The Biscuit Barrel - Episode 7 – Report from the Fair
Malcolm: Malcolm McKenzie.
Kevin: Hello, Malcolm. Kevin here. I’m just driving back to the hotel from the Food Fair and thought I should let you know how it all went.
Malcolm: Driving? I hope you’re not on your mobile Kevin. We don’t want you picked up by the Leith police for illegal use of a mobile phone.
Kevin: No, don’t worry I’m on the hands free. Anyway on the whole it went very well. Lots of interest in our range and particularly in Country Crumbles.
Malcolm: What sort of comments did you get?
Kevin: Well first of all nearly everybody said they tasted great – like really top of the range biscuits. When we told them the sort of price we thought they’d be retailing at they were very pleasantly surprised. And a lot of people didn’t think they could be that tasty and be that healthy as well. But they did when I showed them the health stats and ingredients specs.
Malcolm: How did the new stand go? I was very sorry I couldn’t get over to see it but we’ve had a few problems with deliveries over here.
Kevin: Yes I heard something about that – all sorted now though?
Malcolm: Yes, I think so.
Kevin: Well the new stand is fabulous – worth every penny we spent on it. We had a great position just inside the main entrance doors so people couldn’t miss us. And it’s certainly paid off enlarging the floor space. We have plenty of room now for people to wander through and see the displays and try the samples, but my sales guys also have
enough separate space screened off and with sufficient chairs and tables to talk to individual buyers as well. One feeds off the other – the more people passing through the stand the more lively it all becomes and the more the potential buyers get a positive buzz about the company and our product. We’ve signed up some really good deals on lots of our existing ranges. I think you’ll be pleased when you see the figures – and Lee too of course. But what’s been happening to the advertising for the new range? Any movement there?
Malcolm: Well I think Nellie and Maria have been making some good progress with that whilst you’ve been away. It’s beginning to look like a very coherent and focussed campaign now. Oh, and the design team have come up with a much more exciting design concept for the Country Crumbles box packaging
Kevin: Well, yeah I know that cos they rushed some dummies over to me at the Fair and I was able to show them to the Superkor people. They were very impressed and are definitely nearly there when it comes to signing a deal with us.
Malcolm: The presentation went well then?
Kevin: Yeah, very well. Of course some of them had heard it before but it really helped getting those new designs – I had something new to present to them and to show that we were taking their concerns seriously and were prepared to do something about them quickly and positively. It all helps.
Malcolm: But still no final agreement.
Kevin: No. And, well I don’t know if I’m just imagining this, Malcolm, but I get a sort of feeling that there may be another runner in this race – that Superkor might be
talking to another supplier who is in the same game as we are. Nothing definite at the moment - it’s just a gut feeling I’ve got.
Malcolm : Well I hope you’re wrong, Kevin. We don’t want to start fighting off competition at this late stage. When are you coming back in? Perhaps we ought to talk about this some more. Your gut feelings aren’t often wrong.
Kevin: Tomorrow. After lunch. I’m helping to take down the stand tomorrow morning. I want to know how it all works in case we go to a fair abroad and I don’t have all the support team I had on this one.
Malcolm: Fair enough – I’ll see you tomorrow then – towards the end of the day?
Kevin: Yeah, but there’s one more thing Malcolm – the prize competition?
Malcolm: Oh yes, of course. Did that go to plan?
Kevin: Well not quite. First prize was fine, that went to a little old lady from Dumphries. She was delighted and we’ve got some great pictures of her with the prize voucher and holding the product, but it’s the second prize that’s the problem.
Malcolm: What, the visit to our factory? What can be a problem with that?
Kevin: Well …..it’s a bit of a tricky one really. You see it was won by a school class.
Malcolm: A school class? What do you mean?
Kevin: Well the whole of Class 6C entered the prize draw and they won second prize.
Malcolm: So we have to show a group of kids round the factory. What’s wrong with that? We’ve done it many times before.
Kevin: Yeah, but this is Class 6C from Keircuddy Secondary School. And if their behaviour at the Fair was anything to go by you’re going to have to batten down the hatches at The Biscuit Barrel plant when they turn up for their tour!
