DSR Incentive Program Progress

August highlights include… 127 New DSRs, 390 New Operators signed up by DSRs, and 3 New Sysco Houses.

DSR momentum builds

Wondering if DSR's are excited about earning opportunities in the Foodservice Rewards distributor incentive program? Just look at this customized signature a Cheney Brothers DSR added to her emails. She also included the gift card image above (but with her personalized enrollment code).

Here are the Distributor/DSR numbers for July:

194 Distributors (13 in July)
1,818 Distributor Sales Reps (261 in July)
2,655 Customers Attached (491 in July)
1,882 New Operators (421 in July)
773 Existing Operators (70 in July)

Recent New Members:

Performance Food Group – Carroll County
Sysco Central Florida
Pratts Foodservice

Recent Travels (Z will soon be a platinum flyer on Northwest):

Merchants Foodservice Food Show – Alabama
Holiday Wholesale Sales Meeting – Wisconsin
Sysco Dallas Sales Meeting / P&G Promo Kick Off

(P&G's Sysco Dallas Promo runs 7/30-9/23/07. Giving away an iPod or 10,000 points to the MA who signs up the most customers in each two week period. Has already resulted in 127 MAs creating accounts!)

Upcoming Travels:

ProGroup – Richmond, VA
Cheney Brothers – Riviera Beach, FL
Clark Foodservice Food Show – South Bend, IN

Kudos, to Unilever Distributor Account Managers whose leads have resulted in 16 new houses. If you'd like to copy this best practice, we'll gladly help you design an internal sales promotion using the FSR platform and co-fund points.

From the desk of Big Mike

Check this out: SYSCO Central Florida joined the program yesterday. I gave them a “welcome call" and discovered that the Program Manager's job is to meet with customers, overcome past hurdles and sell more products to them.

These Business Review Managers have a standard binder of SYSCO programs that present to customers. Here is a sheet from the Business Review Binder that SYSCO Central Florida created: They’ve been telling their customers about Foodservice Rewards for over a month.

Here’s the kicker… SYSCO had no idea that their MA's could earn points! Ray told her about the program during his verification call. They looked at our program as a benefit before discovering the DSR program. Now they really love it.

Needless to say, the Business Review Manager is very excited. I’ve already sent her enrollment sheets to replace the attachment, and a roll of dummy labels to show their customers what to look for.

Put that in your blog and smoke it! Z.

The 70% Principle

Thanks to Big Mike's ingenuity and help from the Process Team, DSR's will now receive enrollment gift cards in 10 days rather than brochures in 4-5 weeks.

It's an example of the "70% Principle: Getting projects off the ground." When we launched the DSR incentive, we believed is was essential to customize enrollment brochures by distributorship, which meant getting a logo from each House and selecting the brands they wanted to feature on their brochures - leading to inevitable delays.

Since then, the success of customer gift cards + DSR feedback has led us in a new direction: Pre-produce cards, assign the unique enrollment code to the DSR as he/she joins the program and ship materials ASAP. Watch this space for a report on the results!

Dot Comm Newsletter

All 4,000 distributor customers of Dot Foods received this newsletter yesterday. Our article is the 4th one down and so far has generated nine new houses participating in the distributor incentive.

Kraft-ing launch promotions

Kraft's entry into the program features a clever message to DSR's (above) and this announcement to operators in today's ExtraPoints newsletter.

For more details, visit www.kraftfoodservice.com/rewards

SYSCO MN gettin' with the program

Just returned from SYSCO MN where Big Mike presented the Foodservice Rewards program to Marketing Associates.

I was pleasantly surprised to discover that most MA's were familiar with the program because they had customers who were avid reward code collectors. MA's were pleasantly surprised to discover that they could earn points by signing up new customers, prompting many to join Foodservice Rewards on the spot.

Clearly, Mike's presentation efforts are paying off - there are now 123 independent and broadline houses participating, representing 1,237 DSR's who have signed up 1,496 operators, and we are adding 50 new operators per week as a result of the DSR incentive.

DSR Support growing, GROWING...

"Foodservice Rewards is a great tool for me to use to help my customers - plus I get something as well.

I feel it can be a competitive advantage over a major national distributor that does not push branded items. I've told most of my customers about Foodservice Rewards."
Bob Storebeck, Martin Brothers

The number of operators attached to DSR's is growing by week:

Week ending 1/5: 31
Week ending 1/12: 35
Week ending 1/19: 35
Week ending 1/26: 59
January total: 160

Similar signs of enthusiastic distributor support include this Foodservice Rewards article in Ginsberg's January customer flyer (designed & implemented on their own initiative!)

New: DOT Foods Partnership

Thanks to a new partnership with DOT Foods, the nation's largest redistributor, even more independent distributors will be introduced to the DSR Incentive program via this landing page.

Banners are now appearing on the DOT Expressway (the industry's most-trafficked-by-distributors website!) and we'll exhibit at their Spring food show - both a first for any non-food or non-E&S manufacturer.

