Klopp in the Kitchen

I’m in Denmark this week, working with the Radio ABC Group, helping many of their local advertisers to create the right marketing message.
 
It’s become a bit of an annual thing, and when I was here last year, the other main presenter was a guy called Thomas Gronnemark.

David Barker and Thomas Gronnemark standing for a picture at the Radio ABC Gruppen event in Denmark.

The name probably doesn’t mean anything to you, but if you’re a football fan, there’s a chance you’ve read something about him.
 
You see, Thomas is the Throw-In Coach for the new Premier League Champions, Liverpool, and over the past couple of years or so, he’s been working with the Reds to help them improve that aspect of their game.
 
If you’re into football, then you’ll know – specific coaching on throw-ins is very niche.

For many, throw-ins are a minor aspect of the game; just a way to get the game started again.
 
But Jurgen Klopp – the masterful Liverpool manager – saw them as a way to improve the team’s possession and thereby gain a competitive edge. So, he sought out Thomas; someone who’s widely regarded as an expert in that area.

I’m not pretending that Thomas is the sole secret to Liverpool’s success, but clearly the work he has done is a factor in the Reds first becoming European champions last year, and then English champions this year.

There’s a clear takeaway for kitchen retailers here:

Like football clubs, you’re playing the same game as your competitors, and it’s by finding ways you can be better than your opponents that you’ll win more frequently.

In the case of Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, once they identified a potential edge, they brought in a true specialist to make sure they completely exploited it.

They wanted to improve throw-ins, so they didn’t hire a generic coach, but rather one that specialised in that particular area.

The logic is clear, and in your context, the practical application of that logic should be clear too:

Better marketing can be your edge.  It can be the thing that allows you to beat your competitors, and differentiate your business from the others in your market.

And once you’ve realised that, getting a true kitchen marketing specialist to help you exploit that edge becomes a very smart decision.

If you’d like to talk to us about how our specialist kitchen marketing services work, and how we can help you gain an edge over your competitors, just email me at david.barker@inspirekbb.com and let’s arrange to talk.

P.S. Thomas Gronnemark also holds the world record for the longest throw-in. To see his world-record effort, click here.