Specialty Food Magazine

NOV-DEC 2012

Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.

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TOP EXPORT MARKETS U.S., Germany, Canada, Japan, Australia take over their direct relationship with the U.S. market. We could have more control of the supply chain and sell to places like Costco," which has a co-branded short- bread for its Kirkland Signature brand. The acquisition of Europa also helped Walkers expand its growth in the U.S. supermarket category. By the mid-2000s, Walkers' product range had grown to more than 200 items (not including customized package sizes for existing products), notes Dawson. These include products made through licens- ing partnerships with such companies as Disney and Weight Watchers (in the U.K.). Walkers makes exclusive products like Mickey Mouse shortbreads for Disney, and also produces limited-edition tins for events such as Royal Weddings, a tradition it started 50 years ago. Launching Socially Conscious Brands. The '90s also saw the development of Duchy Originals Biscuits, made with organic oat- meal sourced from the Prince of Wales' estates. The proceeds from Duchys go to the Prince's trust, which distributes money worldwide to local, community-based orga- nizations. "Duchy Originals brand is an outlet for organic produce coming from his farm," explains Dawson. "Profits flow to the trust-seeding community-based enterprise. This collaboration mirrors Walkers core company values of operating sustainably, using high-quality ingredients and giving back to the community." More recently Walkers has also partnered with the ASPCA in the U.S. Throughout 2012, Walkers is donating to the ASPCA 10 cents from each package of its Scottie Dog products sold in the U.S., including Scottie Dog cookies and tins, with a minimum guaranteed donation of $25,000. (Walkers has re-signed for 2013 with a guaranteed donation of $50,000.) Focused Marketing. Dawson says the ASPCA partnership works well as philan- thropy and cause-related marketing. "When it comes to marketing, Walkers has never done large-scale consumer advertising," he explains. "Our social media efforts are going to Pinterest. We reach out to food bloggers to ask them to generate recipes and that feeds straight into Pinterest and our web- site. If we can generate content that's spread around by other people, that's efficient. People want to pass around recipes; they are inherently viral." Walkers is not yet using Facebook or Twitter, though plans to do so are in consideration for 2013. As with all things Walkers, the social media approach is slow and steady to minimize missteps and ensure long-term growth. What's Next Walkers is a private company and plans to remain so. And with the fourth generation starting to come aboard, its plan for suc- cess remains the same: one step at a time. A fourth Aberlour facility/bakery will open in spring 2013, and as for new markets, ambi- tions are high. "We export to more than 70 countries," notes Dawson. "So that leaves at least 100 to go." Goals for worldwide reach aside, Walker describes the company as very secure and pragmatic. "Being privately owned, we don't have to push into anything until we are ready," he explains. "We will continue to provide long-term sustainable jobs. Our growth is all about continuity and consistency." What would his grandfather think of Walkers today? "He'd be amazed," Walker predicts. "But he was a dour Scot. He'd tell us to keep our feet on the ground."|SFM| Deborah Moss is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in Sports Illustrated and Shape. 60 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE ❘ specialtyfood.com

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