New: SMA incentive

Similar to the DSR incentive, Foodservice Rewards now helps manufacturers build mindshare with internal and/or brokered sales forces.

We'll fund 250 bonus points to each salesperson for every new operator they enroll in Foodservice Rewards and you'll have a tangible rewards platform with which to motivate them for other activities.

Here's documentation showing why the opportunity to earn an iPod changes behavior more effectively than the equivalent $199 in cash.

Big Mike is making a big impact

At the sponsor meeting, you asked for an update on DSR involvement. Below are big Mike's November call notes:

Enrollment Counts (USA only):
- 79 Distributorships enrolled
- 880 DSR’s participating
- 914 Operators signed up by DSR’s

Highlights:
- Presented to Appert’s on 11/17/06
- Presented to EG Forrest on 12/1/06
- FSA-Fargo, Merchants, Upper Lakes joined
(each are top 50 accounts)
- Bob Storbeck (Martin Brothers) has enrolled 58 customers!

Upcoming:
- Presenting to Clark Foodservice on 12/8 and 12/15
- Enrolled DSR reminder E-mail going out next week
- Researching cooler bag premium (more to come on this topic)
- DOT Foods – entering into a marketing partnership

Clearly, big Mike is generating a lot of activity, details of which we'll publish periodically. Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Email him.

DSR Incentive Supports 100 Distributorships

Now you can see which distributors participate in Foodservice Rewards on a Google map. Choose to view by State/Province or by All Locations (longer load time).


At the sponsor meeting, we'll demo another application of this "mashup" technology: Mapping your customers and target accounts - making the information gathered though Foodservice Rewards more universally accessible and useful. Here's a fact sheet that details pricing.

Big Mike to focus on independents

Please welcome Mike Zoladkiewicz, Marketing Manager, to the Coalition Marketing team.

"Big Mike" or "Z" as he is affectionately known, has worked in foodservice as an operator and as a broker for the past 7 years and will now have his plate full driving Distributor and DSR participation in Foodservice Rewards.

His hobbies include cooking, football, and his 5 month old daughter, Abby.

New York Times makes it official: Reward Code Programs are Popular

When the New York Times covers the popularity of reward code programs, they've finally gone mainstream.

With over 20 million reward codes redeemed (that's one every 30 seconds) we've known their value since the first Foodservice code was redeemed for a Schwan's Chalupa in September of 2002.

Here's how Distributorships and their DSR's are learning about it via their program newsletter.

War on terror making skies safe from shampoo

I was in four different airports last week, and my advice is: arrive early and carry on a change of underwear just in case your checked bag doesn't make it.

The highlight of the week was presenting the distributor incentive to Jordano's 40 DSR's at their monthly sales meeting. They are an excellent example of one of the over 70 independent distributorships (representing over 650 enrolled DSR's) differentiating themselves from broadliners by bringing value-added services like Foodservice Rewards to their customers.

Value-added services help independents

Subject: Foodservice.com - Customer Feedback
Comments: My statement to my sales people is simply that you have another opportunity to give all your customers another (CRS OneSource) value added service by informing them about Foodservice Rewards and getting them signed up for FREE gifts and prizes. All the customer does after enrolling is purchase the participating products that most are already using. IT'S THAT SIMPLE!!!!!! Just do it!!! Thanks Foodservice Rewards for making it so easy!!

Jeff Riney, Distributor Program Manager, CRS OneSource

DSR Newsletter - are you in it?

• New brands joining the program
• Nestle mega-millions DSR winner:

Thank you all, this is one of the greatest events that has ever happened to me !!!! This is so wow, exciting, overwhelming, just.... Thank You Nestle for helping me believe in being able to "Win".

Mahalo,
Lily Barawis
lbarawis@vipfoodservice.com

• Schwan's new product launch, P&G's 100% override
• New flat screen TV promotion and more in this week's Distributor Newsletter

The DSR version of the ExtraPoints newsletter is currently being sent to over 400 DSR's and is enjoying an average 33% open rate.

Are Distributor Sales Reps Becoming Obsolete?

Of course not, but provocative headlines like this one are generating super readership of the DSR newsletter.

Are DSR's ignoring your spiffs?

Rather than giving DSR's a 'couple bucks and hoping they focus on selling your product, try Schwan's strategy when launching their new Microwave-To-Rise Pizza.

By awarding sales reps points in their own Foodservice Rewards accounts they deliver product information, reduce the expense and hassle of issuing checks, start the "collecting points" habit and create future communication opportunities via e-mail and mail.

Ask Amy: How are DSR enrollments doing?

63 houses have enrolled 345 385 DSRs. The number of linked customers is 245 293 (Updated: 5/18/06).

