Reclaiming Market Share in the Restaurant Space with Relevance + Momentum®

The CHALLENGE

A global potato supplier faced mounting pressure as sales softened and market share eroded. Despite a strong history in the category, their products had become viewed as interchangeable commodities. Fries, once a menu hero, were increasingly seen as a standard side with little room for brand differentiation. Rising operational costs only amplified the challenge, leaving operators hesitant to pay premium prices.

At the same time, the brand struggled to build affinity with Gen Z chefs and restaurant operators—an influential audience shaping the future of food culture. Without a stronger emotional and business-value connection, the brand risked losing further ground in an intensely competitive category.

The APPROACH

We applied our Relevance + Momentum® (R+M) framework, a data-backed model that links brand perception with topline growth. Relevance represents the brand’s current impact—its affinity, distinction, and category presence, while Momentum represents future potential—its ability to inspire, innovate, and align with audience values.

Our process included:

• Social listening and interviews with chefs and operators to uncover real-time insights about perceptions, unmet needs, and communication behaviors.
• Competitive audits of product portfolios, positioning, and communications to benchmark R+M across the category.
• AI-assisted analysis to synthesize findings from existing research and strategy documents.
• Whitespace mapping to identify gaps and opportunities, ultimately leading to five differentiated communication themes tested and refined with Gen Z chefs.

By reframing fries as both a profit driver and a cultural icon, the work shifted the narrative from commodity to catalyst for restaurant success.

The OUTCOME

The R+M framework gave the client confidence and clarity. It identified low Relevance as the key barrier to growth and provided actionable strategies to strengthen affinity and distinction. By connecting functional superiority—like consistency and crispiness—with emotional and financial payoffs such as customer choice, repeat business, and social shareability, the brand could defend premium pricing and regain operator trust.

Most importantly, the work charted a clear path forward. With a chef-centric storytelling approach and a strategy anchored in data, the brand is now equipped to rebuild loyalty, reclaim market share, and position itself for long-term growth.

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