UK's largest buying group Unitas has launched the first of its raft of new initiatives that will utilise the group’s size and scale.
Launching its Connected for Growth programme Unitas held a two-day event, Brand Ignition Live. The event brought together 12 of the UK’s biggest impulse suppliers with the group’s independent wholesale members in order to share brand plans and align on the ‘big bet’ campaigns and NPD to deliver ‘as one’ execution across the group.
“This event perfectly demonstrates how we can execute with power and purpose across the group,” said Belinda Parkinson, Head of Marketing, Unitas. “Brand Ignition Live provides invaluable time efficiency when everyone is so busy, enabling the right people to have the right conversations that will result in collaborative action.”
Ashleigh Cheetham, Head of Trading - Retail, Unitas agreed: “The suppliers and members that attended the event saw how, by combining our size, scale and reach with our data-rich insight and industry knowledge, we can create plans that will lead to genuinely transformational results. The event has resulted in creative and collaborative thinking which showcases how the best business is done when people are together in the same room.”
For Unitas members, the benefits were crystal clear: “The Ignition Brand Event was an excellent opportunity to save time and maximise engagement with key brand suppliers. It allows us to meet with a wide range of major suppliers in one place, gaining valuable insight into their plans, priorities and strategies for the year ahead,” said Rajan Radia, Dhamecha.
“This approach avoids the need for multiple meetings spread across several days, making the process far more efficient. The informal setting also encourages open conversations, stronger relationships and direct engagement with suppliers, helping us better understand their plans and identify opportunities for the year ahead.”
Suppliers were in agreement. Gareth Eaves, Customer Development Manager, Mondelez said: “Unitas has really turned the dial on setting up suppliers, the group and its membership for 2027. Brand Ignition Live was a great opportunity for the Mondelez team to showcase our great activation and NPD plans for 2027 to the Unitas membership in one location. It provided a huge opportunity to gain in-the-moment feedback on the plans and enabled us to set up time for further conversations locally on how we execute these joint plans.”
Tom Gaw, Wholesale Channel Controller, Suntory agreed: “It has been great to meet with so many members that we wouldn’t normally speak with which will no doubt lead to unlocking new opportunities.”
Virtual Brand Ignition
Following the success of Brand Ignition Live, Unitas will also be holding an online Brand Ignition event on 18-19 November where 36 impulse, grocery and licensed suppliers will host virtual booths and present brand plans to Unitas member businesses’ marketing and trading teams.