Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Tailoring, customization and personalization. Consumers want it all and they want it just for them. With technology advancing at a staggering rate, it is very possible to market your premium food to an individual efficiently and cost-effectively. Modern customization tools allow you to speak to a mass audience while letting the technology tailor the message on an individual level.
Some specific examples of this include Facebook advertising, Netflix and Amazon. The ads users see on Facebook change every time they supply the networking site with additional information. If a user changes cities, jobs or relationship status, they automatically see ads that speak specifically to those changes. Similarly, with Netflix and Amazon, every time you make a purchase or add a DVD to your queue, suggestions are made based on your site history.
Taking a cue from the customization handbook, Yummly.com, a food-focused site that offers recipes and meal ideas, very recently joined the table.
“This just-launched recipe-search site “learns” what you like to cook and suggests your next kitchen adventure accordingly. As with other recipe sites, you can filter searches by ingredients, allergens, price, time and cuisine. But what makes Yummly stand out is its intuition: The more you use it, the better it understands your taste and quibbles, then employs its algorithms to recommend recipes to match.” – Tasting Table
Yummly brings additional value with its expansive database that includes more than 250,000 recipes pulled from top culinary sites, such as Epicurious, The Food Network and Chow.
How could you use this technology to market your premium food to your customer?
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Labels: customization, food trends, marketing premium food, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady, Tasting Table, Yummly
Monday, May 17, 2010
Can premium food marketers benefit from swimming against the healthy tide? KFC thinks so. The company says it’s “pleased” with the attention its new Double Down Sandwich—featuring fried chicken as “bread”—has been getting, citing unprecedented response with young males, the primary target audience.
Rick Maynard, KFC spokesman, cited word of mouth that built from the test market outward, resulting in increased media attention, and more importantly, a record number of social media reviews and YouTube videos posted.
However, overall consumer perception of KFC may be suffering, as noted in an article from Nation’s Restaurant News:
Data from New York-based BrandIndex, which compiles consumer perception scores relating to hundreds of brands across several industries in the United States, revealed KFC may be giving back some gains from the positive buzz associated with last year’s launch of Kentucky Grilled Chicken.
Despite increased awareness for the brand during the Double Down’s ad campaign, KFC’s “buzz score,” which BrandIndex compiles from 5,000 daily consumer surveys by subtracting negative feedback from positive feedback, has declined steadily in the lead-up to the product’s debut. Among consumers 18 to 49 years old, KFC’s buzz score fell from 21.1 in mid-March to 11.5 on April 16, just days after its introduction, BrandIndex said.
Ted Marzilli, senior vice president for BrandIndex, called KFC’s strategy “high risk, with potential for high reward.” It all depends on whether the product is seen as a way to treat yourself for eating well most of the time, or as another example of why quick service restaurants should be off the menu if you want to be healthy.
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Labels: Double Down sandwich, food trends, KFC, marketing premium food, Nation's Restaurant News, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Fat, sugar, carbs—they’ve all had a turn as the bad guy in American diets. Now, it’s salt. If you can tell a low-sodium story, now might be the time to do it.
The National Salt Reduction Initiative (NSRI)—a coalition of cities, states and health organization spearheaded by the New York City Health Department—is working to reduce Americans’ salt intake by 20% over five years.
NSRI has developed targets to guide company salt reductions in 62 categories of packaged food and 25 categories of restaurant food. The initiative includes voluntary two- and four-year targets for average salt levels in each category of food.
Heinz, Kraft Foods, Mars Food US, Starbucks Coffee Company, and Subway are among the first 16 companies to sign onto the initiative. Some companies have already made reductions; others announced plans to meet the reduced salt guidelines within a certain time period.
A report by the Institute of Medicine calls on the Food and Drug Administration to set maximum sodium levels for different foods. It has the support of a few key senators, who are planning hearings.
Others aren’t so sure. A recent Washington Post article quoted Lori Roman, president of the Salt Institute, a trade association, as saying the initiative was “not based on sound science.”
“The Italians eat about 40 percent more sodium than Americans, yet they have better cardiovascular health than Americans,” Roman said. “So it’s not the sodium. It’s an overall diet high in fruits and vegetables.”
Whether or not salt really is a bad guy, sodium levels in food are getting more scrutiny than ever before. How could you leverage a positive low-salt story, beyond packaging? Is there messaging in your advertising? On your website? Are you talking about low-sodium in your social media? Do your foodservice customers know that your product is low sodium? Are you helping them tell that story to their customers?
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Labels: food trends, Institute of Medicine, marketing premium food, National Salt Reduction Initiative, NSRI, Premium Food, sodium intake, Stephan & Brady, Washington Post
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Functional foods continue to draw heavy demand from consumers.
Food Technology magazine recently listed the top ten trends in the functional food category.
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Retro Health – Consumers are going back to the basics and seeking out foods that are lower in sodium, fat, calories and sugar. Whole grains and protein content are package claims that appeal to shoppers.
