Helping Maine Food And Beverage Companies Expand Regionally and Nationally
What to Expect
Participants in MarketShare are led by a full-time program manager with food industry experience, who works directly with member companies to understand their business and needs.
Timeline
MarketShare is a 12-month membership program. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Eligibility
Applicants should be value added food, beverage or agriculture companies who have a proven sales history, have dedicated resources to sell out-of -state, are looking to secure more grocery and retail shelf space, and/or are interested in growing foodservice distribution. Participants will be selected into the program based on their readiness to sell nationally. Key consideration factors will include:
· Food safety and labeling requirements/compliance
· Current sales in the retail, grocery, e-commerce and/or foodservice sectors
· Understanding of product costs, profitability and capacity to do market development
· Dedicated sales personnel
· Compelling product value proposition and ability to scale to regional/national distribution
Main Program Elements:
MarketShare elements include an initial marketing & sales assessment, recommended strategies, professional coaching and mentoring by food industry experts, access to market and consumer data, and industry specific workshops.
Tailored Marketing & Sales Assessment
The program begins with an internal review of current markets served, distribution networks, identifying opportunities and gaps and discussing next steps for market development.
Professional Coaching by Food Industry Experts
Members are matched with mentors from MCE’s Maine Mentor Network and the EmergeCPG community based on individual company needs. Our mentor network includes experts in the food industry with private sector experience including business development capacities in: the natural products and specialty food sectors, mass grocery and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), e-commerce, convenience and big box stores, foodservice distribution networks, food & beverage marketing and social media, compliance and finance, among other fields.
Market & Syndicated Consumer Data
MarketShare includes an Annual Training Pass membership to EmergeCPG.
Companies have access to Nielsen and SPINS Satori syndicated data, retail, foodservice and distributor listings through Seafax’s Eureka! and Chain Store Guide, Point of sale and trend reports, as well as access to technical assistance advisors who work one-on-one helping businesses incorporate data and findings into their strategies and sales materials.
Education & Networking
MCE hosts relevant webinars and workshops featuring speakers with expertise in the grocery, retail, e-commerce and foodservice industry sectors. Most webinars are recorded and can be watched “on demand”. MarketShare members also have free access to the Emerge bi-weekly webinars featuring food industry experts from around the country.
One of the most valued benefits of joining the MarketShare program is the internal networking that takes place among the participating companies. MarketShare’s Workshops and Business Roundtables allow companies to develop meaningful business relationships with like-companies in Maine, share resources & contacts and learn best practices for success in the food sector.
Connection to Additional Fee Based Consultant Support
MarketShare will source contracted expertise beyond the general Maine Mentor Network and EmergeCPG base coaching or mentoring, as needed.
Membership Cost
The MarketShare program offers remarkable value to businesses looking to expand distribution. Through the support of MCE’s generous sponsors, we offer this 12-month membership program at a reduced cost of $400 per company.
Results
The MarketShare program was launched in August of 2019. To date 43 companies have participated in the program, resulting in 134 new jobs and $71.5M in additional revenue to the state of Maine. Hear what these Maine industry leaders have to say:
“The MarketShare mentorship and data access has been a huge asset to our sales team and reaching our goals. It has given our team insight into CPG trends, category growth and areas of opportunity, as well as specific tools to use in national sales meetings and internal growth strategies. As Atlantic Sea Farms pioneers a new category in fresh domestic seaweed, having accurate data that supports our efforts, and rapid growth is incredibly valuable. Any entrepreneur in Maine looking for industry mentorship or access to industry and consumer data should look into becoming a member. “
–Zoe Croft, Retail Sales Manager, Atlantic Sea Farms
“MarketShare’s Nielsen data, webinars, and workshops featuring speakers from national foodservice, retail, and market analytics companies, have been timely as we develop new ways to increase retail presence and shelf space with our new frozen product lines.”
– Irene Moon, VP of Marketing, Bristol Seafood
“MarketShare’s mentors and webinars have provided us with great information and feedback on critical areas such as assessing our grocery trade promotion programs, increasing our retailer e-commerce sales, and leveraging our presence at trade shows. This is a great program for companies looking to expand their presence in the grocery and natural food sectors!”
– Colleen Craig, Brand Marketing, Wyman’s
“MarketShare’s access to hard data showed us how we are faring against the competition and where the true opportunities are for our products in the natural products retail sector. This is a great resource for Maine food companies looking to grow nationally!”
– Ralph Chauvin, Nibmor
Participating Companies:
Acadia Aquafarms, Atlantic Sea Farms, Bangs Island Mussels, Bar Harbor Foods, Baxter Brewing, Bixby & Co., Bristol Seafood, Choomi Cookies, Cozy Harbor Seafood, Gelato Fiasco, Good To-Go, Gorgeous Gelato, Grandy Organics, Green Bee, Greenhead Lobster, Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co., Harvesting Good, Heiwa Tofu, Inland Seafood, Luke’s Lobster, Maine Craft Distilling, Maine Crisp Company, Maine Grains, Mook Sea Farm, Mousam Valley Mushrooms, Nibmor Chocolates, Nordic Aquafarms, Nova Seafood, Ocean’s Balance, Pineland Farms Natural Meats, Raye’s Mustard, Simply Served, True Fin, Vena’s Fizz House and Wyman’s
