A broker represents a portfolio of brands to distributors and retail buyers, mostly as a relationship and negotiation function. A field sales agency puts dedicated reps physically in accounts, selling, running tastings, and following up in person. Some companies do both; they are not the same service.
What a broker is actually selling
A broker's value is access and relationships: they know the distributor buyers, the chain category managers, the people who decide what gets authorized. That's real and useful, especially for getting a brand's first meeting. But a broker relationship rarely includes someone walking into individual accounts week after week to make sure a placement is actually selling.
What a field sales agency is actually selling
A field sales agency sells labor and accountability in the account itself: a rep who shows up, runs the tasting, checks the shelf, catches the out-of-stock, and logs it. It's less about opening the door and more about what happens after the door is open.
Why the difference matters to a brand
- A broker relationship without field execution often produces distribution without velocity, the brand gets on the truck but doesn't move
- Field execution without distribution access has nothing to work, there's no point sending a rep somewhere the brand isn't even authorized
- Some brands need both, in sequence or at the same time, depending on where they are
Frontline runs the field sales side, dedicated reps carrying a focused book of brands, plus distribution and chain access support, so a brand isn't stuck choosing between "someone who can get us the meeting" and "someone who can make the placement actually work."
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