Dairy Industries Jamaica Limited

7 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 9, ISSUE 9 increase brand awareness across the board for all our categories and get them into channels where we have the best opportunity to win.” A shortage of packaging materials, among other supplies, has been a challenge but DIJL have been able to communicate internally and extend that communication to suppliers to put plans in place to mitigate the risk. Hanson states, “We’ve had to pivot but we’ve been able to navigate those obstacles well enough to ensure that there hasn’t been any risk to the business, or our bottom line, and allowing us to continue to supply products to consumers.” Over the last year, DIJ have gone to market with three new products. According to Karis- Ann Rhoden-Gordon, Business Development Manager, “We continuously review and optimize our product offerings with an aim to position the company for long-term growth. In terms of diversifying our product portfolio, we added the first locally made drinkable yogurt. The market is accustomed to more of a spoonable yogurt but this one was a bit different for us. Although there are imported brands here, we were confident that our product could claim significant space in the market.” For the kids’ market, the pandemic somewhat shifted with young people spending more time at home, having school online, which meant more at-home meal preparation. “We wanted to take advantage of that by making meals a little bit easier and healthier,” Rhoden- Gordon says. “So, in the yogurt smoothie, you find a product that is not just convenient because of the single serve, but also it is nutritious. It made with probiotics, contains live and active cultures as well as contains the necessary calcium and protein that is needed for that category and age group.” Globally, the focus on health and wellbeing was intensified during the pandemic which has inspired DIJL’s product development. Rhoden- Gordon explains, “We wanted to give the