Industry-wide Initiatives Are Hard, But That’s What Makes Them Great
By Doug Baker, Vice President, Industry Relations, Private Brands, Technology, Food Marketing Institute
Industry-wide voluntary initiatives are tough. It takes time to organize and implement change to get on the same page with partners. Inevitably there are bumps in the road, lessons to be learned and wrinkles to iron out. But the result is worth it—a new system that is efficient, effective and satisfies consumer’s needs.
Working on the SmartLabel® digital transparency initiative as part of the FMI-GMA Trading Partner Alliance (TPA), I witnessed this industry-wide initiative morph from inception to implementation to acceptance. It’s been quite a project to be a part of and I’m energized by the momentum I see with over 30,000 products now offering SmartLabel and that number grows daily.
But, one thing is still clear, this industry-wide initiative is still developing and because of that we need to gather together to share those lessons learned and develop new strong partnerships to take SmartLabel to the next level. That’s why we’re hosting the 2nd annual SmartLabel Summit, September 26 – 27, in Arlington, VA. This workshop-style event will provide attendees with best practices, tools, connections, and solutions to derive the best value from SmartLabel.
At last year’s Summit, I was impressed with the relationships made that really helped SmartLabel take off. For example, a regional food retailer who considered entering SmartLabel was able to sit down with a large supplier and pick their brain about the initiative. Hearing the ins-and-outs of implementing SmartLabel first-hand was the catalyst for the regional food retailer to see the benefits of joining the program. The SmartLabel Summit facilitates these interactions and brings manufactures and retailers together.
I love that line from A League of Their Own when Tom Hanks says, “It’s supposed to be hard. The hard is what makes it great.” The same applies to industry-wide initiatives. Their greatness comes in their ability to bring the entire industry together for one common purpose, which I can’t say is easy. The food retail industry wants to provide consumers the product information they crave, when they want it, how they want it—SmartLabel is just that. By coming together at the SmartLabel Summit, we’re able to take our industry initiative to the next level.
I look forward to seeing you at the SmartLabel Summit and continuing on the SmartLabel journey with you.
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