Food and Beverage Consultant Agency 

Food and Beverage Consultant as an Agency

Some decisions are easy. Hiring a food and beverage consultant is most likely not one of them.

Deciding for your business can be intense, complicated, and stressful. Your decisions don’t just impact you; they affect your entire team and, sometimes, the whole business. On top of that, your choices must incorporate countless variables, including the nature of your target audience, your current competitive environment, regulatory hurdles, costs, risks, and potential benefits.

It’s easy to become overwhelmed, even if you’re an effective decision-maker with ample experience in your chosen field. That’s why many food and beverage leaders turn to the help of a food and beverage consultant to get the expert advice and direction they need to succeed.

What Do Consultants Do?

You likely have a vague idea of who consultants are and what they do already, but let’s put a finer point on that idea.

Expert business consultants exist to help you solve challenges. What challenges, exactly? That all depends on who you’re hiring, your goals, and your business’s nature. For example, as a food and beverage brand, you might turn to a consultant to help you with things like:

•       Researching and analyzing. Do you need help with research and analysis? Do you have a hard time understanding who your target audience is or how they think? Do you need assistance executing the research that can help you determine whether your new product innovation is worth the investment?
•       Brainstorming and generating ideas. What are the best ways to differentiate your business from your competitors? If your marketing strategy has been lackluster, what experimental changes or variable tweaks could lead you to different results?
•       Solidifying strategies and aiding execution. You might already have a loose marketing plan or strategy, but how do you solidify those strategies? And how do you secure the help you need to execute those strategies? Initially, your consultant may help you identify your core objectives and design a course of action to help you achieve them. Then, your consultant may work with your internal teams to ensure your directives are followed.
•       Monitoring, evaluating, and more. During your relationship, a consulting agency may assist you with monitoring, evaluating your efforts, and determining whether further changes are needed. In other words, is your new approach working or not? And if not, what can you do about it?

The Value of Working With Food and Beverage Consultant Experts

Food and beverage consultants provide:

• Knowledge, experience, and context. Even if you have years of experience in the food and beverage world, your consultant probably has more experience – and more time spent managing strategies from other food brands. As a result, they have knowledge, expertise, and context that can help them make more effective business decisions and suggestions.
• An outside perspective. Even if you’re on equal footing, it often pays to get an outside perspective. For example, if you’re too close to the problem, you may find it hard to brainstorm novel solutions. On the other hand, if you’re looking for creative solutions, consulting with outsiders can be incredibly valuable.
• Mutual accountability. Working with a consultant creates a relationship with mutual accountability. Your consultant wants to continue being paid, so they’re motivated to help you see the best results possible. And because the consultant holds you accountable for following through on your goals, you’re much more likely to achieve them.
• Troubleshooting and course correction. Finally, working with a consultant gives you an opportunity for troubleshooting and course correction. If your initial plans aren’t working, you can take the time to analyze the data, figure out why they aren’t working, and plot a course to reverse that momentum.

How to Find an Expert Consultant in the Food and Beverage Space

So how do you find an expert consultant you can trust in the food and beverage space?

These are some of the essential variables to consider:

• Experience. New consultants and agencies can undoubtedly provide value, but you’re usually better off working with an entity with ample experience. Ideally, your point of contact should have many years of experience in your industry – and the team should have even more collective expertise to show off.
• Credentials. What specific credentials qualify this person or organization to provide consulting work? Who have they worked with in the past? Have they won any recent awards? Are they recognized by any recognizable publishers or institutions?
• Demonstrable knowledge. Your consultant should be able to prove their expertise in one way or another. For example, a thoughtful conversation at the beginning of your relationship could convince you of their wisdom; it’s also a good idea to read any books or articles they’ve published in the past.
• Evidence of success. Can this consultant prove that they can help food brands like yours? Are there reviews and testimonials that suggest this? Are there case studies you can read to see how this consultant has helped similar brands in the past?

At NewPoint Marketing, we can prove our value in all these dimensions. In addition to having an entire team of seasoned, talented food and beverage marketing experts, we’ve built ourselves as thought leaders in the industry. Want to see our expertise for yourself? Check out some of our top publications, which include:

• Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain. Moving Your Brand Up the Food Chain is a top-reviewed book in the industry, filled with “practical tips to help local, small and emerging food brands compete against the big brands to grow their market share.” From survey data to trend analysis, it’s full of helpful information from the retail buyer’s perspective, helping food brands succeed in growing their businesses.
• Own the Cart. Our latest eBook, Own the Cart, covers all the basics of shopper marketing – a collection of strategies designed to help food brands reach and persuade specific target shoppers online. You can download it for free today!
• Food for Thought. Our blog, Food for Thought, is full of new insights and ideas for food brand marketing and advertising – including the article you’re reading right now. It’s updated weekly, so check back regularly for new material.

Hire a Food and Beverage Consultant

If you’re in need of expertise, guidance, or just some outside perspective from a food brand marketing expert, you’ve come to the right place. At NewPoint Marketing, we have decades of combined experience and some of the most talented experts in the industry at our disposal. Contact us for more information today!