A Q1 COMMON INTEREST STUDY

Understanding & Selling to Millennial Chefs

Proposal Number 12567 • May 2016

 

 

STUDY B RI EF

 

Q 1 C O N S U L T I N G 5 0 0 N . D e a r b o r n , S u i t e 5 0 0 | C h i c a g o I L 6 0 6 5 4 | W W W . Q 1 P R O D U C T I O N S . C O M / C O N S U L T I N G / F O O D - B E V E R A G E  

 

Understanding & Selling to Millennial Chefs 

There are roughly 80 million millennials in the U.S., and according to research by BBDO, half of them identify as “foodies.” And creative millennial chefs are setting the stage for upcoming foodservice trends. With this in mind, Q1 Consulting has launched this study for multiclient sponsorship. This study will explore the role of millennials in the future of foodservice and innovation away-from-home and assist sponsors with their longer term strategic planning process. The goal of this engagement is to develop new platforms for growth that sponsors can leverage across a number of foodservice segments, including casual dining, fast casual, traditional QSR and noncommercial venues. This proposed engagement document is a working draft that will be refined with study sponsors.

Engagement Objectives 

Assess how “millennial” chefs (defined as those aged 18-34) differ from 35-to-54-year-old chefs with respect to opinions, values, purchase habits and behaviors using a mix of quantitative (closed-ended) and qualitative (open-ended) questions

Determine how millennial chefs use innovation to respond to long-term issues and challenges

Identify the consumer trends (or “hot buttons”) that millennial chefs believe will most impact their business and how it manifests itself in product development and supplier choice

Identify the key characteristics of a successful relationship with a manufacturer and how that impacts purchase decisions

Provide sponsors with a comprehensive understanding of the millennial chef mindset and the implications for future growth

Millennial Chefs: Issues Addressed

There are a number of issues that will be addressed in this engagement and incorporated in the field research interview guides – these are not meant to be exhaustive.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proposal Number 12567 • May 2016

 

How do millennial chef attitudes, opinions, behavior and lifestyle characteristics impact product selection, supplier relationships and foodservice philosophies? How does it differ from “older” chefs?

What is their level of satisfaction with products, processes and procedures?

What sources does this group use for inspiration? Travel? Media? Mobile? Peers?

What’s important to them? Not so important?

What challenges/opportunities do they envision coming down the road in the next 3-5 years?

What actions are they taking to solve these issues, capture opportunities?

What role does innovation play in the response to short-term and long-term issues and challenges?

How are consumer trends, changing tastes and demographic makeup impacting menu development?

What consumer trends will most impact them going forward? For example, health/wellness, bold/unique flavors, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, etc.?

 

A Division of Q1 Productions© Q1 Consulting Services 

Q 1 C O N S U L T I N G 5 0 0 N . D e a r b o r n , S u i t e 5 0 0 | C h i c a g o I L 6 0 6 5 4 | W W W . Q 1 P R O D U C T I O N S . C O M / C O N S U L T I N G / F O O D - B E V E R A G E

Study Approach 

Q1 will use the following framework to meet the objectives outlined in this engagement.

Q1 Consulting’s Experience 

The Q1 Consulting team dedicated to this project will be headed by Mr. Tim Powell, Vice President. For more than 15 years he has helped a variety of food manufacturers with business strategies to effectively penetrate, expand and sustain success across all foodservice segments. He is regularly cited in industry publications. In addition, the Q1 engagement team includes experts with decades of in-house and consulting experience concerning strategic positioning, growth strategy, management development, innovation technique, trend identification, consumer behavior, culinary/recipe development, financial analysis, supply and distribution.

Why Q1 Consulting? 

Partners Influence the Work. In most research and consulting firms, partners and senior executives design and sell a consulting engagement, only to turn over the project to less-experienced staff. Q1’s senior staff spearheads an engagement from start to finish, ensuring that clients receive the results that only an experienced professional can provide.

Outstanding Results. Q1 is staffed with thought leaders and experienced professional from some of the most prestigious firms. With this comes impeccable results and business insights without the “prestigious” prices.

Answers to the “So What?” Q1 will provide end-to-end engagements from scoping a project, to identifying the hypotheses to test. The copious raw data is then synthesized by senior leaders into compact and actionable strategic options.

Client Intimacy. Q1 takes the time to understand a client’s business before, during and after the engagement. This ensures that implications and recommendations are relevant, measurable and on target with a client’s business.

Authentic Strategic Thinking. Sometimes referred to as creative thinking, Q1 knows that not all phenomena and events in the “real world” fit into a linear model. True strategic thinking is not linear — it involves the human brain.

ACTIVITY  DESCRIPTION  OBJECTIVE(S) 

Engagement Initiation ‐ Review proposal ‐ Proprietary requests

‐ Agree in timing, key dates

Existing Data Review ‐ Exhaustive review of available information ‐ Gather intelligence prior to going to the field

Interviews

‐ Interviews with millennial chefs and older chefs (35-54) for comparison purposes.

‐ Questions will be a mix of quantitative (measurable) and qualitative (open-ended) in nature

‐ Q1 will target the top 500 restaurant chains, top high-volume independent and select noncommercial (lodging and recreation) venues

‐ Approximately 250 in-depth interviews will be conducted

‐ Identify buying behavior, lifestyle, attitudes, perceptions, food sourcing preferences, philosophies and long- and short-term goals and strategies

‐ Mix of quantitative and qualitative questioning will provide hard data with the verbatims to determine the drivers of attitudes and opinions providing a mix of “focus group” ideas with survey results.

‐ Initial clients approve guide prior to launch to ensure needs are met

Analysis & Report Delivery

‐ Report content will include common interest and proprietary sections

‐ Answer the “so what” and “what now” for clients ‐ The results will include long-form verbatims

(qualitative) and closed-ended opinions (quantitative)

A Division of Q1 Productions© Q1 Consulting Services 

Q 1 C O N S U L T I N G 5 0 0 N . D e a r b o r n , S u i t e 5 0 0 | C h i c a g o I L 6 0 6 5 4 | W W W . Q 1 P R O D U C T I O N S . C O M / C O N S U L T I N G / F O O D - B E V E R A G E

Study Deliverables 

This thorough analysis of millennial chefs will provide sponsors with targeted sales and marketing approaches, improved product and brand positioning as well as product refinement and innovation. Other deliverables include:

Critical success factors for communicating and selling to millennial chefs in the foodservice industry

The importance of relationships, brand building and education to millennial chefs

New platforms of growth for sponsors based on millennial chef attitudes, opinions and behaviors

Both qualitative and quantitative results will be provided

Q1’s assessment of the likely implications of millennial chef insights to each engagement sponsor

Timing and Fees 

Q1 anticipates it will require 10-12 weeks to complete this study. The program will be launched by summer 2016. A formal timetable will be issued shortly after initiation. Prelaunch sponsors will be on a steering committee and have the ability to help further define study objectives. The cost for the study is exclusive of actual travel costs incurred for individual sponsor presentations. For pricing details, please email pclarke@q1productions.com.

Conclusion  

The final report will deliver sponsor implications and opportunities to illuminate potential opportunities with millennial chefs.

Respectfully submitted,

Questions?  

PAUL CLARKE | 312.955.0252 | pclarke@q1productions.com | Business Development Director CONTACT

Paul Clarke, Business Development Director Tim Powell, Vice President of Consulting