Nobody likes to waste their time searching for knowledge only to find that it falls way short of expectations.
That’s why we’re creating the Spoonful; to give food marketers a reader-directed resource for information that guides decision-making.
In fact, we can’t tell you exactly what it’s going to look like because we want you to help us build it. So if you have ideas, send them to thespoonful@shscom.com.
Meanwhile, here’s just a taste of your Marketing Spoonful.
Turn the other cheek into a marketing opportunity
With so much in the news today about the relationship between high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and obesity and the vilification of the quick-service restaurant industry, the average reader couldn’t help but believe that food is to blame for obesity.
Few people have probably seen the study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that finds HFCS and cane sugar affect our body’s appetite in the same way.
Unfortunately, the experts who mislead the public have not emphasized the point that our body weight is a physical and mathematical function of many factors, including:
The unfortunate result is that it is hard for us to change people’s minds after they’ve already seen something on a television news magazine that convinces them that soft drinks, HFCS, farmers and the government are making their kid obese. Contributing to obesity, maybe, but not the sole factor.Consider three reactions to this potential crisis: 1.) Do nothing, 2.) Fight, 3.) Embrace the opportunity presented.Here are the scenarios:1. Do nothing. Not only will you be putting warning labels about HFCS on your products or using costlier ingredients, you might eventually be responsible for telling people that your product is unhealthy if consumed in large quantities.2. Fight. You’ll just look like the big bully corporation that is hurting kids.3. Embrace the opportunity presented. The low-carb craze has faded now, but it forced you to focus on an important consumer trend toward whole foods. Even as you consider alternatives to HFCS, find the virtues of it. Is it greener because it takes less energy to produce and refine? What do food scientists tell us about potential health benefits of it? Finally, be the loudest and proudest proponent of exercise, family outdoor activities, the YMCA or create your own Biggest Loser for Kids.Remember, food is at the heart and soul of every culture. We are fortunate to have so much choice, and consumers’ unquenchable desire for choices is what keeps our brands alive.
Oh, yeah, has anybody seen McDonald’s latest quarterly numbers?
Marketing Spoonful 