Part of the sales strategy for Baker’s Pride, Burlington, IA, is ensuring that the bakery is the right fit for the right customers, without diving into more SKUs than the company is comfortable with. To accomplish this, according to Lou Mastriano, vice-president, sales and marketing, the bakery must understand the objectives of each potential customer. “First, I take a step back and define the strategy for how a customer wants to grow its private label,” he said. “When I know that, I can lead with the private label hat or the branded hat.”

Front and center on the “branded hat” is the bakery’s Flint Hills brand, which represents Baker’s Pride as a local bakery, as well as a manufacturer, Mr. Mastriano noted. The brand name emerged from companywide brainstorm that offered up more than 100 possible names. From those, the company narrowed the search and chose the Flint Hills brand. “It’s a beautiful fit because it represents the history of the area, and it also has legs to take it much further along,” Mr. Mastriano said.