Interviews

Gama spoke to Paula Amaral, Head of  Sustainability, Innovation and Strategy at Groupe Bel. Read the full Industry Insight in the latest issue of Gama News As traditionally a pure-play dairy firm, how is Groupe Bel adapting to ensure the sustainability of the business in the long term? We have a growth model that has two pillars – profitability and responsibility – because we know that if we want to remain relevant …

Gama spoke to Anna Bosch Güell, Director General at Noel Alimentaria. Read the full Industry Insight in the latest issue of Gama News What major trends do you expect to shape food innovation in 2024 and beyond? Health-oriented products, products with extra-high protein, plant-based options made from vegetables that emulate fish and meat, locally-sourced products, and manufacturing processes that minimize environmental impact: these are some of the principal trends that are setting the …

Gama spoke to Tammy Butterworth, Global R&D Grains Formulation Manager, PepsiCo. How is the role of breakfast changing in consumers’ lives, and what do FMCG companies need to do to adapt to this change? “Breakfast maintains an important role in people’s lives – what is changing is the time it can be given. When asked, people instinctively know that breakfast sets them up for the day (and the statistics bear this …

Gama spoke to Lisa Sohanpal, Founder & CEO, Nom Noms World Food. What are the key success factors when launching a new retail food brand to the market? “At the forefront of launching a successful retail food brand is the need to understand the target customer, anticipate their needs, and inspire them further. Entrepreneurs need to leverage insight, knowledge and continuously innovate through deductive failure i.e. continuously challenge your own …

Gama spoke to Mikko Lindqvist, Vice President, Marketing & Portfolio, Fazer. Is packaged bread being threatened by the rise of low carbohydrate diets? If so, how is Fazer responding? Low carbohydrate diets had a big impact on the bread market some years ago. From there the market has recovered and new trends have emerged. The public discussion about carbohydrates is more balanced currently and the benefits of wholegrains, especially oat …

Gama spoke to Nicolas Panniez, Category Manager, Ferrero. How is the way food companies are looking to reach and engage with consumers changing? How can a brand successfully resonate with consumers? Companies and their brands need to be flexible in their marketing mix and continuously monitor changing consumption and shopping behaviour. Gathering data and translating this into actionable insights is and will remain key to developing strategic brand, category, customer …

Gama spoke to Lisa Tse MBE, Chief Executive, Sweet Mandarin. What are the key success factors when launching a new retail food brand to the market? It is not easy to launch a food brand so one must be resilient, persistent, ambitious and hardworking. There are many factors to consider including creating a product that is world class in terms of quality, understanding how the retail market operates, being able to fund the initial …

Gama spoke to Alberto García Romero, Marketing Manager, Dulcesol. What should manufacturers do to be successful in the current economic climate? The current economic situation is changing but the recession was so strong that it altered a number of different parameters in our main markets. The price-quality relation is one of our main strengths and consumption at home became stronger vs out-home during 2008 to 2012. This was a good opportunity …

Gama spoke to Maria Sánchez, Marketing & Communications Director, Noel. Which markets or consumer groups currently offer the greatest growth opportunities for FMCG companies? Emerging markets are still an opportunity but more and more companies need to be aware of the appearance of new targets. An example would be the generation after the millennials – “Generation Z” – who were born between 1994 and 2009 and who demand their space …

Gama spoke to Sharon Barraclough, Marketing Director, Hovis. How do companies best achieve growth in developed or saturated markets? Be clear on the role of your brand in consumers’ lives and tell that brand story in a way that adds meaning and purpose. Support it with absolute product truth – delight consumers by exceeding their expectations of what good is in terms of quality. Be obsessed with being the best at …

Gama spoke to João Costa, CEO, DanCake Portugal.   How do companies best achieve growth in developed or saturated markets? Through a strong innovation pipeline (consumer driven) and a constant focus on cost efficiency, plus a strong wire into the trade. DanCake has a unique portfolio of products that cater to the major needs of consumers and retailers. We consider ourselves to be the ‘one stop shop’ for the category, …

Gama spoke to Andrea Budelli, Vice President – R&D Europe, Heinz. What should manufacturers do to be successful in the current economic climate? Balance your value proposition in your portfolio, adapt your offering and your pricing to the needs of different channels, and bring distinctive and relevant innovation to the market, with appropriate pricing, so as to have a win/win proposition for both customers and consumers. Focusing on fully exploiting …

Gama spoke to Giacomo Canali, Packaging Research & Innovation Manager, Barilla. What key trends do you expect to shape food innovation in 2015? More and more food products will be tailored to specific needs, meeting a range of consumer requirements and allowing the company to be present in different channels, with the main goal of achieving better volumes and increasing group sales. At the same time, there is a need …

Gama spoke to John Winnard, Managing Director, William Santus. What are your day to day activities as Managing Director? I see my role as facilitating the smooth running of the business. This involves monitoring key indicators such as quality, profitability, managing costs and sales, but also making sure that we are meeting the requirements and needs of our customers. The less involvement needed to achieve this the happier I am. …

Gama spoke to Caroline Grolleau, Product Manager, Color Foods. What are your day-to-day activities as Product Manager? I am responsible for the strategic and operational aspects of our marketing function. I carry out market research and analyze our sales in order to define avenues for future development and to support the activities of the sales teams. I also contribute to the business’s strategic decision making through our executive committee meetings. …

Gama spoke to Simone Zucchetti, R&D Manager, Amadori. What are your day to day activities as Research & Development Manager? My main activity is to combine the diverse demands of the business into an organic development plan that is aligned to the company’s strategic goals. We are a team of professionals using our experience and passion to offer consumers innovative ideas, working every day to ensure our products our fresh, …

Gama spoke to Hans Bangelmeier, Managing Director, PEZ International. What are your day to day activities as Managing Director?  Giving my colleagues the passion and enthusiasm to give their day and their contribution to the organisation a sense of value and purpose.   What key trends do you expect to shape food innovation in 2014? The trend is towards regional products that have a clear message for the consumer. Credibility, …