1 page & 1 slide for a case SWOT analysis
Growing Organically
Company Background
Annie Withey and Andrew Martin began the company with Annie’s Homegrown Shells and Cheddar in 1989
Created healthy, organic products that appealed to consumers desiring mainstream food items
This allowed Annie’s to grow by gaining share not only in the health foods market, but also in the traditional CPG market
Sales and profits continued to increase even with cheaper, established-brand competition
Investors are optimistic about Annie’s
Solera Capital purchased significant equity in 2001 & helped Annie’s grow
Annie’s is adamant about maintaining its culture as it expands
Committed to people, food, & the environment
All products non-GMO
“Social responsibility is part of the Annie’s brand DNA.” – John Foraker, CEO
Four Pillars of the Brand
Issues
Pursue which target market?
Pizza product strategy?
Price, Place, Promotion?
Market Segments
Frozen Pizza
Issues with frozen market:
Frozen foods perceived as less healthy
Consumers prefer desserts and snacks in frozen section
Limited frozen area for product
Annie’s Core Customers are not frozen foods shoppers
But selling this pizza product could drive them to frozen section
This would benefit both retailer partners and Annie’s
Product was successful in test-run in San Francisco Whole Foods
Choose Between:
“All-Organic” Product with 95% Organic Ingredients
“Made with Organic” Products with ≥70% Organic Ingredients
Frozen Pizza Industry
In Grocery segment:
Top 2 brands (Digiorno’s and Private Label) own 34.3% of the market
In grocery stores, sales of frozen pizza declined by 4.6%
All top 10 brands experienced decline in sales except for private label
Private label is gaining more of the market
California Pizza Kitchen, Tony’s, and Freschetta ALL EXPERIENCED 20% DECLINE
Digiorno’s is the only brand that experienced growth in sales
SWOT
Strengths
Popular brand
Loyal customer base
Existing market w/ children & Moms
Strong partnership w/ retailers (natural)
Grocery sales represent 94% sales
Large product portfolio (meals, snacks, dressings)
Investor support
Non-Gmo (local farms)
Weaknesses
New in frozen product development
Low advertising spending
Opportunities
Growth in organic market
Consumer increase demand for the frozen
section (desserts/snacks)
Popularity in premium brands
Threats
Larger competitors (i.e. national brands/regional)
Amy’s, Newman’s Own, and Kashi
Recession may effect sales of premium brands
Market strictly regulated
PLC & Ansoff’s matrix
Ainne’s
Recommendation #1
Annie’s targets “Core Consumers” segment
Frozen section in partner retailer stores
Natural foods channel (highest % growth)
Competitive standard frozen pizza market
Digiorno’s Brands (downward price pressure)
Other “health” brands in frozen pizza market
Limited brand recognition in Natural & Organic Foods market
But Annie’s has proven cross-over potential into traditional packaged food Market!
Differentiating with more premium product
Recommendation #2
We recommend Annie’s chooses “All-Organic” Product with 95% Organic Ingredients
This is most consistent with Annie’s key values & commitment to organic ingredients
This would necessitate implementing a higher price point
Be consistent with Annie’s premium over standard products in current categories
Seek most shelf space in Natural retailers
Grocery segment is declining and competitive
It would be hard to penetrate this market without compromising brand image
Mass segment performance is primarily based on snacks; little need for frozen products
Venture into more spacious, profitable dessert/snack segments after initial penetration of frozen section
Thank You for Listening!
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