The B Word is the show where we demystify everything to do with B2B branding. Every month we invite guests from the worlds' of technology, venture capital, private equity and beyond to discuss what branding is, how it works and why it matters for businesses today.

Episode 6: In this episode we talk to Christian Mouysset co-founder of Restaurant PerformanceOps platform Tenzo. Christian talks to The B Word about his journey as a former restaurateur, and how this experience led to co-founding a technology startup. We discuss how designing a new category has helped Tenzo communicate with far greater clarity and simplicity around the problem it solves and the value it creates for restaurant operators.

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Episode highlights:

The successes and impacts of Tenzo, its profound impact on businesses: Citing examples of significant reductions in wastage, increased labour productivity, and the transformation from loss-making to profit-making, underscoring the rewarding nature of Tenzo's impact.

1. Strong relationships have been built with customers, including those who have been part of the journey since the beginning, fostering a sense of pride and achievement.
2. Impact on businesses is a key measure of success, with examples including an 80% reduction in wastage, a 15% increase in labour productivity, and the transformation from loss-making to profit-making.
3. The overall reward is highlighted, not only in business success but also in the positive environmental impact of reducing wastage.

Sustainability challenges in the restaurant industry and Tenzo's vision for the future, particularly in reducing waste and improving predictability ­– the three dimensions of sustainability: business survival, team well-being, and environmental impact. The use of AI in predicting future business trends and optimizing operations is highlighted, with a focus on reducing waste and improving revenue.

1. 70% of restaurants go out of business in the first year, highlighting the difficulty of running a restaurant.
2. Stressful work environments for restaurant teams due to unpredictable revenue and last-minute changes.
3. Significant global waste in the restaurant industry, contributing to 500 million tons of CO2 emissions and $100 billion in lost revenue.
4. Tenzo's goal is to address these challenges through AI-driven solutions. AI helps predict future business trends, overcoming issues with the traditional four-week average method.
5. AI-driven predictions improve accuracy by 30 to 50 percent, reducing over-preparation, under-preparation, and food waste.
6. The impact of AI extends beyond marginal improvements, offering substantial benefits in resource utiliSation and environmental sustainability.

Creating a new category with Structure and the impact of the new category "restaurant performance ops." for Tenzo: The category addresses the challenges faced by restaurateurs, such as scattered data, lack of real-time insights, and decisions based on gut instincts. And also, the internal and external benefits of category alignment.

1. The category "restaurant performance ops," addresses challenges like scattered data, lack of real-time insights, and gut-based decision-making in the restaurant industry.
2. The new category emerged from insights into the percentage of margin left on the table due to data fragmentation and the inability to generate actionable insights.
3. Internal alignment within the business is crucial, helping teams to speak the same language, aligning product development and growth efforts, and fostering clear communication.
4. The category helps the team understand the "why" behind Tenzo's services, leading to more meaningful product development decisions.
5. External benefits include improved conversations with existing customers and prospects, helping them understand the unique value proposition and why it's better than alternatives.
6. Overall, the new category brings clarity to decision-making processes, focusing the team on areas that contribute to the defined mission and vision.

 

The branding process lead to a positive outcome and the valuable insights gained through the collaborative process achieved via the guidance provided: The process, including decisions on colours and brand elements, successfully balanced the brand's fun side without appearing gimmicky. The team's trust in the new brand was solidified, leading to a positive reception during the unveiling.

1. Initial apprehension before the category creation process due to uncertainties about how it would unfold.
2. Appreciation for the guided and collaborative process, helping the team learn about focus areas, prospect needs, and improved communication.
3. Positive reflections on the process, which built trust within the team and generated excitement and belief in the new brand during the unveiling.

 

Christian's advice for founders considering designing a new category and rebranding: Includes the recommendation to read "Play Bigger" for a deeper understanding of the process. He suggests that if there's a lack of alignment in conversations, both internally and externally, or if it takes too long to explain the product, founders should lean into the category creation process.

1. Read "Play Bigger" to gain a deeper understanding of category design.
2. Consider category design if there is a lack of alignment in conversations, internally and externally, or if explaining the product takes too long.
3. Emphasises the importance of explaining the product simply and quickly to reach the right audience.
4. Recommends working with Design by Structure, describing the experience as incredible and fun.

"There are conversations with very large customers that we are having today that I am really not convinced we would be having in the same way, had we not had such a clear way to describe the category."
Christian Mouysset, Tenzo.

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