Talking Shop with... Bob Howard

Bob Howard, vice president of retail marketing, AdvancePierre Foods, parent company of Barber Foods, says retailers can reinvigorate their frozen food business by selecting products with category-defining qualities. Talk about the recent improvements to the ingredients and packaging of Barber Foods stuffed chicken breasts line. Bob Howard: Barber Foods invented the frozen stuffed chicken breast category more than 45 years ago, and today, remains the category’s gold standard. Yet, despite commanding sizeable market share, the brand’s R&D and marketing teams used Barber’s 60th anniversary as a platform to renovate the brand’s look and to make the best stuffed chicken breasts even better. The entire lineup underwent nine months of research and development, which included a complete ingredient review, processing and cooking assessments and product testing. In addition to improved oven performance, the product transformation includes new techniques that will deliver a more flavorful breast of chicken, crispier home-style breading and a better, saucier filling to ensure each chicken breast is bursting with flavorful ingredients. The new packaging nods to the brand’s heritage while visually emphasizing the new product attributes, features intended to delight current customers and drive category trial with a new generation. How do Barber Foods products bring affordable restaurant-quality to the supermarket freezer case? The stuffed chicken breast’s origin is in the foodservice industry, so the real innovation here is that Gus Barber brought a unique, restaurant-style entrée to the freezer case in the first place. Barber Foods’ stuffed chicken breast line pairs ingredients like a seasoned chef, giving busy consumers restaurant-style recipes without the hassle and cost of dining out. With more than a dozen varieties, consumers can serve multiple flavors without stocking up on countless spices and seasonings or dealing with the intricacies of making a stuffed chicken breast. While restaurant dining offers comparable convenience, it just cannot compete with these frozen entrées on price. How can these products help supermarkets better compete against the fast-food channel? Barber’s stuffed chicken breasts are redefining quality in the freezer case. Often times, when consumers turn to the freezer for dinner, they are opting for convenience over a good dining experience. There are no “trade-offs” when selecting Barber stuffed chicken breasts. Extensive product testing and research have shown that, despite being a frozen, prepared item, consumers still liken Barber stuffed chicken breast products to home cooking. While fast food is often representative of the same food, none offer that change of pace or setting of a special meal. In addition to the brand’s many frozen, raw varieties, Barber offers four fully-cooked recipes that go from the freezer to dinner table in just a couple of minutes, which can compete with the fast-food channel in terms of prep time. Talk about any new products you are introducing. In addition to renovating the entire frozen, breaded and raw stuffed chicken breast lineup, several new Barber Foods items also are in development. Informed by a dedicated consumer insights division, the brand’s R&D team is working to bring flavor innovations—inspired by cutting-edge food trends—to market using healthy, on-trend ingredients. One of our product line’s recent introductions, Barber’s Crème Brie & Apple stuffed chicken breast, is the brand’s fastest-growing recipe and a great example of category growth through innovative and unique flavor profiles. What tips can you offer retailers to improve the sales and margins in the frozen category? Long seen only as meals of convenience, the freezer case has been synonymous with poor diet and substandard meal offerings. The industry has moved far beyond the TV dinner-mentality, yet the frozen food category still carries with it negative connotations for younger generations. Retailers can reinvigorate their frozen food business by selecting products with category-defining qualities. By finding those quality items that “deliver well” frozen and then driving those items, retailers can encourage product trials and sustained sales.