As we end Munich’s official Oktoberfest season, it seems fitting to look at this world famous event through more than just beer goggles. Oktoberfest is an annual celebration held in Munich that dates back to 1810, and the first edition was a post-wedding feast to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese. All of Bavaria was invited to what has since become one of the biggest foodservice events in the world with around 7 million attendees every year.

So how does this relate to marketing?

Foodservice manufacturers rely on their reps and distribution networks to sell. But when reps and distributors are responsible for selling 20-30+ different brands, if not hundreds or even thousands, how does your factory ensure your products and solutions stay top-of-mind in this über competitive foodservice industry? 

One of my favorite parts about the National Restaurant Association Show is eating my yearly allotment of hot dogs. These aren't the hot dogs of my youth with (gasp!) ketchup. They're the Vienna dogs with the perfect snap. Drag them through the garden with pickles, peppers, relish, and everything else that makes a Chicago dog so great, and I'm a happy camper.

Foodservice. We all love it, and we all hate it.

Here at TMC, we're big fans of Seth Godin's daily insights. If you don't follow him, you should. In today's post, he talks about the downfalls of the "sort by price" mentality, and he argues that buying the cheapest widget almost never winds up being the right choice. Can you think of a time when you bought the cheapest item possible, and it wound up being the best option in the long run?