Israel Romero / Wednesday, November 23, 2022 / Categories: Blog Uniqueness: our differentiator. Differentiate to Achieve Success I've heard and read many times that you have to differentiate yourself to achieve success. That recipe sounds simple, but when you lack creativity — and worse, money to invest in that differentiation — an excellent product can be forgotten or simply not exist for the market. Spanish gourmet products are not exempt from this problem. Lack of connections Competing with Italians and French is very difficult… but Our market is saturated; it's time to go international Lack of connections Spain has an endemic problem — I'd call it chronic — and it’s very difficult to change unless there is a real revolution: we don't like to go out and sell our products. We know their value and quality, but we've forgotten that the market is a sum of competitors who are out there, each like a warrior, with their best weapons and strategies to win the crown — in this case, a place at the table. I look with pride and satisfaction at the countless awards that chefs and restaurants based in Spain win year after year, establishing themselves as the country that grows most in those areas. It's a clear sign that our gastronomy and the people who prepare it are trending and will certainly continue to be. But one thing doesn't add up for me: why is there such a big gap between the culinary experts and the producers? Let me explain: I think that, in the narrative about the excellence of our gastronomy, the spotlight focuses excessively, in my humble opinion, on the people who create undoubtedly excellent dishes. They are true geniuses full of talent and represent us internationally in an outstanding way. But what about the products? And the producers? In Formula 1, when a Grand Prix or Championship is won, the victory is attributed to the “Scuderia”, to the team, with the driver of course at the tip of the spear. But everyone knows that without the engineers, the engine, aerodynamics, chassis, etc., the driver would not triumph. I'm missing that linking element. And I believe this is a unique opportunity to create an unbeatable, hegemonic team — perhaps even a dynastic one. I miss seeing the elite of Spanish cuisine lead and champion, selflessly and non-commercially, exceptional producers who could put Spain at the very top of the world's gastronomic pedestal. Competing with Italians and French is very difficult… but The symbiosis of our Mediterranean brothers, like the Italians and the French, between their chefs and their native products is something I envy, because we are relegated to a position far from theirs simply because we practically do nothing to fix it. That union or business lobby of brands and chefs accelerates penetration into other markets and, consequently, the internationalization of their brands. It creates a textbook economic case: incentivize exports, strengthen domestic companies, generate employment, and improve trade balances. To be very honest, I think our big problem is the success of our gastronomy and chefs recognized internationally. People come to our country to enjoy our food, our restaurants, and the headline acts — the chefs who represent them. We offer the best of our gastronomy to an enthusiastic audience (with all due recognition), but that success tends to dilute the incentive to make a greater effort to go out there and conquer the world… again. Nonetheless, we believe there is hope for change — at least we see it because we work on it. Our market is saturated; it's time to go international Spain is in the middle of a revolution in terms of creating gourmet products and brands. Probably encouraged by the success of our chefs, product quality and packaging have improved tremendously. The excellence of the final results is evident and noticeable, but here comes the question: is there a market in our country to absorb so many gourmet products and so many brands? Apart from Michelin-starred restaurants, Guía Repsol and others at that level of excellence in their menus, the rest may not be able to assume that trend. And if we look at distribution channels, the situation is even less encouraging: mainstream supermarkets are not inclined to bet on gourmet; quite the opposite. And the more specialized shops are small, with arbitrary selections usually based on geographic proximity or profit margins, and often they fight to create private-label brands to generate, of course, more margin and to shut the producer out. I'm not criticizing that strategy per se, but I do take issue with how, in most cases, the beautiful and moving stories behind each product and the unique history of each producer are lost or forgotten. That is our real opportunity to differentiate ourselves: the uniqueness of our products and the people behind them. That is the cornerstone of Made in Spain Gourmet to conquer the international market. The international market literally doesn't know in which areas we are the number-one power in world gastronomy, and as an example the Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) — we are first in production and first to produce the new harvest (some months ahead of Italy), and yet we are not the reference. There are countless excellent brands from Jaén, Catalonia, Castilla-La Mancha, Aragón, Extremadura, Galicia, etc., and when you speak with specialty shops in Europe or with end consumers, they always put Italian EVOO first. I'm not even mentioning the Italian brands present in the U.S. and how few Spanish ones there are. That's where the joint work is needed: developing a common strategy so the concept Spain is Gourmet benefits everyone. We haven't waited for anyone, because time is gold, and we base our success on sharing our value as gastronomic expert advisors along with sharing the value of the producers (the people), their values and, eventually, their products, which are the expression of who they are and how these people interpret the gourmet product. The key to being chosen by consumers shouldn't be seen only as investment in standard digital marketing (SEM and keyword SEO); we must emphasize the unique value(s) that each brand and each of its products possess. Only then will we be seen and, better yet, recognized as something different with a greater chance of being chosen. In our online gourmet store we strive to be a refuge of knowledge and a provider of unique, original content, essential so that the products represented there are perceived as quality-guaranteed and worthy of the Made in Spain Gourmet seal. In two years we've reached 21 European countries and Puerto Rico, and we keep growing. If we didn't have arguments based on our experience, it wouldn't be so emphatic. Let's share information, values, and experiences — it will go much better for all of us. Cold weather's coming — time for stew! Organic products Made in Spain: a truly gourmet line Print 2 Rate this article: No rating Tags: gourmetpremiumSpanish brandsMade in SpainMade in Spain GourmetMadeInSpainStoreSpainSpain Please login or register to post comments.