Good Things Come From Sysco?

We know you’re busy but have you seen what we’ve seen on the Food Network?

Sysco recently announced “a multi-platform marketing relationship with the Food Network and its highly rated show ‘Restaurant Impossible’ and a partnership with the show’s host celebrity chef Robert Irvine.”

We had to do a double take on this one.  Bill Delaney, president and CEO of Sysco Corporation had this to say: “As the industry leader, we must continue to find new ways to engage with, provide value to and earn the trust of our customers.”  He went on to say, “Launching this unique marketing relationship with the Food Network and Chef Irvine will enhance our ability to strengthen our customer relationships by contributing to their success.”

All this while the American Antitrust Institute is warning the FTC that the Sysco – US Foods merger threatens the food supply chain if it is allowed to go through without significant divestitures.  Chairwoman Edith Ramirez warned: “that the merger will combine the only two national broadliners and raises several competitive issues: perpetuating “domino-like” consolidation in the supply chain, eliminating head to head competition between major rivals, increasing concentration in local and regional geographic markets and enhancing buyer market power and creating barriers to entry for smaller or alternative food systems.”  Whew, not only is she this vocal about their wariness she delivered a nine-page analysis, conducted by the institute’s vice president Diana Moss, to the FTC to go on record.

This is a highly respected antitrust watchdog group that, per their website:

is an education, research, and advocacy organization working to increase the role of competition, assure that competition serves the interests of consumers, and challenge abuses of concentrated economic power in the American and world economy. 

One of the ways they advocate is through testimony and intervention.  While they didn’t intervene yet they are painting a very disheartening picture of the fate of the foodservice industry.

It seems pretty clear that Sysco is ever more confident in its supremacy by launching a full on multi-platform marketing campaign with Bill Goetz, senior VP for marketing going so far as to say “the company had a gut feel the Food Network was the right place to deliver its message, but decided to do some research as well.”  Really?  Doesn’t that just sound like a Sysco-ism?

Sysco had not done national advertising before so they had their people reach out to Food Network people as the old cliché goes.  “It’s all about the fact that Sysco is the resource that you need to be successful” Goetz says.  The campaign tag line:  “Good Things Come From Sysco”…ultimately the FTC will decide.

We’d love to know how this is sitting with you.