How we did it
In September 2022, Hostess, owned by J.M. Smucker Co., expanded its partnership with Acosta to accelerate its business within the military channel. The impact was immediate, with Acosta’s Military team delivering impressive growth and outperforming the total channel.
Acosta focused on rapidly expanding Hostess’s distribution in the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES). The team also capitalized on competitive brand challenges, ensuring that Hostess products were positioned to fill gaps left by competitors.
Another critical element of Acosta’s strategy was aggressive senior leadership engagement. The team implemented connectivity plans to ensure alignment between retail initiatives and Hostess’s goals, fostering strong partnerships that supported long-term growth.
Acosta’s military support also focused on aligning product placement and promotional efforts at the headquarters level, boosting product visibility and consumer engagement for Hostess.
As a result, Hostess achieved 94.6% growth, a stark contrast to the -1.6% decline in the overall military retail channel. Hostess’s growth index versus the total channel reached 198, highlighting the effectiveness of Acosta’s focused strategy in helping Hostess thrive in military retail.