level, anything that facilitates use. For me, recipes are essential, not only to help people make products their own, but also to develop new uses for them.
For me, recipes are essential, firstly to help people get to grips with our products, but also to develop new uses for them.
The recent development ofa The fact that many households have their own home, and the consequent need for inspiration, are all good reasons to include recipes in your activation strategy. The fact that they are now immediately available at the moment of purchase is a perfect fit with the shopping experience.
And to conclude, it's a very categorical act, since by using recipes as a brand, I'm really developing the use of my products within my market, so I'm enhancing the Category!
