For companies that make and sell consumer goods: entering South-East Europe, choosing the right route to market, earning more from it, and negotiating the deals that make it work.
As a brand owner and as a distributor, across the Balkans and Central Europe, with a start in finance. That means knowing what each side needs from a deal, and where the money is.
Procter & Gamble, SSL International / Reckitt Benckiser
At P&G, from finance to key account manager and unit manager. Then full P&L for Durex and Scholl in six Adriatic markets, and later the Czech and Slovak Republics.
Nelt Group, 2011–2020
Vice president, leading €1 billion in turnover. Set up an organisational incubator and a BI and revenue management department. As sales and marketing director, led both the distribution and the manufacturing side of the group.
Consult1, since 2020
An independent consultancy for brand owners, producers, distributors and retailers: market entries, route-to-market changes, brand building and launches, and commercial upgrades.
Pick the sentence closest to your situation.
Trade terms and promotions are often the biggest cost in a consumer-goods P&L, and the least measured. Every promotion should earn back what it costs.
Illustrative P&L for a consumer-goods brand in the region
Of the €9 spent on promotions, how much bought sales you would not have had anyway? Most companies cannot say. It can be measured, by retailer, brand, product and type of promotion.
You decide after each phase whether to go on. Nothing is open-ended.
Market, category, prices, route to market and a P&L. You get a clear go or no-go before you spend on the launch.
The right partner on the right terms, signed. The negotiation prepared together with your team, with direct involvement at the table where needed.
Support through the first months: monthly reviews against plan, early warnings and fixes, until the business runs on its own.
All over the Balkans, from Slovenia to Greece. Beyond the region: distributor discussions, route-to-market validation and trade terms in France and Benelux.
The Balkans
Western Europe
Distributor discussions, route-to-market validation and trade terms
Clients are anonymous unless they’ve agreed to be named.
A category concept built around the shopper’s journey from pregnancy to the child’s third year: a new layout, added ranges and a loyalty platform co-funded by suppliers. Plus negotiation training for the team.
Result: A strategy that delivered KPIs above expectations.
Serbia
A Greek producer of chocolate spreads. The work: a review of its assortment for the Greek market and a plan for its expansion into the Balkans.
Result: Knowing when to stop: a clear view of which activities were creating a negative impact.
Greece and the Balkans
A leading Italian sports nutrition brand entering the Balkans.
Result: A wider distribution footprint and a double-digit market share.
The Balkans
Brand building, new product development and launch for a children’s food supplement brand. A change of distribution model, a key opinion leader (KOL) coverage model developed and then upgraded, and an upgrade of the commercial organisation.
Result: New categories that added profitable growth.
Eighteen articles since 2021 on distribution, pricing, negotiation, sales and brands.
Lessons from a D2C brand-building project: why most launches die in the first 18 months, and what the survivors do differently.
Six steps for consumer goods, food supplement and OTC brands entering the Western Balkans: commitment, consumers, regulation, distributors, customers and the value chain.
Trade spend is often the biggest single cost in a consumer-goods P&L. How to tell whether your promotions pay back.
Who really sits at the table, how to define the value you are dividing, and how to set the table. With a preparation form.
Consult1 was founded in 2020, after almost two decades inside multinational brands and a regional distributor. A start in finance at Procter & Gamble is why every recommendation comes with a P&L.
Executive education at Harvard Business School in negotiation, profitable growth and aligning strategy with sales. Regular articles on the market, and a book on negotiation on the way.
In a 30-minute call we look at your situation, and you get an honest answer on whether and how Consult1 can help.