Seasoned Solutions Specialist in FMCG Category Marketing together with General Marketing Functional Leadership
Retail, Food Service, B2B Brand, Private Label
Approach
Lead by example, demonstrate integrity, show respect, take ownership, always learning.
Having set up Seasoned Insights in 2018, I’ve worked with many businesses, all with their own objectives, values and cultural ways of working.
Assignments can vary from three months to as much as two years, a common theme is the need to quickly establish myself and run with the baton as an integral player in the team.
I can provide support on an interim, FTC or retained basis as appropriate.
Founder: Ant Durrant
Category Marketing Specialist
Leading multiple Category Captaincies, also successfully winning strategically important categories. Established this function within several businesses, including data contracts and staff development.
General Marketing Function Management
Reinvigorating existing enterprises, refocusing the marketing mix and toolbox in line business aspirations. Evolution of challenger businesses looking to invest in marketing with tangible, bottom line results. An extra pair of hands to get projects successfully over the line, on time and on budget.
Innovation Pipeline
Identifying market opportunities based on consumer behaviours, needs and foresight. Tailoring propositions through qual and quant testing, market safaris and competitor appraisal. Concept to launch project management including capex justification and customer proposals. Process implementation for ongoing NPD/EPD delivery.
Strategic Project Management
PEST(LE)/STEEPLE, SWOT analysis.
Portfolio assessment and rationalisation (streamlining the offer to be more profitable).
New market assessment and approach (products/channels/customers
Business Development
Joined up marketing and commercial facilitation for extra-curricular projects (new customers/channels)
History
My Roots
I specialise in FMCG Category Marketing, having first been tasked to set up a new role 1998. Category Management was in its infancy and internal stakeholders took some educating, not to mention taking on a dire customer relationship as my first project.
My National Account Manager was like a sponge to the idea and together we reshaped the offer across the whole marketing mix. Through this process I quickly appreciated there is a category sweet spot, the consumer, the customer, and the manufacturer; Good category management is about sustainably balancing the motivations of all three interested parties.
We literally turned the offer on its head, turned the relationship around and delivered profitable growth for the next 12 months at more than twice the market average. The retailer asked me to train my competitors although I was swiftly promoted…..into a commercial role! (don’t worry I found my way back).
In hindsight, working in commercial roles has been invaluable, everything leads to the bottom line.
With over thirty years consumer marketing and commercial experience I was employed in various Senior Manager roles, latterly in Business Unit Management and Controller positions.
This includes several brand management assignments, day-to-day as well as preparing for national launches with multi-agency management (Branding, Creative, Media, PR, Trade etc)."
Founder: Ant Durrant - 2016 for example
Experience
Testimonials
What clients are saying.
Part of SHS Group, the UKs leading private label herbs and spices manufacturer.Category Management,
Innovation Pipeline Management,
Special Board Level Projects
Ant was able to get a deep understanding of our markets and consumers in a very short space of time. He made a significant impact in defining category dynamics and in helping to provide strategic direction on some key projects. Having quickly established himself with colleagues, the team came to regard him as a valued and professional ‘member’ of the business. I can strongly recommend Ant to any business looking for a high calibre, Category Marketing Specialist.
Ian Kelland
Commercial & Marketing Director, British Pepper & Spice
An independent importer, blender and packager of alcoholic beverages, vinegars and condiments, supplying UK food and drinks manufacturers.End to End Category Landscaping,
Marketing Plans and Execution,
CRM Installation Project Management
It’s been a pleasure to work with Ant again, this time on a business transformation project which has tested his full breadth of skills and experience with an ever evolving and high level of responsibility remit. Ant devised and developed our complete end-to-end Category and Consumer Insights customer propositions, created and led our Chef development programs, redesigned our on and offline brand proposition and developed industry leading customer CRM and Sales Tools. Ant is clear, precise, driven, highly capable of understanding and managing multiple complex projects simultaneously, and always delivers above and beyond expected standards. It would be a pleasure to work with Ant again in the future.
Alistair Hall
Interim CEO, Good Food Wines Ltd
Part of a pan European bakery business, the UKs leading Sweet Bakery manufacturer, supply frozen, chilled and ambient products across retail and food service.Maternity cover within Category team, working with four top tier UK multiples, ROI retail and foodservice
Ant has been a huge asset to our team over the last year. He joined Baker & Baker at a very critical time with important project work and delivered to a very high standard under extreme time pressure. Ant grew a very strong relationship with Waitrose and would frequently be asked for advice and support, he received very complimentary feedback on his ways of working. Ant’s style of presentation leading to concise recommendations has been really appreciated along with his strong understanding of the consumer and product.
LM
Louise Matthews
National Account Manager, Baker & Baker
The UKs leading producers of branded and private label cereals.Interim Category Management
Rationalising Board Reporting System
Leading M&S Review
Ant worked with us for an important customer project as Category Manager. He very quickly became familiar with our category and collaborated with the wider team to understand the customer and consumer needs translating this into meaningful action. Ant was also part of the presentation team and worked hard to make it a success. We retained and grew the business with this customer, as a result we created a new permanent role and offered it to Ant.
Susanne Fraser
Head of Marketing, Pioneer Foods
By far the best business review session I have attended this year
A
Arla
Development Manager, UK
We didn’t believe your business was capable of delivering something like this. The best organised Food Safari I have ever been on.
T
Tesco
Senior Frozen Foods Buyer
Industry leading category presentation.
A
Asda
Head of Chilled Foods Category
Ant is a highly competent, thorough cat man who doesn't blind you with data and insights. I always felt that Ant genuinely wanted to make a difference to the category and provided helpful insights to support decisions. Ant's way of presenting data is clear and concise, he elaborates where necessary and if a question can't be answered in the session - Ant would go out of his way to pull the supporting information and present back in a timely manner. Ant would be a huge assets to any company - I know I miss his data based support!!
P&
Partner & Buyer - Prepacked Cake and Treats Bakery
Waitrose & Partners
Frequently asked questions
It starts with a customer need/motivation, the solution being a product or service. Sadly, it is NOT when a business has spare capacity to know out random widgets. A group of products/services which fulfil similar consumer needs will typically have similar characteristics. eg Fresh Pizza, Confectionery or even Car Insurance. To market your product category and optimise it’s potential, you will set pricing, create packaging, communicate its benefits etc. Commonly referred to as the four Ps (of the marketing mix) Product, Price, Promotion and Place can all be adjusted accordingly to convert purchase. The function of Category Marketing is necessary to ensure your product/service meets a consumer need, is competitive and optimally available as and when required.