I'm often asked how we are promoting the DSR incentive program. In addition to running ads in ID Report, I am gathering rep lists from Distributor Program Managers and attending distributor sales meetings (Feeser's last week, Cash-Wa in May) and based on the success of exhibiting at Ginsberg's food show, we will now actively staff booths at other distributor food shows.

I am also building processes to improve DPM and DSR engagement. Soon distributorships will receive:

1) A post-registration How to Get Started Kit including a welcome letter, DSR enrollment fliers, How to Promote FSR at your Food Show flier (in development), and an Operator Enrollment Form.

2) Report samples that illustrate how DPMs can view real-time DSR enrollment progress online.

3) DSR enrollment notification via eMail (which cleverly acts as a reminder to follow up with the DSRs who are not yet enrolled.)

4) Monthly DPM and prospective DPM postcard mailings - this month's announces the addition of Unilever Foodsolutions, Barber Foods, Basic American Foods and Sara Lee Bakery.

Please contact me with recommendations to improve our marketing efforts so that we can continue to create raving fans like Dan Reilly (32 customers linked) who enthuses:

"As a sales rep for Ginsberg's Foodservice, our main marketing focus is to promote quality name-brand label manufacturer products at competitive prices. The big box chain foodservice distributors promote their own labels and incent their sales force on that fact. Ginsberg's and I use Foodservice Rewards to give incentives to our customers through name-brand purchases. It works!!! My customers now ask for products with the Foodservice Rewards yellow Reward Code labels attached. Any manufacturer that is not part of Foodservice Rewards is missing out on case sales and should consider signing up!"

Tired of order-takers? Motivate DSR's to sell

Examples of the DSR incentive program in action: DSR's can now earn a 100% override on P&G products and the same newsletter features a Schwan's points or rebate promotion and Nestle's million point sweepstakes for DSR's.

Welcome to the DSR Incentive Program

When a Distributorship Program Manager enrolls in the DSR incentive, we automatically send this eMail.

A hard copy is also part of the welcome kit containing a CD with logos & banners for their website, a program presentation and more. Please suggest other inclusions. For example, would you like to insert a brochure, bonus code, t-shirt, (or something else) in the DPM's or DSR's welcome kit?

DSR contest leader: Ginsberg's

Dan Reilly of New York State distributor Ginsberg's is currently the leading contendor to win an iPod, having signed up 20 customers.

According to Dan, “after signing up one customer, he was so excited that he switched brands to those that were eligible for points from Foodservice Rewards so he could earn faster.”

As of Friday, the first 100 DSR's have enrolled

Over 60 70 80 distributorships have enrolled in the DSR incentive (including PFG, Ben E. Keith, our 1st SYSCO house, and many smaller distributorships.) With more signing up each week thanks to Sponsor's efforts and ads like the ones at ID Report, we're entering phase II, enrolling DSR's.

The Distributor Program newsletter enjoyed a 65% open rate and 10% click throughs.

35 Now 40 Distributors Participating

Today, Ben E. Keith became the 35th distributor to join Foodservice Rewards.

Other participating Top 50 distributors include Ginsbergs, Wood Fruitticher, Feesers, Cash-Wa, J. Kings, Y. Hata, and PFG Virginia.

See also the latest UniPro Member communications promoting the DSR incentive.

UniPro Fall Conference - WOW

Overwhelming response from distributors at the UniPro Fall Conference, Oct. 15-18!

98 meetings thanks to UniPro pre-show communications and a dozen over 20 distributorships have already registered for the DSR incentive component.

Hiring and retention has replaced food prices as the top worry for restauranteurs

Tired of customers grinding down your food prices? Don't reduce your margins; instead help operators reduce their labor costs.



According to the 2005 Datassential Operator Survey, when "decoding the profit and loss puzzle for your restaurant customers, it's important to keep in mind that labor is nearly as large an expense as the food itself." In fact, hiring and retention has replaced food prices as the top worry for restauranteurs, says Hudson Riehle, Senior Researcher at the National Restaurant Association.

Operators want help managing the cost of their human assets, but few suppliers offer it. Introduce your customers to Foodservice Rewards - it earns them free gifts to recognize and reward staff and reduce the cost of running their operations.

A picture is worth 1,000 words

Thanks to Patti Pacella & Bob Komar for their interest in FSR as a value-added benefit to UniPro's 300+ distributor members. We'll launch the DSR incentive and operator loyalty program at their member conference in Dallas October 17th-19th.

DSR enrollment strategy

Meet Brad Young, Nestle's Division Business Manager for Sales Development and Trade Spend. He's helping spearhead the DSR incentive announced last sponsor meeting in which:


- DSR's receive their own Foodservice Rewards accounts
- Receive kits containing personalized enrollment brochures
- Earn 250 points from participating sponsors for each newly enrolled operator
- Earn a % override from participating sponsors on reward codes entered by their customers

Timing for roll-out is mid-October and the DSR incentive will be open to all US and Canadian distributors. Additional details to follow as development progresses.