Cobelal
Expertise
Cereals
Information
needl.co/cobelal
The Company
“Experts in the field.” This motto is the driving force behind the leading Belgian group offering tailor-made baking mixes for retailers and foodservice channels. With an international presence in the Netherlands, France, and Germany, they are committed to the growth of their home-baking category. They are continuously exploring new recipes and compositions within their state-of-the-art R&D centers, all while priding themselves on producing quality, unique, creative, and user-friendly recipes for their consumers.
The Challenge
“We wanted to have a stronger presence in Belgium while making our mark in other French and English speaking markets by not having to chase after buyers that were not relevant for our target market”
Frédéric Vanton, Cobelal Sales Manager
Cobelal had two main expansion goals for 2019. The first was to strengthen their presence in Belgium with an effective marketing strategy and beautiful packaging. The second was to make strides in France, the UK, and the Netherlands.
However, getting their unique products in front of the right buyers has proven to be challenging for Cobelal. Since buyers change posts regularly, it was time-consuming for Cobelal to find and get in contact with the right buyers. Their goal was to find effective ways to get in contact with the right customers and enter more easily into discussion.
The Strategy
Looking for an efficient way to meet new relevant buyers in their target markets, Cobelal turned towards Wabel’s solutions, which enabled them to change the way they meet buyers and get greater visibility for their brands and products all year around.
1. Meet Targeted Buyers
By partnering with Wabel, Cobelal was able to get in touch with Wabel’s vast network of buyers. Wabel’s solution and internal advisors help collect the buying needs from the buyers in the Wabel Community relevant to Cobelal’s categories. Once there was a request for Cobelal’s products, they were immediately notified so that they could start preparing their pitch and offer. After they had 15 matches, they met all the buyers during 121 meetings at the Wabel Summit. This process eliminates the introductory phase. Since both parties are well informed prior to the meeting, Cobelal was able to dive straight into business.
2. Increased Visibility 24/7
After Cobelal met with their future business partners at the Summit, the prospects didn’t end there. Wabel solutions provide year-round service. Once Cobelal had a full running profile on the Wabel platform, buyers could easily locate Cobelal’s company and product info, review important certifications, and communicate directly with Cobelal export/sales managers. The Wabel platform allows full transparency and exposes Cobelal to over 1,000+ buyers on the platform.
Results & Future Plans
By leveraging their trade channels and adapting to the constantly evolving digital age, Cobelal was able to meet with relevant buyers with real buying projects. Cobelal plans to return to next year’s Summit to connect with even more buyers.
Interested in learning more about Cobelal’s success? Feel free to reach out to us if you are a buyer interested in modernizing the way you source and buy or if you are a supplier looking to get your products to the right buyers!
