A Conversation with Doug Baker
As vice president, private brands for the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, Va., Doug Baker facilitates a community of private brand professionals who have helped develop a platform for noncompetitive trading partner collaboration. Prior to joining FMI, he served in leadership roles at various food companies, including Fry’s food stores, Kraft/Nabisco and the Federated Group. Throughout his career, Baker has focused on retail operations, consumer packaged goods manufacturing, private brand development and marketing.
Store Brands asked Baker to discuss his career and what he sees going on in the store brand industry today.
Store Brands: How would you sum up your work philosophy?
Doug Baker: I have tried to follow a career path that has allowed me to see and be a student of the industry from many different vantage points. Most importantly, I value integrity. My father instilled, “Follow through on your commitments, even the ones you wish you could get out of,” “Work hard, and good things will come to you,” “Dont demand and then not perform,” and … “You have a responsibility to others; your decisions and actions affect more than just yourself.” I work on these daily.
Store Brands: What are the most exciting store brand categories right now, and what makes them so exciting?
Baker: If I had a multiple-choice option, Id select “all the above.” Private brands are starting to venture beyond the traditional model of the “fast follower” and come into their own. Recently, Mintel published a report stating 42 percent of millennials believe private brands are more innovative than national brands. As private brand owners and their supplier partners continue to focus more on the consumer, we should see this percentage continue to rise.
Store Brands: What is your all-time favorite store brand product?
Baker: Currently, I think the private brand industry is doing a solid job in the yogurt category. Packaging, flavors and protein diet contributions are all unique attributes of the category, and personally, I’m a protein-conscious consumer. One of the notable trends revolves around the introduction of Icelandic yogurt, which is referenced as having the highest levels of protein.
Store Brands: Who is your greatest hero, and what makes him or her such an inspiration?
Baker: This is a two-person answer. Without a doubt, my hero was my father. I didn’t realize all the reasons until much later in life, but as I matured in my career and as a person, I recognized my most valuable traits were a direct result of his influence. My father was a humble person with a strong work ethic who held high expectations for himself and for anyone who worked for him. … As a small-business owner, he understood that he was only as good as his employees, so he took the time and invested in their lives both professionally and personally. In return, they were more invested in helping the team hit its goals.
My inspiration over the last two decades is easily my wife. When we met in high school, I was always impressed with how focused she was and how she knew exactly what she wanted to do with her life and what it took to get there. This was not a strong suit for me when we met. I definitely owe her some of the credit for focusing me. Today, as a critical care ICU nurse, [she has] helped me manage crises in my personal and professional world by keeping things in perspective.
Store Brands: If you hadn’t gone into retail, what career would you have chosen?
Baker: My father was a volunteer fireman, so of course, I was going to be a fireman. One problem: I found out I don’t like the sight of broken bones. Since firefighting and first aid weren’t in my future, I thought I would pursue a degree in accounting, but unfortunately, I realized I liked economics courses as much as broken bones. Instead, I refocused my efforts and turned my part-time job with Fry’s into the start of a career in the grocery industry, running my first produce department. I loved it, and I later finished college and received a degree in marketing.