Date of Award
1992
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Business Administration
Department
Business
First Advisor
Daniel W. Kemper
Second Advisor
Joe Ancona
Third Advisor
Patrick Akers
Abstract
This expository applied learning study evaluated The Foodland International Corporation's role in the food chain, industry and retailer competition and needs. The research was used to design a Foodland marketing support program, with a flyer as the primary sales aide. The program was designed and implemented to offer a combination of The Foodland International Corporation's employee service award and image items to licensed Foodland affiliates.
The Foodland International Corporation is a wholly owned subsidiary of Wetterau Incorporated, a major U.S. food wholesaler, headquartered in Hazelwood, MO. Its licensed affiliates consist of other Wetterau-owned corporations (known as divisions), and outside corporations who are independently owned. These affiliates are corporations who run wholesale warehouses that service numerous independent and/or company-owned retail grocery supermarkets. The wholesale warehouse operations stock and ship many different consumer products under many labels, but are specifically licensed to purchase and resell the controlled Foodland labels. It is Foodland International's responsibility to see that only licensed affiliates receive and sell the controlled label products, and that the stores where consumers purchase the controlled labels meet the Foodland International standards of appearance, size, and conduct. It's mission also includes enhancing the Foodland image to ultimately sell greater amounts of its product to the end consumer. To accomplish the overall mission Foodland International offers various support programs to the wholesalers that service the retailers. The employee service award and image marketing program fulfills a portion of that commitment.
The project began with a study of the U.S. food chain, Foodland International's role within it, and a study of current retailer marketing needs. A survey to the Foodland wholesale affiliates indicated their perceived needs. From this combined research the marketing plan and its components were designed. To evaluate the results, personal interviews were then conducted with three upper management Wetterau Incorporated executives who are experienced in the national voluntary group role of Foodland International. Their comments were generally favorable, and confirmed that this marketing plan is needed and should be continued. In addition they offered some possible improvements, i.e. expansion of the marketing plan's primary sales aide, a fold-over flyer, to a larger format that could offer more items, methods through which both the customer and the product vendors might be included in the retailer promotion of the product, and more extensive use of the HOTLINE newsletter to pull the various items through the retailer organization as they are created and presented.
The study concluded with an analysis of the entire project; detailed its limitations which included budget restraints at all levels, lack of specific measurement data, and the specific role of Foodland International in the food chain; and suggested ways in which future studies of this nature might be improved.
Recommended Citation
McDonald, Vesper L., "The Foodland International Employee Service Award and Image Marketing Plan" (1992). Theses. 279.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/279
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