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Naturally Functional – Providing foods that are naturally high in nutrients and blending them with phytochemicals to achieve additional benefit is an appealing trend to consumers – think V8 Fusion Juice
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Functional Fill-ins – Shoppers, especially in the 18 – 35 age group, want snacks that offer more than just a sugar rush and provide a healthy alternative. Examples include nuts, trail mix, dry fruit, etc.
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Prime Timers – Caters to the age 50+ market who are looking to lower cholesterol, improve mind function and maintain bone health amongst other benefits. Heart-healthy oatmeal and cereal are doing well in this category.
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Chemical Warfare – Chemicals, additives, preservatives and artificial colors are among top food concerns for consumers who are doing what they can to avoid them.
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Ailing Adolescents – Addressing the growing problem of childhood obesity, consumers are seeking out “products that will prevent and perhaps even treat risk factors for serious diseases later in life.” Moms are monitoring their kids’ eating habits and want meals and snacks that provide
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Meddling in Medications – Consumers want an alternative to costly prescription medications and more natural medical solutions. Vitamins, minerals and pre/probiotics speak to these demands.
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Daily Dynamics – Improving daily performance, receiving an energy boost and enhancing beauty and exercise continue to rank high on the list of reasons consumers purchase functional foods and beverages.
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Get the Lowdown – Targeting lower-income shoppers with functional foods geared towards their needs and spending habits allows premium food marketers to tap into the fastest-growing income group.
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Foodservice – Restaurants continue to skew healthier on their menu options by including lower-fat options and kid-friendly items that also make moms happy. Those who label menu items with health claims such as “heart healthy,” see more demand for those items by diners.
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Labels: Food Technology, food trends, functional food, marketing premium food, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Monday, May 3, 2010
As Americans continue to focus on health and health care, premium food marketers will find success in the functional food category, a top trend in food products. Functional foods include products that have added nutrients, vitamins, performance boosters, and often provide extra health benefits.
According to Food Technology, “Healthful positioning was a dominant factor in the success of new foods and drinks that reached blockbuster sales status in 2009.”
The category accounted for $37.4 billion in U.S. sales in 2009. In fact, six out of ten adults bought a functional food or drink in 2009, up from 48% who did so in 2008. One reason? With less time to create well-rounded meals, consumers are looking to food manufacturers to provide quick and easy meals that provide the health benefits they might otherwise be missing.
Mintel lists the top reasons consumers gave for purchasing a functional food item in 2009:
- Supplement diet
- Digestive health
- Weight loss
- Specific health issue
- Energy boost
- Mental focus
- Eliminate stress
Will consumers continue to clamor for functional foods or will the category hit a plateau due to oversaturation? How can premium food marketers continue to tout the health benefits of functional foods without buzz words like “antioxidants,” “fortified” and “probiotic” losing their impact?
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Labels: Food Technology, food trends, functional food, marketing premium food, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
Monday, February 15, 2010
Keeping ahead of emerging trends is important for premium food marketers. The Center for Culinary Development (CCD) and Packaged Facts, announced the top five food trends they believe will most affect menus and grocery store shelves in 2010.
Parisian Macarons – The pastel-colored French sandwich cookie is made of ground almond meringue and flavored buttercream or ganache fillings, making for a beyond-tender and flavorful sweet treat. Originally a delicacy even in France, macarons with many different fillings – ranging from sweet to savory – can be found in high-end bakeries and gourmet-food retailers worldwide. A contender to the cupcake?
Street food: Porchetta – Dubbed “slow-cooked Italian fast-food” by Porchetta in New York City, this Roman street food consists of stuffed pork roast often cooked over a wood fire. Served as a fat, round slice with crispy skin or in a sandwich, porchetta is just one example of traditional global street foods that will be proliferating in 2010 as consumers fall for traditionally made foods with big flavors off the street.
Tonkatsu – Katsu is the Japanese version of German schnitzel, the breaded and deep-fried cutlet; tonkatsu is the pork version coated in panko breadcrumbs. Typically, it is found in bento boxes, in sandwiches and on top of rice covered in Japanese curry sauce. As Japanese cuisine becomes more mainstream, tonkatsu will easily cross over to become this year’s imported darling.
Global sandwiches: Banh Mi – The savory Vietnamese sandwich has been attracting Stage 1 and 2 followers for years now, garnering great attention in 2009 in New York City as a multitude of dedicated banh mi sandwich shops opened. In 2010, expect the baguette sandwich stuffed with pickled carrots, daikon, cilantro and a variety of savory meats, such as pâté or BBQ pork, to really arrive.
Waffles as Carriers: Multiple Stages – While profiling “Breakfast as Dessert” this year, we noticed many kinds of waffles and French toast on dessert menus across the country. While using waffles in a sandwich isn’t totally new, expect to see them more often for breakfast, lunch and dinner sandwiches. The waffle is just plain fun, with its grids, crunchy exterior and tender interior. Chefs will add herbs, spices and flavorings beyond maple to marry the breakfast favorite with new sweet and savory fillings.
While it is not necessary for all marketers of premium food to adopt these specific trends, recognizing them and understanding how to make the overarching themes (Asian influence, for example) work with their brand can only help ensure they are providing what consumers are demanding.
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Labels: food trends, Packaged Facts, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
