Articles
Carol Robert, COO Suntory Beverage & Food GB&I
There’s no doubt that last year was a challenge for everyone as we continued to find new ways of working in the pandemic. After such a turbulent year I know I certainly struggled at times to focus and keep my energy levels up, not least recently coming back into the role of COO after my maternity leave and now managing this with three young children at home.
We’ve come through a year that was filled with both challenges and victories and while 2021 may have slowed us down at times, it certainly didn’t stop us and we had a strong business performance with 9% growth despite very adverse circumstances. We did lots of research, innovated quickly and became a new player in the stimulation drinks market with Lucozade Alert, which we are now rolling out much wider as we have more ambitions for the brand.
Part of this success was down to our ability as a business to be flexible and quickly adapt to changing circumstances, and this is absolutely something we are now building on with our new hybrid working practises.
In our company we talk about staying “close to the Gemba” – gaining deep insights from where the value is created, and that means our teams across the business have been out in retail closely observing shopper behaviours. We’ve seen consumption patterns change, drinking occasions evolve and that has led us to turn the insights into actions and launch new formats, flavours and products.
It’s also a key part of the new hybrid working model we’ve recently introduced, as working more flexibly allows our people to spend more time in the Gemba and get those important insights for our business. It is unique in the way it really captures how and where the most value can really be created by our employees every day – whether that is at home, in the office, or out in the Gemba. It’s this flexibility which means our employees can bring their best to work each and every day.
*Vit B3 helps to reduce tiredness
With the need for mental energy to increase as workers return to the office, and some big retail partners in the pipeline, we’re expecting Alert to play a greater part in our business growth and indeed it has already generated revenues of £1m in just the first two months of its launch. The launch of our Original flavour this month puts us in a uniquely strong position, as it brings another great tasting drink from a brand that consumers trust and love to the stimulation category.
I couldn’t be prouder of the resilience everyone has shown to keep our business running, and growing, throughout this pandemic. Maintaining the right work-life balance remains so important to allow us to stay alert and adapt to any challenges thrown our way.
