Danish Food Sector
Differentiating Danish Food Companies Abroad
Situation
Although Danish chefs were becoming recognized for pioneering new techniques and creating award-winning restaurants, the broader Danish food sector was hardly recognized for its leadership. Established Danish companies struggled to differentiate themselves in crowded global markets and innovative challengers struggled to break though. Although the food sector was full of diverse interests, there was a belief that the right Danish reputation could help them all grow.
Solution
We started by developing a range of positioning scenarios that were all true, relevant, and high value to everyone in the global food industry. We then tested the scenarios in a range of interviews and workshops. Participants included over 60 senior executives across the food value chain, from raw materials and technology developers, to artisanal producers and retailers. Although they were each asked to rate and rank the scenarios from their own perspectives, the resulting data pointed in one clear direction.
The related government ministries and industry organizations came together in a project team with a range of companies, large and small, to tackle this challenge. The goal was to define a positioning strategy, story, and set of principles that were indisputably at the heart of the Danish food sector. Then, for each company to leverage and reinforce this in their marketing.
