In the foodservice and Away From Home channel however, the fragmentation and inevitable media wastage mean that kind of above-the-line brand building is not an option. B2B foodservice marketing historically leans on trade media and short-term, transactional tactics: price deals, bulk buys, sell-ins. Add in the clumsy reuse of B2C messaging, slow adoption of digital techniques, and eternal underinvestment - in both budget and ambition. And yet? Sales cycles are growing longer, and involving more stakeholders than ever. 

84% of purchases involve people choosing brands they’re already biased towards. Just 16% of sales remain open to influence through lower-funnel marketing.

In fact, the ways in which foodservice buyers choose suppliers are transforming. So, how does this impact your B2B marketing?

Buyer’s journeys start before they even identify a need 

Today, chefs, procurement teams, and C-Suite all act like consumers. They’re more digital-first, self-directed, and selective than ever before. 

Digital natives now account for more than 71% of B2B decision-makers, making the old purchase journey near-unrecognisable. Three-quarters start their research online, review around 11 pieces of content and get almost a third of the way through the purchase process before they even speak to a supplier. If you don’t show up early - and repeatedly - you simply won’t make their shortlist.

B2B leaders aged under 40 consult nearly twice as many colleagues when making buying decisions vs. older generations (6.8 vs 3.5). 

As a result, modern foodservice brands need more than one-off campaigns or direct-response strategies. They need a smart, joined-up approach that quietly and systematically builds reputation, creates demand, and makes it easy for operators to see the value in their products/service, long before a sales call.

However, there’s no single formula for effective foodservice brand building. The most successful strategies are rooted in deep understanding of buyer needs, pains and motivations, and are designed to show up where decision-making units already are. 

That means integrated marketing and sales enablement, consistent messaging across touchpoints, and a smart blend of digital and physical experiences; from content and tools to sampling, events and tailored experiences. It also requires sector-specific expertise. This is the gap most brands struggle to close - and exactly why Omne was named UK B2B Marketing Agency of the Year for 2025.

Britvic’s Future Ready transformation

Britvic, the leading UK soft drinks business, needed a strategic reset across its hospitality proposition. The challenge? Unify its iconic brand portfolio, modernise perceptions, demonstrate insight leadership and drive growth in a fiercely competitive B2B market.

Working with Omne, Britvic launched Future Ready: a bold, unifying value platform designed to position the business as the brand of choice for operators looking to stay ahead of change.

The strategy empowered sales teams with consistent messaging, modern toolkits and category-led insight. It shifted Britvic from fragmented selling to story-led influence, delivering 1,000+ high-quality independent leads and engaging 50+ new national accounts.

Brands are x20 more likely to be bought when known by the whole buyer group, compared to when recommended only by experts.

Britvic staff report greater confidence and uptake in customer meetings, helping them convert more prospective customers. Operators praised the relevance and clarity of Britvic’s refreshed value story, too, marking the beginning of a long-term commercial B2B advantage. The secret to the campaign’s success? Proving worth from the very start. 

Proof packs are your headline asset 

In Omne’s latest Brands Away From Home report, we tracked the shift in how operators evaluate suppliers. Today, reassurance has given way to proof. Buyers want hard proof of brands’ contributions across data like minutes saved, waste reduced, compliance simplified, and sales driven on the floor.

Through our analysis, we identify four dominant realities shaping brand choice: 

• The Optimiser (focused on protecting margin)

• The Guardian (focused on compliance and risk reduction)

• The Creator (focused on guest experience and differentiation)

• The Balancer (focused on delivering health without margin loss)

To build brand preference, suppliers must anchor their long-term marketing strategy in one reality while flexing credibly into the others. That means planning end-to-end contact strategies and seeding meaningful sales and marketing moments throughout, exactly what Britvic achieved with Future Ready.

Buyers are now three times more likely to choose a vendor they trust over one who’s cheaper, or says they’re better.

Authority is earned, not claimed

Ultimately, buyers don’t crown experts overnight. Authority is earned by consistently demonstrating understanding of foodservice realities and challenges: operational pressures, menu trends and innovation, cost management and efficiency, sustainability and compliance, evolving customer expectations and much more.

Four in five B2B deals are won by the supplier considered the ‘pre-contract favourite’.

Some brands are guilty of selling features and the occasional benefit. But effective foodservice marketing isn’t about the supplier, it’s about the buyer: their pain points, need states and your products/solutions will provide the gains they need.

Proof is what matters - proven results, peer-to-peer voices and case studies cut through like nothing else. With the right strategy, you can make a meaningful impact inside six months. The opportunity for foodservice brands is to show up earlier, more often and more meaningfully. So, when buyers are ready, their decision already feels made.

Is your brand standing out early?

As the UK’s B2B Marketing Agency of the Year for 2025, Omne helps brands targeting the Away From Home channel understand how they’re seen, chosen and trusted - long before a sales conversation begins. We deliver a clear, evidence-led view of your brand’s visibility, relevance and growth headroom, so you can focus investment where it will make the biggest difference.

Curious what that could uncover? Let’s chat today: hello@omne.agency.