Jenni Butler and Kat Tompkins-Shutte of Globe Food Equipment Company recently spent two days with AutoQuotes. They talked with our teams to learn best practices for publishing their products in the AQ Catalog, as well as ways their AQ licenses can help reach their sales goals. It’s all part of the AutoQuotes “3E Forum,” a workshop tailored to a manufacturer’s individual questions and needs. (See related article – “Manufacturers: The New 3E Forum is for You.”)
Globe Food Equipment Co. was founded in 1920, moved to Dayton, Ohio in 1992 and was acquired by Middleby in 2017. Known for its wide selection of mixers and slicers, Globe also offers gas and electric cooking equipment, weighing systems, meat choppers and patty presses, and is continuously expanding its catalog.
Jenni Butler is Globe’s director of product management and marketing. Her first job out of college was as a technical writer for an FES manufacturer. She parlayed her technical expertise into providing support for product managers, later transitioning into marketing while also spending some time in sales. She joined Globe in 2015.
Kat Tompkins-Shutte joined Globe in 2017 as a product training and application specialist. She grew up with her family’s restaurant and later owned or managed several bars and restaurants. She moved into food safety/quality auditing for a food manufacturer before going to Globe. Kat runs a test kitchen and designs and delivers product training programs and materials for Globe equipment reps.
When it comes to marketing, Jenni focuses on understanding what’s important to the customer. “We tend to fall in love with our products and want to talk to customers about certain features,” says Jenni. “Those features may not resonate as important to the end-user. They want to know how the machine will help their menu, if it’s easy to use, what’s the available warranty and service – how it benefits them in their kitchen.”
Jenni uses the AQ software to help, calling it one of her best marketing tools. She compares and contrasts Globe equipment to their competition, studies how products are named and described, and researches what the space is for new products. She then uses all this knowledge to create the optimal positioning for Globe equipment in the AQ Catalog.
“As marketers in this space, we’re not always sure our marketing efforts reach the customer,” says Jenni, “but we know for sure our dealers are using AQ, which it makes it a great platform for sharing collateral.”
Beyond day-to-day marketing, we asked what trends Globe is seeing in the industry. Jenni brought up restaurant sizes. “More eateries are opening with smaller footprints,” says Jenni. “And they want machines that can do more than one thing. For example, we offer sandwich grills with grooved top and smooth bottom plates. Chefs can use them as both a press and a griddle.”
Kat echoed the trend of multi-duty equipment fitting in with a restaurant’s menu. “Part of my job is working with restaurants that ask, ‘Will this machine work with my recipe?’ It helps make smaller kitchens more efficient,” says Kat.
What about the looks or aesthetics of Globe equipment with the trend of open kitchens, visible to the restaurant patron? “Our products have a clean, modern, commercial look and feel,” says Jenni. “We would not move too far from that. Making certain equipment more decorative or with colors may give the impression that it is non-commercial or not heavy duty enough for a kitchen environment.”
We asked Jenni and Kat about larger industry trends, specifically the rise of e-commerce. “E-commerce changes the dynamic,” says Jenni. “Trying to succinctly communicate the benefits and value of a product with limited interaction is very difficult. I believe end-users want to have a conversation about a product, look at it, understand how it works. You get that value-added knowledge from reps and dealers.”
“When I was a bar and restaurant owner, I wanted the knowledge and information a dealer could provide,” says Kat. “Even a $2,000 or $3,000 purchase can be a major investment for a restauranteur. You want to have 100 percent confidence in what you’re buying.”
We want to thank Jenni and Kat for visiting with us. 3E Forums run now through October, based upon availability. We host the Forums at our offices in Jacksonville, Florida. To learn more, contact your Content Account Manager and we’ll work together to create your 3E experience.