Page 17 - Tyrrells Chips

markets and consequently the route to market had to be well researched
and planned. Moreover, his was not a shotgun approach where all the
company’s products were introduced rather, the core product, ‘chips’
were introduced supported by a strong communication plan to ensure
the consumers understood the brand proposition.

Finally, Milner ensured that the strategy remained consistent globally
negating any brand confusion across or between markets. In essence,
he focused on a single brand truth, and kept telling that story across the
globe.

Russian Market

When Milner, received an invitation to go on the
UK’s Prime Minister, David Cameron’s 24 strong
trade visit to Russia in September 2011, he hadn’t

considered the country as a serious export

destination. Russia wasn’t a “focus market” though
Tyrrells was already supplying 30 high-end stores in Moscow with a
small sample of its crisps. In the four weeks prior to leaving for Moscow

some research was done and a deal to be stocked in 180 Spa stores in
Moscow and St Petersburg, which would produce around £1m of annual
business in Russia was struck.

“The trip spurred us to have a closer look and we
discovered there are great opportunities. The speed
with which we managed to win a new bit of business
tells me there’s a real appetite for British consumer
goods.”

“A lot of people look at Russia and see a very hard
place to do business – they fear corruption and the risk
of not being paid.”

www.telegraph.co.uk :19 Sep 2011

Milner in a radio interview on BBC ‘Today Radio’ he said that this was
not his experience in Russia, nor that internationally. In Russia the

issues were getting paid and corruption. But if you have a product
people like, a good brand and a compelling commercial proposition then
it works. “We get paid before we send the goods,” he said.