Friday, July 30, 2010
It goes without saying that we love cheese in Wisconsin. Our state provides some of the best there is, after all.
Luckily for us, the people at Formaticum have created a new way for all cheese lovers to embrace their inner fromager with their new Cheese Journal.
The Formaticum Cheese Journal is a book designed to help you remember your favorite cheeses. It features an introduction with helpful information about cheese, information on milk types, how to taste cheese and serving tips. There are 59 pages in the journal – enough space to remember 118 cheeses!
We know that the journals are available online and at Whole Foods stores, but would argue that in addition to Formaticum’s clever line of cheese paper and labels, they would provide specialty cheese shops a great way to market their premium food products.
What types of food accessories could you provide to foodies to make your product more special?
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Labels: cheese, marketing premium food, Packaging, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady, Wisconsin Cheese
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Being on-trend is important to premium food marketers – we’ve talked quite a bit about the latest trends. But salmon-flavored vodka? The Alaska Distillery in Wasilla, AK (the Wasilla of Sarah Palin fame) has infused the savory flavor of smoked salmon into the vodka.
Toby Foster, an Alaska Distillery partner and the one charged with coming up with new Alaskan-themed flavors, claims that the intent behind the flavor was to market a local vodka which would stand out among the numerous other bottles on the liquor store shelves.
“I was trying to think of something Alaskan. What’s more Alaskan than smoked salmon? It was one of those epiphanies, I suppose,” he said. – MSN
Convenience, another perennial customer favorite has led to the Candwich – a sandwich in a can.
While the peanut butter-and-jelly options seem at least edible, the BBQ chicken and soon-to-be-released cheeseburger varieties seem…less so. As reported by Eater.com, “Although it’s targeting the pre-school, camping, and construction worker demographic, it seems more like a novelty or a military ration than something anyone would actually eat on a regular basis.”
Are companies using a little too much innovation to market their premium food? Or, are they recognizing the need for super niche products in an effort to stand out? I’ll let you try both of the products listed in this blog and take your word for it. Please be sure to post your experience with your next salmontini or canned sandwich in the comments.
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Labels: advertising, Candwich, eater.com, food trends, marketing premium food, Packaging, Premium Food, salmon vodka, sandwich in a can, Stephan & Brady
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The right logo can make or break a premium food brand. Creating a symbol for a brand identity is an in-depth process involving strategic application of research and a deep understanding of your target audience.
By the same token, once you have already established your brand’s image, changing the look and feel can create quite a hullabaloo. Consumers like the familiar and removing that familiarity can be risky.
Consider the recent uproar when Tropicana changed their packaging – consumers were so outraged that they turned to their social media outlets and let Tropicana know about it. It didn’t take long for the company to revert to the old look.
To provide insight into the importance of logo design, I asked a few of our Creative team members to comment:
“The most important thing to remember about a logo is that it is the representation of your company, boiled down into one little mark. It’s your brand, your past, your future, it’s everything your company says and does.” – Brian
“The most successful re-branding efforts are ones that, like a good face lift, might go unnoticed! The best results are when subtle changes are made to the original logo that bring it to a more current, contemporary place and leave the consumer wondering, did they or didn’t they?!” – Katja
“A logo is the outward appearance of your company, service or product.
Before creating one, you must ask yourself, ‘What am I trying to convey through my logo?’ Do you want it to be contemporary and trendy, or something more timeless that still stands up as the years roll on by?” – Troy
Establishing your premium food brand with an iconic logo can be one of your strongest marketing tools. When carried through on packaging, advertising and at every point of contact, it builds your brand and creates a connection with your target audience. Consider the “golden arches”. Without even seeing the company name, I’d bet a vast
majority of people around the globe would know it’s McDonalds.
What premium food logos resonate the most with you? Which do you think are off the mark and don’t speak to the brand?
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Labels: brands, logos, marketing, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Friday, February 19, 2010
If your premium food brand meets European Union (EU) standards for organic labeling in Europe, there’s a new logo available for your packaging.
German student Dusan Milenkovic won 63% of the vote for the logo he submitted as part of a competition sponsored by the European Commission.
Starting in July 2010, the organic logo must appear on all pre-packaged organic products that meet the standards and were produced in an EU member state. Use of the logo will be optional for imported products.
“I’m delighted that we now have a fresh EU organic food logo,” said Mariann Fischer Boel, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, who first proposed the competition to select the logo. “This exercise has raised the profile of organic food and we now have a logo which everyone will be able to identify with. It’s a nice elegant design and I look forward to buying products carrying this logo from July this year.”
Much like the USDA logo for organic labeling, the EU symbol will help premium food marketers set their products apart at retail and provide consumers with an easy-to-recognize differentiator for choosing organic food. Although, some might argue that the USDA logo has lost its potency due to incorrect usage and lack of regulation.
What do you think? Will the EU organic logo help premium food marketers or do they also run the risk of oversaturation and consumer confusion?
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Labels: EU, marketing premium food, organic labeling, Packaging, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Friday, February 12, 2010
As if concerns about what “organic” means weren’t enough, now there’s another food issue for consumers to worry about—whether the fish they buy is sustainable and if they can trust claims about its source. This is an opportunity for food marketers to position themselves as credible sources of information through Web sites, advertising and various other communications.
In his blog, Vocab, Ben Schott of the New York Times identified “bluewashing” as
“The accusation that some purveyors of fish are making misleading claims as to the ‘eco-credentials’ of their wares”
“Campaigns to encourage diners and shoppers to question whether the seafood they buy is sustainable have hit the mainstream, thanks in no small part to The End of the Line, a 2009 documentary about overfishing. However, the advice given to consumers over sustainable seafood is inconsistent at best, and at worst, misleading,” said Nic Fleming in an article for NewScientist magazine.
