To unlock benefits for its members and suppliers, Unitas recently launched the first of its new initiatives that will utilise the group’s size and scale next year at a two-day event for both groups.
Launching its Connected for Growth programme, Unitas’ Brand Ignition Live was held earlier this month.
The event brought together 12 of the UK’s biggest impulse suppliers with the group’s independent wholesale members, in order to “share brand plans and align on the ‘big bet’ campaigns and NPD to deliver ‘as one’ execution across the group,” it said.
Belinda Parkinson, head of marketing at Unitas, said: “This event demonstrates how we can execute with power and purpose across the group. It provides invaluable time efficiency when everyone’s so busy, enabling the right people to have the right conversations that will result in collaborative action.”
Size and scale
Ashleigh Cheetham, head of trading for retail, agreed: “The suppliers and members that attended saw how, by combining our size, scale and reach with our data and industry knowledge, we can create plans that will lead to transformational results.
“The event resulted in creative and collaborative thinking which showcases how the best business is done when people are together in the same room.”
For Unitas’ members, the benefits were also clear: “The event was an excellent opportunity to save time and maximise engagement with key brand suppliers. It allows us to meet with a wide range of major suppliers in one place, gaining valuable insight into their plans, priorities and strategies for the year ahead,” said Rajan Radia of Dhamecha.
Suppliers in attendance were in agreement, Unitas added. Gareth Eaves, customer development manager at Mondelez, said: “Brand Ignition Live was a great opportunity for our team to showcase our activation and NPD plans for 2027 to the Unitas membership in one location.
”It provided a huge opportunity to gain in-the-moment feedback on the plans and enabled us to set up time for further conversations locally on how we execute these joint plans.”
Tom Gaw, wholesale channel controller for Suntory, also added: “It’s been great to meet with so many members that we wouldn’t normally speak with which will no doubt lead to unlocking new opportunities.”
Virtual version
Following the success of the live version, Unitas will also be holding an online Brand Ignition event on 18-19 November, where 36 impulse, grocery and licensed suppliers will host virtual booths and present brand plans to Unitas member businesses’ marketing and trading teams.
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