Food Studies (Number 2)
Advergames (Marketing Techniques)
- Advergames are video games that contain an advertisement to promote a particular brand, product or message by integrating and embedding it into the play - New technique used by fast food companies - Developed to overcome Government Bodies on traditional marketing and TV ads - Games promote a sense of fun and achievement and these feelings become associated with brand - Children become immersed in the game over a long period and develop a personalised relationship with the game and brand - Encourages child to ask parents to buy the product Example: "Snack! In the face" gamification promoting popcorn chicken and KFC products
Advertising
- Advertising is one marketing tool used by food manufacturers - It is a process of communication to persuade consumers to want and buy a product - It is a paid, non-personal presentation or promotion of goods and services Effective advertising involves: - Attracting attention - Arouse interest - Create a desire to buy
Augmented Reality (Marketing Techniques)
- Augmented Reality is a live, direct or indirect view, of a physical, real-world environment whose elements are enhanced by computer generated sensory input such as sound, video and graphics - Example: Paul's Yoghurt using Warner Bros entertainment "Scooby-Doo" - Packaging has a code so parents can help children scan the barcode using a smartphone or tablet to download and enjoy a Scooby-Doo activity - Brings the characters to life and shapes children's food choices, they pester their parents to buy more yoghurt to play the game
The Changing Face of Breakfast
- Australians are increasingly eating breakfast on the move or outside the home - Food companies are meeting consumer demands for meals on the go that require no preparation and are easy to carry to work (liquid breakfasts are a growing trend) - These liquid breakfast products may not be as healthy as some consumers think - Weet-Bix has expanded its grab-and-go range of breakfast foods with a breakfast biscuit - This biscuit is conveniently packaged in individual servings and is marketed as an alternative for those who do not have time to sit down and eat a bowl of cereal
Blogs
- Blog is short for the word weblog, an online journal or diary that is frequently updated - Bloggers use their voice to share their thoughts, opinions and passions with a global audience
Sponsorship (Marketing Techniques)
- Children are exposed to enormous amounts of advertising and promotion of unhealthy foods (Example. Sponsorship of children's sporting activities) - Influence children's food choice and often don't meet the Australian Dietary Guidelines, contributing to weight gain and obesity - Fast food companies sponsor junior sporting events (Example. Basketball or Cricket Development, Awarding certificates for best player, or donating sporting equipment, Children are encouraged to form a positive acceptance of foods) - Many children lack the knowledge of the link between food and health and the implications that the consumption of high fat, salt and sugar have on their long term health
Consumer Organisations and Advocacy Groups
- Choice is an Australian consumer organisation that researchers and campaigns on behalf of Australian consumers - Up to date information on a range of issues including food and health - Each year they have "shonky awards" (Example. Tiny Teddies) - Alerts parents and consumers of foods that are unhealthy or making wild claims
Use of Colour (Marketing Techniques)
- Colour plays an important role in marketing food because consumers take only moments to make a decision to pick up a product from the shelves and colour registers much faster than regular text written on the package - Different colours are used for different consumer personality types (Example. Gourmet food packaging tends to be tasty, earthy tones) - Colour also influenced by trends (Example. Green colour used depict foods considered healthy or environmentally friendly) - Colour and appetite appeal are important, because consumers would be reluctant to choose a package depicting an image with green potatoes or brown bananas - Bright colours are used to depict fun (Example. Confectionary aisle) - Jellybeans called razzamatazz are more appealing as yellow or mocha instead of brown
Connection with the Land
- Consumers want to have a better knowledge of where their food is grown and by whom - Farmers' markets have become very popular for many consumers who are concerned about sustainable food production because they are able to connect with producers and have a conversation about the produce for sale - Consider they are buying food that is in season, and therefore, at its cheapest
Cultural Norms
- Cultural Norms are the standards, expectations, rules and guides by which our society lives - We are taught such standards by our parents, family, friends, teachers and community and we pass them on generation to generation - Religion can influence a person's food choice - Religious practises can restrict the consumption of certain foods - Television and the media (including Social Media) play an influential role in shifting cultural norms - They offer information, opinions, advice, and inspiration to make change - They show how food can be accessed, what food choices are available and where, and ultimately have a major impact on healthier food choices of Australians - Many newly arrived people need greater access to education about the healthy food choices available to them if they cannot access to their traditional ingredients - Support in accessing information about the nutrient value of many of the foods available in the supermarkets is also necessary for them to make healthy food choices rather than relying on fast-food outlets Example: Families from some parts of Greece and southern Italy have been shown to have a particularly healthy diet that is often referred to as the "Mediterranean Diet". Their diet contains plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit, whole grains and fish. They also use olive oil in much of their cooking. This type of diet has been shown to reduce the risk heart disease and some forms of cancer