Fleming quotes Jennifer Jacquet of the University of British Columbia Fisheries Centre in Vancouver, Canada, lead author of a study comparing dozens of sustainable seafood initiatives.
“There is simply too much mislabeling, too much misleading information, too many inconsistencies and, so far, too few results.”
The study’s authors fear that the inconsistency and confusion could be exploited to sell products that do not meet rigorous standards. The greenwashing that some companies have employed to falsely boost their eco-credentials “could turn into ‘bluewashing’ today,” they say.
False labeling and the breaching of consumer trust has become such a mainstream issue that various industries are now creating their own terms to label the unethical practices. Green, sustainable, eco-friendly, organic – all are terms that should not be taken for granted and present premium food marketers with an ethical challenge of drawing the line between selling a product and not being honest with consumers.
What do you think marketers of truly organic or sustainable premium food can do to help combat this issue? Please share your thoughts in the comments section.
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Labels: bluewashing, food sourcing, NewScientist Magazine, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady, Vocab blog
Thursday, January 14, 2010
The Vietnam Era Generation Gap isn’t a one-time phenomenon. Decades seem to come and go at warp speed. And sharp marketers of premium food know that what works for one generation won’t work for the next. Seems that everyone is time starved. But Millennials take this to a new level. And it greatly impacts how premium food marketers communicate in-store, through signage, promotions and packaging.
According to Information Resources, Inc. (IRI), Millennials favor in-store messaging over deals. A Progressive Grocer interview with Sean Seitzinger, IRI’s SVP of thought leadership, summed it up this way:
“Compared with their elders, Millennials tend to use fewer coupons and circulars. They’re also more likely to shop without a budget and make impulse grocery purchases. Due to their quick purchasing decisions, these women are also less likely to stock up while deals and bargains last. Marketers have better luck reaching these women via the right in-store messaging and packaging size. Such behaviors derive from the fact that these shoppers are time-strapped and aren’t as savvy as older shoppers when it comes to looking for deals.”
So with the right messaging, you don’t have to give away the store.
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Labels: Inc., Information Resources, Millennials, Premium Foods, Progressive Grocer, Sean Seitzinger, Stephan & Brady
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Everyone is attracted to bright, shiny things. But at retail, standing out on the shelf is only part of the equation. Once you’ve attracted your customer, you have to activate them to get that product into their cart and across that scanner.
Stand out on the shelf and get into that grocery cart.
Mintel recently released its global consumer packaged goods predictions providing insight into how we can make meaningful connections at retail.
Take a minute to think about how these might affect your packaging strategy. Then, remember to test your ideas with focus groups.
Calories Count. Consumers are more concerned than ever about caloric intake. If you’ve got a great story to tell, get it on your packaging.
So Does Sodium. According to Mintel, this is slated to be the next major health movement.
Keep it Local. Foods and beverages that use local ingredients will remain an important factor in purchasing decisions in 2010. Expect manufacturers to expand the definition of local beyond a region to include the entire United States.
Fresh with Few Ingredients. Consumers identify foods with fewer ingredients as being better for them. Even if the fat and calorie content are high, if a product is made with fresh, all-natural ingredients, they have appeal. Just look at what Haagen Dazs has done with its “Five” line – ice creams made with just five simple ingredients.
Color Coding. If you have different versions of a brand, make them stand out with color to help emphasize the variety of the line.
No one wants to revamp their packaging only to find out it has a negative impact. Remember the Tropicana debacle of 2009?
If you’ve forgotten, click here for a quick refresher.
Source: The Independent
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Labels: Packaging, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Friday, December 11, 2009
In this post, I’ve translated Iconoculture’s top consumer insights for the coming year for the world of food marketing. How many apply to you? How many can you take advantage of?
In Recovery
Has your target customer made a complete mindshift in regards to spending in 2010? How will they react to your product? How does your product fit into their “new normal” budgeting process?
Social Media Back Peddle
Social media is here to stay. But where your targets spend their cyber time and what they choose to share about themselves will be critical to understanding how to connect with them in a meaningful (and not annoying) way.
Little Gifts
Flaunting your wealth is in bad taste, but it’s still okay to spend (the recovery can’t happen on its own). Prove to your target that your product is worth spending the extra money on. Do you know what makes them tick? We’re surprised at the number of so-called premium food marketers who really don’t.
You Gotta Problem with That?
If your product or brand makes a mistake – everyone will know and your customers will be taking it to the streets (through social media) and demand change. Do you have a crisis plan in place to quell the crowd?
Customers Rule
Are your customers already telling you what they want regarding your premium food product or service? Customer feedback will continue to shape business – but you still have to be in the driver’s seat! Forget controlling the conversation. But look for ways to manage it.
Ethnicity Is In
It’s a small world after all. The ethnicity of the U.S. is rapidly changing. What’s your target’s hue? It’s critical to know, and to leverage.
Prevention is the Best Medicine
Does your product fit into a healthy diet? Personal accountability will transform the way we think about our health and how we pay for it. With implications on how much we’ll be willing to pay for products that make a difference
Water World
How is water used to manufacture your product and packaging? If you’re earth- and water-friendly, let people know. There’s more green in being green.
Clean Labels
From shorter ingredient lists to esthetically pleasing simple packaging, think about how these two elements speak to your audience. Is it time to clean up your act?
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Labels: customers, ethnicity, gifts, Iconoculture, Premium Food, prevention, recovery, social media, water
