Food companies confront no more sensitive topic today than the debates over genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Consumers are deeply concerned, asking questions like “What are GMOs doing to our food supply,” “Are they dangerous,” and, whether they are or not, “Should they be labeled?.” Many of us have strong opinions about these questions, and even… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Every consumer trend has a life cycle, and food trends are no exception. Many observers have recently proclaimed that cupcakes’ time is up. Is that true? And what does the answer mean for manufacturers and retailers of similar products? A combination of influential bakeries and a high-profile cameo in 2000 on Sex and the City… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Who are the best food marketing agencies? Chances are, you’re reading this because you searched for “best food marketing agencies” or something similar. That would make perfect sense; though your need for a partner is specific, even unique, it’s much easier to start a search on a broad scale and narrow down as you go.… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Many market research projects begin with a simple request: “Can we get a number on that?” Though few of us have advanced degrees in math, marketers are used to dealing with a lot of numbers. We set numeric goals, evaluate sales figures, review market research data, and report on metrics. We’re not accountants, but we… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Holiday marketing may be more ubiquitous than ever, given the ease of publishing content on social media, and yet doing it well has not gotten easier. Social media and digital marketing have increased expectations that brands will do something for any given holiday: after all, everyone else is. Yet the prevalence of these holiday promotions,… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
The Guardian reports that the large UK bookstore chain Waterstones has opened three small branches without the chain’s branding. The three stores are individually named—Southwold Books, Harpenden Books, and The Rye Bookshop—located in small towns that previously lacked a bookstore, and have a smaller footprint than the typical branded store. Waterstones managing director told The… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Transparency is the biggest trend reshaping the food, pet, and nutrition industries today. We have dedicated significant analysis to the trend on this site, but we also want to make sure our readers are aware of relevant news on the topic, whether we analyze it or not. This post represents our first transparency report, covering the latter… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
With a nationwide GMO labeling bill now signed into law, brands are attempting to sort out what the new requirements will mean for their products. Although the FDA has until summer 2019 to establish the full rules for the law—and even longer to enforce them—the length of supply chains means that brands are already pondering… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Google vs Market Research As a college student circa 2005, I was brash enough with my newfound power of knowledge that I told my mother that Googling “didn’t count as research.” A few years later my mom asked me, somewhat pointedly, if that were still true, and though I had to admit that Google had… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
(This is part of an ongoing series of posts we’re calling Brandcrumbs, which are bits and pieces of branding advice left over from our regular conversations about real-world brand positioning challenges.) Brands in food and beverage processing have the challenge—and the privilege—of talking with consumers about three issues that tend to conflict us: food, technology,… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
My love of garden-grown, heirloom tomatoes is well documented. However, since it’s late summer (prime tomato-harvest season) I’m not the only one with tomatoes on the mind. Heirloom tomato recipes are everywhere, and the Washington Post even ran a fascinating history of the “tumatle from Themistitan.” I contend that the obsession is well warranted. Good… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
I can remember my first encounter with marketing materials from our local independent hardware shop. While still a student at the nearby university, I glanced at a campus bulletin board on the third floor of an anonymous campus office and saw, tacked among the posters for campus theatre productions, a black-and-white business card with a… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
In spare moments, I’ve been reading Tom Nealon’s 15-blog-post-long history of condiments, a frantic and learned tour through more than two thousand years of vinegars, sauces, dressings, and spices. It’s tremendously informative and entertaining—Nealon studies rare cookbooks, and consequently possesses a massive repertoire of weird food facts and history. Perhaps the most striking food story… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
We’re happy to announce that we recently began a partnership with Parker Products, an innovative ingredient producer with a wide range of products encompassing inclusions, flavor systems, and other value-added ingredients. Founded by the creator of the famous “Drumstick” ice cream novelty, Parker has been a source for creativity in the food industry since its inception.… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
A recent essay in the food magazine Lucky Peach points to one of the reasons that food marketing can be uniquely challenging: the hurdle of our deep-seated human tendency to give the word “food” a very specific definition, which we then endow with incredible emotional meaning. That’s a little abstract, so if you’ll excuse me… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>