Lesaffre
THE SITUATION
A third of the world’s bread is baked with yeast from this French company, the leader in quality yeast. But competitors are catching up, at 80% of the quality for 20% of the cost. Lesaffre wanted to expand into services to hold its lead, and needed to know which services customers would value most.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
We ran a global research project with commercial bakers and the distributors who sometimes played an intermediary role. It began just after the Ukraine war drove up fuel and wheat prices - a baker’s two biggest costs - and many were struggling to stay in business. In-depth interviews across 5 continents showed us global, regional, and national trends and needs. We also inventoried the services offered by Lesaffre’s 50 state-of-the-art baking labs around the world. Together, that let us prioritize the best ways for Lesaffre to empower their customers.
THE BENEFITS
Bakers and distributors needed help keeping their businesses alive - in their operations, not just the baking itself. In regions where transportation took a long time (e.g. Brazil, Argentina), customers needed to extend yeast shelf life. In regions where transportation required a lot of fuel (e.g. the Philippines), they needed to decrease the frequency of trips. In regions where the price of bread was capped (e.g. Morocco), they needed help baking luxury pastries. In China, where baked goods are seen as foreign novelties, they wanted help accelerating product innovation. We showed each Lesaffre regional unit how to be relevant and valuable to its own customers.
Pine Gate Renewables
THE SITUATION
Pine Gate Renewables (PGR) was a maturing solar utility startup. It had the operational track record for a credible, distinctive story, but had not yet written it. With huge growth ahead, PGR needed to get the story straight and learn to convey the emotional core of the brand.
OUR CONTRIBUTION
Solar power is still a developing market with wildly diverse competitors. PGR stood apart by both developing and operating its solar farms - which meant many audiences to address. We conducted research interviews with landowners (in different stages of projects), finance partners (across debt and equity), and energy consumers (corporate offtakers, utilities, and brokers). We learned how PGR could earn trust with each, as custodians of the land, dependable business partners, and experts who could see projects through to completion.
THE BENEFITS
A large, inclusive workshop at the start brought everyone into the room and the problem space. We framed the challenges and opportunities together, so each person could see their role in the ecosystem. When we presented our findings, every team understood the rational and emotional needs of its audience, and how its own work fit the whole. They could tell one story with different priorities - internally consistent, adapted to each audience.