We have heard the phrase, “Adapt or die”, and in this time of Covid 19, adaptation involves innovation. Innovation thus becomes the key to surviving in the realm of business, but, more than that, in the view of EFMP Spanish partner, Grupo A, innovation is also the key to advancing in business. With COVID-19 we have all been forced to go out of our way to adapt ourselves to a new reality that no one knew was coming.  This meant, besides   being unprepared and having to adapt unexpectedly, it was necessary to do so, and to do it fast.

Just as we all had to do as individuals, companies have also had to create new paths to find new ways of doing business. With the many suspended product launches, promotions, events, and face-to-face actions, Grupo A faced its biggest challenge as a field marketer. But by their quick reaction to changing circumstances they avoided the potentially disastrous consequences of the pandemic and opened new doors and projects.

NEW REALITY, NEW WAYS

Turning a challenge into an opportunity is among the most important moves when it comes to long-lasting growth. In Grupo A they adapted their services to be there for their clients. With the Spanish food retailer Caprabo, for example, they started providing the access-control service in their marketplaces. The aim was to guarantee the safety of the consumers by regulating the maximum number of people according to capacity limits in-store, and by ensuring that everyone was wearing the necessary protection garments. 

This service was provided by Grupo A in over a hundred Caprabo marketplaces in Spain.

OTHER BEGINNINGS

Another new initiative started with Ferrero, a brand with whom they had been working since January 2020.  According to Grupo A, the outcome of this collaboration has been brilliant, in spite of the difficult first semester marked by the pandemic. As a result, Ferrero’s trust in Grupo A’s services has grown considerably.

Starting by organising samplings initially, Grupo A quickly developed their role to also provide in-store replenishers, POS managers and the building of set-ups. A few months of good results led them to land a new service with Ferrero which they had not done before: “excess return checking”.  This is an area of expertise that could be easily managed by Grupo A teams who were able to adapt quickly and efficiently as required, which meant that Grupo A did not need new personnel for the new area of operation.  One training session per team was enough to get the mechanism going and afforded the ability to provide a good quality service. 

The work consisted of checking and verifying the product excess that the stores reported so as to send it back to the main product supply source. Making sure that the amount designated for return   was correct and that the products were indeed either out of date or damaged.  This was a task undertaken with ease by the Grupo A teams, but proved invaluable to their client, Ferrero, who stood to lose significantly, either in product losses or brand reputation, if the process was mismanaged.

Overall, COVID-19 has definitely reshaped the field marketing panorama in Spain. It has brought about big changes, and with them, big opportunities to grow, build and expand. In Grupo A they are ready to face these new challenges with new big innovative solutions. 

Spanish partner, Grupo A, along with their EFMP partners, are showing that in the world of business, adaptation and innovation are not just existential necessities, but a force for growth.