The Partnering Group and The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association Unveil Foodservice Category Management Frameworks –
Consumer Path-to-Choice and Operator Steps-To-Use

Cincinnati, OH. (November 18, 2013) – Today, The Partnering Group (TPG) and The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) announce two new frameworks within Full Plate™, TPG’s Foodservice Category Management Model.

After successfully unveiling Full Plate™ at the IFMA/IFDA Presidents Conference, the Category Management Innovation and Activation Board launched an initial set of Foodservice Category Management collaborative planning documents, providing guidance to practitioners. The documents contain two key decision making frameworks: 1) Consumer Path-to-Choice, which identifies consumer occasions, influencers and eater types and, 2) Operator Steps-to-Use, which identifies key products and/or ingredients for purchase by foodservice operators.  These collaborative planning documents and frameworks enable foodservice practitioners to utilize the new and emerging data sources, ultimately, identifying game changing insights. See exhibit A for more details on the two new frameworks.

“These collaborative planning documents provide specific direction to users as the foodservice industry plans and executes leveraging the Full Plate™ Category Management model,” says Don Baker, Partner, The Partnering Group.

“Full Plate, powered by these frameworks, will deliver the competitive advantage that Foodservice manufacturers, operators and distributors are seeking,” said Larry Oberkfell, President and CEO, IFMA.

TPG and the Foodservice Category Management Innovation & Activation Board will release its final report in January 2014.  The final report will include all the supporting documentation and detail required for the foodservice industry to develop operator and consumer-focused category management plans that drive sales and patron satisfaction.

Media inquiries: Please contact Jeff Schroeder, Partner at jschroeder@TPG-mail.com or
Lisa Ptak, Director, Integrated Marketing at lisa@ifmaworld.com.

About The Partnering Group

Founded in 1990, The Partnering Group (TPG) is an international strategy and general management consulting firm. Our mission is to provide proven enterprise-wide collaborative solutions for multiple business sectors worldwide. TPG led a major shift in the CPG industry with its focus on driving value through collaborative marketing, merchandising and fulfillment of products across the entire value chain and is recognized for Best Practices in Category Management & Assortment. An industry leader in the Retail sector, TPG also successfully leads consulting projects in the business-to-business (B2B) sector, including Foodservice, Club/Cash and Carry, Medical Products and the Home Improvement channel. For more information, visit thepartneringgroup.com. Follow us on Twitter: @TPGConsulting or on LinkedIn at: linkedin.com/company/the-partnering-group.

About International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA)

IFMA is a leading trade association comprised of the world’s most prestigious food, equipment and supply manufacturers in the $600 billion foodservice industry, as well as related marketing service organizations, trade publications, distributors and brokers. IFMA’s mission is to serve as a business partner to its members by bringing them relevant, actionable services that are fundamental to their business assessment, planning and execution. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com. Follow IFMA on Twitter: @IFMAWORLD or join our group on LinkedIn.

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Attachment I – Exhibit A

Consumer – Path-to-Choice

Attachment I – Exhibit B

Operator – Steps-to-Use