Salad Bowl Branding Briefings on Americas shifting specialty food markets, the changing tastes of consumers, demographic trends and growth opportunities in the consumer packaged goods sector.
|
 Most people just think of soda when they hear the name “Pepsi.” But in fact, PepsiCo is the nation’s largest food company and second largest in the world. Its annual earnings top $60 billion, from a dizzying array of brands. Walk down almost any supermarket aisle (soda, snacks, cereal, juice) and you’re likely to bump into a PepsiCo-owned product.
This explains why the company is the top contributor among food makers to the “No on 37” campaign in California—a ballot initiative that would require labeling of foods containing GMO ingredients. As reported by Michele Simon , PepsiCo is a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, a powerful trade group that has so far contributed $375,000 to the No on 37 campaign.
Why would PepsiCo pony up more than $90,000 just to keep Californians in the dark about what they are eating? Get a closer look at its “portfolio of products” (in corporate speak) to see exactly what’s at stake for the food giant at Organic Connections.
 US consumers are generally not confident in the safety of the food supply according to a new study published in the journal of Food Quality and Preference.
Despite numerous food safety messages, the rate of foodborne illness in the United States in on an alarming rise. The CDC estimates that about 50,000 Americans become ill each year from pathogens in the foods they eat. Further, almost 400,000 are hospitalized with 3,000 passing from the illness.
The new study involved testing the perceptions of consumers and their reactions to the numerous food safety messages being used by the government, the food industry and food educators.
The result was that consumers found food that was irradiated or genetically altered to be considered less safe. Foods that were local grown or harvested were considered more safe. So a boon to the local farmers’ market.
Natural and organic foods fared well in consumer perceptions as being safe, so long as proper food handling procedures were followed.
Surprisingly the study also revealed that consumers feel that they are immune to foodborne illnesses, thinking that they are less likely to become susceptible to illness than others.
For those companies and brands that tout the safety of their products, like B&W Watercress, for example, consumers are willing to spend an extra 12% on those food products.
The least trusted were the ethnic foods. Consumers felt that imported foods have the potential of being less safe than foods prepared in the US.
With this new insight, food marketers who work with imported brands should add phrases to their packaging or their websites to assuage this concern.
Read More: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Study-sheds-light-on-consumer-food-safety-behaviors
 Watercress is one of the oldest leafy vegetables eaten by humans. And after thousands of years, we’ve finally figured out it is actually good for us.
Amazing thing about Specialty Foods, we grow up on the unique flavors of our heritage and then mature to realize how they help to keep us healthy.
So what is Watercress? “A study conducted by researchers at Ulster University and published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating 85 grams of watercress per day significantly reduced cancer damage to white blood cells and increased the body’s levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants. This has led scientists to believe that the vegetable may hamper the growth of cancer cells, or even kill them,” [http://www.naturalnews.com/021646.html#ixzz1BRlH3qz7[
With amazing health benefits due to its high levels of phytochemicals known as isothiocyanates, the same disease fighting components found in broccoli and cabbage. With all of these healthy properties, it’s important to add more watercress in your diet. If you’re confused on how to prepare and eat this underappreciated vegetable, here’s how to master the art of eating watercress: How to Eat Watercress | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2255156_eat-watercress.html#ixzz1BRllRKK
New scientific research from the University of Southampton has revealed that a plant compound in watercress may have the ability to suppress breast cancer cell development by ‘turning off’ a signal in the body and thereby starving the growing tumour of essential blood and oxygen.
I tend to like the peppery flavor when added to salads. I especially love serving hot wings on a bed of fresh watercress with a dish of chunky blue cheese. Now that is a real treat!
One of the largest growers is B&W located in Florida. They have a robust online marketing campaign and can be reached here: http://www.watercress.com/. Take a look, taste the flavor, and let us know what you think of the oldest specialty food.
 At Salad Bowl Branding we keep looking for the next food trend on the menu. While we see patterns emerging in the Mexican, Indian and Asian, there is a new flavor capturing America’s tastemakers, Moroccan.
As dining out for ethnic foods is slowly improving, we are noticing that food outlets who provide more exotic products and restaurants with more adventurous menus are showing strong growth, especially with young adults who have become the most adventurous in trying global cuisines.
This market often identify themselves as ‘cooking enthusiasts’ and are eager to experiment with new recipes, tastes and flavors – stirring the demand for what was once considered exotic specialty foods.
While this niche market may be small, they are also more affluent and are spending more on healthy foods both in the supermarket and in home meal preparation, which continues to be a strong economic trend.
According to a report in PR Newswire, “Young adults are driving the interest in ethnic foods in the USA and their adventurous eating is introducing foods from around the world to their family and friends”.
Even in a recovering economy, ethnic foods set a record at $2.2 billion in sales {see NASFT State of Industry Report}. While Indian and Asian foods continue their rapid growth, expect to see interest in the African and South American international foods category to grow as well.
Rich spiced sauces in Indian and Thai foods are winning consumers’ palates. Moroccan cuisine, which compliments this category nicely, is sure to be one of the hottest exotic culinary experiences in the coming months.
To reduce risk to market, savvy ethnic and specialty food importers need to gain an understanding of the different information gathering tools that are helpful in determining consumer wants, needs and desires to help them develop more effective brand packaging strategies.
Quite honestly, many specialty food companies test their packaging in the aisle. They go with their gut, create a marketable product, leap into stocking fees and pray that the product sells. Now for a start up that may be a bit insane. Especially with the cost of shelf space, how quickly a store pulls under-performing items, and the sheer volume of competitors these days. But for established companies like Cento, Victoria, World Finer and Pastene, they have learned how to make calculated risks good business.
Case studies are fascinating. Especially in packaging. In my recent seminar at the Fancy Food Show I shared the stories behind some of the brands you may already know, analyzed the challenges they faced, discussed the research that was conducted and reviewed the results of their brand packaging strategies. For example, take Bellino, a line that got lost over years of tweaking by different vendors. Bland photography was used across the entire line and the only consistent identifying thing was the gold background. Testing revealed that consumers thought the product was dated and that the contents weren’t fresh. Which was really a shame, because they imported some of the best quality items I’ve ever tasted. Consumers also couldn’t recall the brand name, even after 10 minutes.
 Their packaging strategy included adding a “Product of Italy” phrase across the entire line to justify a higher price point. New product photography was the heart behind this redesign. Food stylists experienced in confectionary items were brought in to add decadence and sophistication to the shots. The old typeface was replaced with a prominent brand logo using a stylized version of the original ribbon. The gold background was maintained and foil stamping and varnishes helped the package shine on the shelf. Sales grew exponentially.
Now I’m not saying with research you can become the next Whole Foods leader. But with research you can make the opportunity to achieve that goal more likely. To that end, here are the seven ways to help evaluate your products branding and packaging:
- Benefit testing
- Focus groups
- Package testing
- Online surveys
- Consumer intercepts
- Research tools
- Social media
Using all or some of these help us to uncover the “AS IS” – where the brand is at right now. I have used some of these tools more than others due to the often tight budgets of the ethnic and specialty foods industry. But each one is a proven research methods that either myself or my colleagues have managed.
If you would like to learn more about each method, drop me a note or download the presentation outline.
|
|
