Learn about the Marketing Procurement Specialist Team
One of the key ways Heaven Hill promotes our products in market is through Point of Sale (POS) materials such as displays, case cards, shelf talkers, and more. These items feature eye-catching graphics and more details about our products to drive consumers to purchase. These POS materials are the product of months of collaboration among the Marketing Procurement Specialist (MPS) Team, Creative Services Department (CSD), and Marketing Brand Teams to ensure POS is compelling and effective.
Today, we’re going to learn more about the MPS Team’s work throughout this process and their various responsibilities to support the business on a daily basis.
Lynn Hasson was recently hired as the Marketing Services Manager to support the team. She began her career working at advertising agencies right out of college and then joined the marketing department for a safety company where she worked for 30 years. In these roles, she gained experience across many different functions from print media buying to events and creative, working with a variety of teams from Sales to Executive Leadership. She knew her experience and ability to be nimble would transfer well to this new role for Heaven Hill.
What does the MPS Team do?
Lynn manages the Marketing Procurement Specialist team and all POS, trade promotion, rebate and special pack program development and fulfillment activity across the Heaven Hill portfolio of brands. She also oversees and manages strategic vendor relationships and qualification of new partners. She is part of the marketing leadership team and works across Brand Teams as well as with the Corporate Events Team, internal and external agencies, Field Sales, Operations, Customer Service and Accounts Payable and Receivable to effectively deliver on business needs, identify opportunities and improve processes.
The MPS Team Includes:
Jessica Happel, Senior MPS supporting Lunazul Tequila, Hpnotiq, Burnett’s Family of Brands, Christian Brothers Brandy, Ansac, and all other Brandy, Tequila, Vodka, and Gin.
Marcia Adams, MPS supporting the Evan Williams Family of Brands, Bernheim Wheat Whiskey, Georgia Moon, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, Parker’s Heritage Collection, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, and all other American Whiskey and Scotch.
Jennifer Hughes, MPS supporting Black Velvet Canadian Whisky, PAMA, Admiral Nelson’s Family of Rums, Blackheart Spiced Rum, Carolans Irish Cream, Sacred Bond Brandy, Domaine de Canton, Dubonnet, Cinerator, Irish Mist, Whaler’s Rum, Fulton’s Harvest, all other Cordials/Liqueurs, Canadian Whisky, and Rum.
Natalie Ruark, MPS supporting Deep Eddy Vodkas and Deep Eddy Tasting Room
Katy Blancett, MPS supporting Elijah Craig Family of Brands, Heaven Hill Distillery umbrella, Fighting Cock, Heaven Hill Bourbon and Whiskey, and Henry McKenna Family of Brands
Courtney Garr, Marketing Specialist and Fulfillment Coordinator
As the Marketing Specialist and Fulfillment Coordinator, Courtney works closely with the brand teams, Corporate Events Team, and the Marketing Procurement Specialists to coordinate day-to-day relationships/business operations with our POS fulfillment agency and management of the Sales Resource Site (SRS), handles the relationship with our rebate fulfillment agency and POS freight shipping agency. Courtney also leads the POS sourcing and purchase order process for Corporate and other branded needs. All shipping invoices (NCL & FedEx) for POS are processed by Courtney in addition to the billing for our rebate partners and fulfillment agency.
How Does the POS Development Process Work?
The process for developing POS is really a team effort. The MPS Team collaborates with vendors, the Brand Teams, and CSD to create new and innovative POS items to catch the eye of our consumers. The process looks different for each team, but ideas for new POS items may come from conversations with vendors about their capabilities, directly from the brand team during the program planning process, or through brainstorming with CSD. It’s important for the MPS Team to come up with exciting new POS pieces that may feature interactive elements for consumers or serve as a leave behind for an account, also called a dealer loader. Depending on the program, some POS items may be reused from year to year or revamped to present a new, but similar version to the year before. This is most often the case for seasonal and recurring programs that take place year after year.
Below are a few examples of POS items the MPS Team sources:
MPS Team Growth
Since joining the Heaven Hill family, Lynn has worked to identify opportunities within the MPS Team to help streamline processes and further develop the team’s capabilities. She spoke with the MPS Team, Brand Teams, CSD, and some members of the Sales Team to learn more about areas of opportunity and improvement so her team could better serve the company going forward.
One of her first projects was to implement a more streamlined project management system. This work will allow everyone involved to know what projects are in process and how they can work together to improve workflow.
This work is currently underway to be complete in the next month or two. Also, due to recent supply chain challenges across all industries, production and shipping costs have increased dramatically. The MPS team is working with our vendors to negotiate and lock-in pricing, look into standard materials or alternate materials for availability and sourcing options – domestic or from Mexico vs international. They are also working on improving standard contract verbiage to ensure we’re covered in the event that something is lost or damaged during shipping.
Additionally, the team is working with our warehouse partner FCI to improve checkout processes on the SRS, which is where the Sales Team orders a majority of their POS materials.“My ultimate vision for the department is to have a very collaborative MPS Team,” said Lynn. “We are working together to share ideas and projects, fostering an environment focused on collaboration, information sharing, and efficiency. We should always be thinking about how we can improve our processes and relationships with internal vendors while being nimble in this everchanging environment.”
“The best part of my new position is working with the people on the procurement team,” said Lynn. “They have been incredibly supportive and have helped me learn a lot about the industry and POS process. The knowledge they bring to the table and their ability to stay on top of tasks with the challenges they face in the industry is incredible. This team is constantly bringing new and innovative POS ideas to the table to promote our brands and work diligently to find new ways to improve processes within the company and support our sales and brand teams. They have been instrumental with streamlining POS requests, improving SRS processes, implementing a new SAB company store which will be released by end of year, developed and executed new POS materials to help support our brands, improving processes for rebate programs, and continue to share ideas and information that help us to improve and grow as a team. I feel very fortunate to be able to work with Jessica, Marcia, Jennifer, Katy, Natalie, and Courtney and look forward to being part of this procurement team!” Lynn is excited for the future of the MPS Team and the work they’re doing together.
Stay tuned to echo for some exciting announcements to come from the MPS Team.
