Sometimes change sparks up innovation, and that’s certainly what it did for Enstrom Candies during ECRM’s recent Candy Planning: Easter & Valentine’s Day Virtual Session. Jim Simons, the fourth-generation owner and VP of Sales for the manufacturer of all-natural almond toffee products, has been participating in ECRM in-person Candy Planning sessions for years, ever since they decided to expand from direct-to-consumer onto the store shelves. 

With our pivot to virtual sessions, Jim and his team wanted to create an experience that was as close to the in-person ECRM meetings as possible, and found some interesting ways to do it, building a set up in their conference room that enable them to share their catalog digitally and provide a view of their product and displays – all while keeping the face-to-face component of the meeting. In fact, they even plan to bring some of their learnings from their virtual presentation to ECRM’s in-person sessions once we can all get together again!

During this interview with ECRM VP of Content Joseph Tarnowski, Jim gives an overview of his company and products, discusses how they have adapted to the new normal of the pandemic, and relates his successful experience on ECRM’s recent Virtual Session.

Click here to see ECRM's lineup of category-specific virtual sessions!

Listen to the podcast (or watch the video below)

Interview Discussion topics include:

• History of the company and the company's product lineup
• Covid-19 and it’s impact on how they engage with buyers
• Working with ECRM Client Success Managers to prepare for virtual meetings
• Enstrom’s unique virtual presentation setup and how they leveraged it to create a unique meeting experience
• The ECRM Connect tools and services used by Jim and his team
• How virtual will remain a part of the business moving forward
• New Enstrom products coming down the pike