Kernel Keto
Kernel Keto is a medium-sized business that works with a growing number of customers throughout the country. Its initial goal is to reach the mark of $1 million in sales by the end of the second year since the company’s business was launched. The company developed an effective strategical position using the strategic approaches of customer perceptions factors and the business model of selling physical products. This paper demonstrates a business plan for Kernel Keto, which will include analyzing the industry trends, developing the strategic positioning, choosing distribution channels, and presenting a SWOT matrix balancing risks and opportunities.
Product Description
Kernel Keto is a company that produces keto granola bars. These bars consist of a mixture of almonds, cashews, pistachio, Thai coconut, and maple syrup. The snacks are produced with no added sugar, food colorants, or artificial flavors. Kernel Keto provides consumers with a wide variety of bars to choose from. Along with the nuts bars, there are bars with dried strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and blackcurrants. These bars are low-carb snacks, so they are not covered with chocolate glaze, which usually contains added sugar. However, in the future, it is possible to launch product lines with glaze, the ingredients of which are pure cocoa paste with cocoa butter, blueberry paste, cranberry paste, raspberry paste, and orange, lemon, or lime peel paste. Fruit and berry spreads will use a unique icing recipe and present a crispy crust, while the cocoa paste is the more traditional choice for soft and delicate icing. This choice of glazing was made because of these products’ bright colors, usefulness, and recognition.
The Mission Statement
The mission statement of Kernel Keto is “Fill the body with truly healthy ingredients.” The purpose of Kernel Keto is to produce low-carb snacks that consist of natural ingredients. Many existing granola bars that are advertised as healthy are full of carbs and added sugar. Kernel Keto makes a difference because it offers nourishing granola bars, high in proteins, natural, and delicious, all at the same time. Kernel Keto’s bars are created for vegans, vegetarians, meat-eaters, athletes, children, and those who snack on the go.
The price of the product is another of its strengths, as the ingredients of the product are purchased at competitive prices from local suppliers. Equally important, Kernel Keto provides additional services to its customers. For example, selling at wholesale prices, gift-wrapping or packaging with an alternative design for cafes and restaurants, and free shipping for large orders. Kernel Keto also offers a free tasting of new products on the company’s opening day, with samples of bars with new tastes sent along with greeting cards. Additional services will demonstrate attention and respect for customers. At the same time, the overall relationship to the customer can be expressed through the common desire to create healthy and tasty products and improve the mood of customers.
The management style and attitude towards employees is an important elements of how a company positions itself in the market and is perceived by customers and partners. Therefore, Kernel Keto intends to provide a corporate culture that supports high moral values and takes care of its employees by creating stable and favorable working conditions for them. The work environment will have a transparent nature so that the HR department can help employees solve problems when they arise and monitor the quality of process management.
Kernel Keto will adhere to the rules of fair competition concerning the rest of the industry. This is an important element of success, given that the health food market is new and players who start to follow the existing rules are constantly appearing in it. Equally important, Kernel Keto will use original manufacturing techniques developed by technologists in the US and manufactured in China according to the proposed schemes. Kernel Keto aims to increase its sales revenue to $1 million by its second year of a business launch. Overall, Kernel Keto hopes to become one of the market leaders and establish its strategic position with a permanent base of loyal customers.
Trends in the Industry
During the last 5 years, consumers have shown an increased demand for organic products. Their attention to health is great, and they adhere to diets, the menu of which consists entirely of organic products. Natural food manufacturers that allow low-sugar sweets are also benefiting from this trend. As a rule, production costs for organic products are higher, which creates certain obstacles for producers. At the same time, the organic market shows steady growth despite the growing prices for the constituting products. Another serious problem is that organic products are only available to higher-income consumers, representing the main buyer’s group. The industry saw a 22% growth in 2017-2022 and experts predict a further 17% growth over the next 5 years, including 15% growth for granola and nutrition bars (“Organic snack production industry,” 2022). General Mills Inc. and Campbell Soup Company are the largest players in the US organic snack food industry.
Even though these market giants have considerable experience in the production of fast food products, less experienced manufacturers have an equal chance with them due to the nature of the industry. In today’s organic snack food industry, companies produce packaged foods that are available for retailers. The organic ingredients that are used for production are certified by the USDA. It is noteworthy that today there are such categories of organic products – industrial products and services, salty snacks, fruit snacks, granola and nutrition bars, and others. Therefore, Kernel Keto, as a manufacturer of granola and nutrition bars, competes with both manufacturers of similar products and other types of products.
Strategic Position
Wise company managers ensure that their strategic position lies at the intersection of the company’s strengths and interests. Industry trends and developments, market changes and opportunities brought through new technologies are also of great importance. Scholars mention that small companies that have a good understanding of the process of choosing or establishing the right strategic position can quickly grow from local sellers that target local buyers to a national manufacturer with average sales volumes. Therefore, Kernel Keto will pay special attention to strategic positioning to achieve its goal of $1 million in profit in two years. The researchers emphasize that manufacturers should properly prioritize and avoid investing in activities with lower priority. Therefore, the scholars mention that defining a strategic position is about creating a meaningful position in the market. This is a very sensible observation, and Kernel Keto will make every effort to create a unique position in the market.
Traditionally, strategic approaches to distinguish the company include customer perception factors, market segment, market share, operational and technological advantages, proprietary products, technology, abilities and relationships, sales channels, business model, first-mover advantage, lean start-up, and branding. Kernel Keto will rely on customer perception factors, including societal impact, features, price, quality, customer service, and convenience. It will also utilize the business model approach, choosing the sell physical products business model. For instance, the manufacturers and retailers can sell the products directly to consumers, through wholesale sales, brokering, leasing, shared ownership, subscription service, per-use fee, advertising and sponsorship, licensing and franchising, auction, donations, and grants. Therefore, Kernel Keto will rely on the direct and wholesale types of sales.
Distribution Channels
The company will sell the products in grocery stores, cafes and restaurants, and also in sports venues. Public places are good for advertising and attracting new clients. At the same time, Kernel Keto will sell the products online with direct delivery. Given the new realities associated with the pandemic, many shoppers are buying groceries in advance, and orders for home delivery are expected to rise. Unfortunately, soon, we can expect reduced demand in places of mass gatherings of people due to quarantine restrictions.
SWOT Matrix – Balancing Risks and Opportunities
SWOT matrix is a handy tool to determine the expected risks and opportunities, which is very important for determining development paths and strategies, including the strategic market position. Risk types include market, competitive, technology, product, execution, capitalization, and global risks. Companies often use the SWOT matrix to balance the risks and opportunities. For Kernel Keto, its main threats include competition with Munk Pack, Magic Spoon, and Perfect Keto.
On the other hand, given the growth trends in the industry of organic products, more favorable conditions for sales growth can be expected. Low barriers of entry for new competitors is another considerable threat. Some opportunities balance the threats: low-carb granola and bars have high demand among people who need a healthy diet. Also, Kernel Keto is in a niche market of health and wellness, a sub-niche of nutrition, and it has great potential among vegetarians, vegans, meat-eaters, and other people who prefer healthy lifestyles.
Reference
Organic snack production industry in the US – market research report. (2022). IBIS World. Web.