Andrew Newlands, CEO of Monty Bojangles, reveals the delicate dance between creativity and commercial strategy in confectionery innovation
How do you strike the right balance between creativity and commercial viability in new product development?
The proverbial Head versus Heart debate! Perhaps first it is worth explaining that I am a staunch believer in intentional NPD, with a clear need front of mind. A new product developed at Monty Bojangles must have a clear commercial agenda, a non-conflicting place in our range, and a distinct purpose to fulfil a shopper need. Exploratory product creation without a clear commercial purpose may risk launching with more questions than answers!
Now for the paradox! You see, the above process is efficient, precise, controlled and effective. It is however by its very nature obeying rules, and respecting established boundaries of price, value, format, utility etc. Nothing developed (exclusively) in this way will redefine behaviour. Hence, while finessing our ideas within these guidelines I am in favour of embracing moments of inspirational chaos and leaving the rails of expectation!
We all have that entrepreneurial drive to truly exist within the confectionery space with purpose and intensity – we’re not just showing up; we’re shaping it.
What lessons have you learned about scaling premium confectionery in a competitive retail landscape without compromising on product quality or brand identity?
Lesson 1: No compromise.
I think the first and most important lesson is to not compromise on the core pillars of your brand, what you stand for, and what ultimately makes you proud of your products.
Lesson 2: Confidence Reigns
Remain confident in your convictions, your price, your value proposition and your quality. Finding your place within the market while wearing your colours with courage despite change will secure sustainable growth. YOU are the expert, the master of your brand and of your unique proposition.
Lesson 3: Take your time
We all know the truism: You can do something ‘Well’, ‘Fast’, or ‘Economically’, but you can only choose two. Of these the least favourable in my opinion is ‘Fast’. While agility does unlock opportunity, being sure of your proposition before launch is essential to build customer and shopper confidence and keep your team facing forward developing the future. A shopper’s experience needs to be flawless, ambushingly positive, and delight delivering well beyond expectation. Anything short of this endangers your second sale, and rewriting that memory experience is costly and not guaranteed. Take your time, get it right first time, and never sell a dog.
Can you talk about a major failure or unexpected challenge in your confectionery journey—and how it reshaped your approach to business or innovation?
When I first launched the Monty Bojangles brand, my pricing model featured no contribution whatsoever toward marketing the products. We had no budget for promotional price discounting, secondary space, BTL or ATL! We relied purely on the quality of the product offering and the keenness of our EDLP. This worked for us thanks to the quality of our offering, yet I am certain we would have achieved more aggressive traction in those early years had I incorporated reinvestment factors into our pricing. Attracting new shoppers to your product is your number 1 goal – and marketing your lead products and brand is paramount (particularly on today’s noisy planet). I have learned that I must invest everything I can into building awareness, and this stands as my most valuable learning from my flawed brand launch.
How does Monty Bojangles approach sustainability in packaging and ingredients, and what advice would you give to other producers balancing ethics, aesthetics and shelf appeal?
I see sustainability and ethical decision making as hygiene factors in FMCG. Credible producers and suppliers that have scalable capacity MUST be able to facilitate a growth pattern while forever investing in enhancing their environmental efficiency, and never swelling towards unethical practice. This is a core philosophy at Monty Bojangles that the entire team are invested in provoking.
I am of the opinion that such high-quality standards are a base line factor in all scalable business, and is a standard to be conformed to while developing the most delicious and most accessibly priced confectionery gifts and sharing items.
Read the full interview in our latest issue here
