Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The recent recession has significantly impacted consumer behavior in many areas, including shopping, dining and eating choices. Premium food marketers have had to take a hard look at what consumers want and what they’re willing to spend their hard-earned money on.
According to the new Food Flavors and Ingredients Outlook 2010 report by market research publishers, Packaged Facts, consumers are more bargain-conscious than ever.
“The outlook for 2010 is best viewed with guarded optimism. Consumer food and beverage choices will reflect the latest social and demographic trends, while also continuing to show financial restraint when it comes to where consumers shop for food and drink, where they dine, and the item and meal selections they make,” says Packaged Facts Publisher Don Montuori.
Retailers, manufacturers and foodservice operators are expected to continue to appeal to the lingering thriftiness, capitalizing on recession-induced developments.
The surge in popularity of food carts, which several high-end restaurants have used to introduce less expensive versions of existing menu items from their sit-down establishments, is a great example of these developments. These carts increasingly feature gourmet cuisine prepared by chefs with impressive credentials.
Meanwhile, the prevailing barrage of dining deals, dollar and value menus, and a sense that everything is on sale will likely continue at least until unemployment rates decline and the housing market shows significant signs of recovery late in 2010 or into 2011.
As always with marketing premium food, it’s important to keep in mind that the product you are offering should align with what your target customer needs and wants. However, this consideration takes on an even greater level of significance when factors such as the economy weigh heavily on the decision making process.
Posted by Stephan & Brady No Comments
Labels: food carts, Packaged Facts, Premium Food, recession marketing, 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.
Posted by Stephan & Brady No Comments
Labels: food trends, Packaged Facts, Premium Food, Stephan & Brady
