Gourmet flavoring company claims marketing award

The Clearwater-based Monin Americas has claimed a Marketing of the Year Award for its research process directing the marketing of its flavorings for coffee, tea, lemonade and cocktails.

Its eight-step, Flavor Forward Process involves online surveys and actual taste tests to determine which flavors are most worthy, says Cassie Kane, Brand Marketing Director in Clearwater.

“We develop a ton of flavors, that’s really what we are,” Kane says. “Years ago we didn’t have an organized way of really collecting our research and determining what we were going to produce.”

The Flavor Forward Process includes taking inventory, global insights, online databases that track menu offerings, demographics, other research sources, and input from its global Beverage Innovation Directors, she says.

“We ... take all of these trends, all of those things we see in the market,” she says.

The hand-blown glass award was given by Tampa Bay Chapter of the American Marketing Association for Market Research in March.

Monin Americas is a division of Monin Gourmet Flavorings, which opened in 1912 in Bourges, France. It offers more than 200 gourmet flavors in more than 145 countries.

Monin also ranked in the top 30 in the Tampa Bay Times’ 2017 Top Work Places.

Monin Americas, which oversees operations in North America, South America and the Caribbean, is located near Hercules Avenue and Drew Street in Clearwater. It employs more than 100.

In addition to their offices, there is a production facility that makes syrups for the Americas and an innovation center with a commercial kitchen, bar and cafe. Monin also has a new 100,000-square-foot warehouse in Largo, which is double the size of the warehouse it replaces, she says.

Monin offers a mix of flavors from the more traditional to innovative, including vanilla, caramel and hazelnut for coffee, and mango, raspberry and peach flavorings for tea and other beverages. Its Hawaiian island blend features yellow passion fruit, orange and guava.