FieldFresh Foods Pvt Ltd, a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and Del Monte Pacific Ltd, is looking to grow its Italian product portfolio through a strong marketing and distribution push.

In a first for the company, it is launching a mass media ad campaign to promote its Italian product range which includes olive oils, pasta, pasta sauces and table olives. It is putting significant investments behind above-the-line marketing after nearly eight years.

Replying to a query on the timing of such a marketing push, Yogesh Bellani, CEO, said: “Our distribution for the Italian product portfolio is now far more evolved and we can leverage such a mass media campaign to reach out to new consumers.”

Distribution network

“Italian cuisine is becoming increasingly relevant and aspirational for Indian consumers and lends itself well to home cooking,” remarked Bellani. “We believe we have a differentiated proposition in the category which has achieved a certain scale in the metros and is poised to see similar growth in tier-1 and -2 markets.”

The company will also look at strengthening the distribution of the range in the coming months. “There has been a strong focus on the modern trade channel and standalone grocery stores in the metros and tier-1 markets for distribution. We will be expanding the distribution to additional stores,” Bellani said.

Through the wholesale and B2B channels, the company’s Italian product range already has a presence in tier-2 markets. “Products such as edible olive oil have started gaining traction in smaller towns and cities,” he added.

Talking about the impact of the current slowdown, Bellani said the sentiment is cautious as consumers are tightening discretionary spends, while the trade channel has been battling a liquidity crunch. Also, several States have been hit by floods, he added. “We remain cautiously optimistic and will focus on engaging more with consumers with an emphasis on our product portfolio’s value proposition,” he said.

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