Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
Sales territory planning & Call Optimisation
‘The provision of pen personas for online customers now enables us to monitor how our different customer segments respond to online activity, helping us to more effectively shape future strategic online marketing decisions.’ – Head of Marketing, The National Gallery
The Brief
Selling more than four billion bottles and cans every year, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) GB is responsible for manufacturing, selling and distributing over 80 different soft drinks brands across the UK.
With a portfolio of brands including Coca-Cola Classic, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Powerade, Appletise, Fanta, Schweppes, Abbey Well, Monster, Relentless, Innocent and Oasis, CCEP is constantly looking to maximise the distribution and volume sales of its core range of dispensed and packaged soft drinks, by focusing on outlets and geographical locations which offer the greatest potential return.
In order to maximise distribution and category growth by brand, flavour and packaging format, CCEP operates the UK’s largest FMCG field sales force and merchandising team, tasked with developing growth opportunities at a national, regional and highly localise level.
Having worked for CCEP over a period of 12 years, (and also being responsible for managing Coke’s UK customer and prospect database), Serendipity2 (S2) is tasked to develop Coke’s field sales territory planning and call optimisation on an ongoing basis and also for key promotional drives.
The simple mantra of getting Coke’s products into the hands of the right people, via the right outlets, in the right locations is essential in driving a return on Coke’s spend.
Action
As organisations grow through acquisition, diversity and increasingly complex routes to market, the challenge for CCEP is to streamline resources to focus on consolidating product ranging for a complete category picture and, at the same time, limiting the cost of expensive field sales resources.
Creation of clear and quick views on existing and prospect outlets by CCEP environments and their location’s external geo-demographic composition, aids the identification of potential new business uplift and how call optimisation models can be used to increase call frequency and in call time.
Using our data mapping, reporting and analysis tool, Map2Stats, and our own predictive algorithms, we analyse the total coverage outlets status, allocate opportunity grades to assign call frequency and in call times and remodel field sales resources to create balanced sales territories which optimise call models.
From grocery superstores, pubs, clubs, fast food restaurants and independent convenience stores to sporting venues, leisure attractions, coffee shops, garage forecourts, wholesalers and workplaces etc., this outlet database now underpins Coke’s Field sales strategy and activation.
The analysis model is based on looking at each outlet’s location and daytime footfall opportunity, which includes both residents but also the population pulled into an area during working hours. Sizing and heat mapping this opportunity also takes into account the differing brand profiles, buying occasions, lifestyle and behavioural profiles of the end consumer that are unique to each locality.
This model is then used to drive the relevancy and activation of Coke’s grow and maintain segmentation and to help understand where sales resource and promotions can be used to greatest effect.
Location is a key factor in many urban areas as footfall opportunity is also heavily influenced by the retail landscape of the outlet location and the presence of proximity drivers such as transport links, universities, sports venues and levels of competition.
Result
Factoring in visit frequency and range targets is a science that requires an appreciation of both the total sales potential and an understanding of range turnover rate based on market segment and consumer occasion modelling.
Achieving an appropriate sales territory balance is also an important factor in maintaining the correct service balance of CCEP’s customers, improvements to the prioritisation of new routes to market and the enablement of their sales people to maximise sales performance.
Determining the total brand footfall opportunity by population relevancy enables field sales execution to be more targeted. In addition, POS, merchandising, equipment, digital signage and promotions are now better aligned to the communication and promotional preferences of end consumers, thereby increasing sales.
If you are an FMCG company, it is vital to match your brand criteria to the underlying consumer geo-demographics as well as being able to identify the best retailers in the right locations to distribute your products.
