Grounding in reality to plan for the future

Maison Russet – Offers specialized and innovative potato products

après-demain studio – Customer experience strategy

Context

Maison Russet is a Quebec-based family business specializing in the processing of potatoes and vegetable-based products, distributed across Canada and internationally. With recognized expertise and a well-established industrial presence, the company operates in a transforming sector where consumer expectations are shifting toward healthier, more sustainable, and more traceable products.

In this context, management sought to initiate a strategic reflection to assess its strengths, challenges, and long-term growth opportunities. The mandate entrusted to après-demain studio aimed to provide a clear diagnostic of the current situation and lay the groundwork for a mobilizing strategic plan to guide future decisions.

Objective

The main objective was to clarify the company’s current position and define the priority areas for development to support its growth in the coming years. More specifically, the mandate aimed to:

• Analyze the organization’s external ecosystem (PESTEL) to identify growth opportunities.

• Identify key differentiation levers within a highly competitive market.

• Highlight areas of vulnerability and short-term risks to address.

• Establish a strong foundation for the development of the strategic plan.

  
  

Our approach

1. Strategic Diagnosis

We began the process with a comprehensive analysis of Maison Russet’s external foundations, including a deep understanding of the market dynamics in which the company operates. This phase provided a clear and objective view of the key challenges, growth opportunities, and areas requiring particular attention.

2. Synthesis and Roadmap

The insights gathered from interviews and workshops were consolidated into a strategic analysis structured around the company’s main performance pillars: positioning, internal structure, product offering, and organizational culture.

This synthesis led to the development of structuring recommendations, the prioritization of actions based on impact and feasibility, and the creation of a fact-based foundation to guide the upcoming strategic planning process.

Results

The mandate concluded with the delivery of an external analysis and recommendations focused on the organization’s key growth pillars, presenting the main findings, evolution opportunities, and concrete action paths.

This process made it possible to clearly identify short-, medium-, and long-term growth levers, equip management for informed decision-making, and establish a shared strategic language across teams. The deliverables also included a visual synthesis of insights, facilitating the communication of conclusions during strategic planning discussions.

Impacts

Thanks to this process, Maison Russet now has a clear and shared picture of its business situation. The company can now begin its strategic planning on a solid foundation, fully aligned with its values and long-term vision.