Integrated Marketing
- Delivering a marketing message across multiple marketing channels using a range of different marketing promotional tools - Each channel works in harmony to send out marketing messages to promote the product - Ensures maximum consumers are reached
Social Factors That Influence Food Choices (6 Factors)
- Education - Income - Location - Accomodation - Available Time - Cultural Norms
Education
- Education is an important determinant in food access, choice and eating behaviours - Lack of nutritional knowledge and cooking skills often predisposes people to consume unhealthy meals - Lower levels of education, nutritional knowledge and cooking skills can mean that even people who want to change their dietary choices may lack the resources to do so - As a result, they may continue consuming foods that are familiar to them, and this can decrease their capacity to improve their food intake - Lower educational attainment is associated with food insecurity
Location (Rural)
- Families who live in remote areas have more difficulty accessing fresh ingredients for meals - There is a limited range of products available at supermarkets - The nearest shop might be kilometres away - Fresh fruit and vegetables might not always be available - Families may heavily rely of frozen or canned produce - Transportation, distribution costs and lack of market competition inflate food prices - The cost of nutritious foods in remote areas is often 30% higher than in metropolitan areas - Food is more expensive in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas
Digital Media and Social Media
- Food and beverage marketing has made a dramatic move into the digital age - Connected devices, such as smartphones, are starting to drive food marketing strategies - The message to marketers is 'get mobile or get left behind' - Smart digital marketing companies focus on creativity and the best strategies will use clever ways of engaging consumers - Example 2015 Kellogg's "Double the Goodness Campaign", asking consumers to post a photo of their favorite breakfast or yoghurt on Instagram #doublethegoodness
Functional Foods
- Functional Foods are foods that provide a health benefit beyond that of basic nutrition
The Trend Towards Snacking
- Growing trend to snack or graze on nutrient-rich foods - The busier Australian lifestyle has tended to push aside traditional meals, and Australians are replacing meals, particularly during the day, with more flavoursome and versatile single-serve items - Snacking allows consumers to reduce portion sizes of meals, which is nutritionally sound - The trend towards packaged healthy snacks that have high nutritional value, such as fruit varieties, dried fruit, nuts, protein bars and muesli bars has increased - Consumers should take care to read labels on commercial snack foods because many of these products contain hidden fats, salt and sugar, resulting in more kilojoules
Smartphones and Tablets
- Have had a major impact on food marketing - More people shopping online - Personalised shopping apps - Mobiles are used to explore, discover, connect and share food information at arm's length - Quick access to food locations - Use of apps that are designed to perform a function are used during shopping and making food decisions (Example. Scanning a label to check sustainability or nutritional information or food swaps) - Fast-food companies have very sophisticated strategies to reach children via apps, viral marketing, celebrity endorsements, competitions, advergames
The Health Trend (Functional Foods)
- Health remains a major concern for many consumers - Consumers are buying foods that contain unsaturated fats and oils, particularly omega-3 fatty acids, and are moving away from yellow table spreads that may contain trans fats - Naturally occuring sugars such as stevia are replacing sugar and artificial sweeteners - Functional foods are food that provide a health benefit beyond that of basic nutrition - These foods are constantly being designed to specifically improve health by regulating the functions of the body or by slowing the progress of some degenerative diseases Example: Foods containing prebiotics and probiotics, such as bread, breakfast cereals and yoghurt have been developed to optimise digestive health - "Free-From" products were only found in small health food stores, now they are found in major supermarkets - "Free-From" products include gluten, lactose, soy, salt and egg free foods - As well as no sugar, additives, preservatives or genetically modified organisms (GMOS)
Online Food Ordering Systems
- Home-cooked meal delivery service or the fresh ingredients for time poor-consumers to prepare the meal themselves in their own kitchen - HelloFresh is an online ordering system that delivers recipes and a box of ingredients for the preparation of an evening meal that serves 2-4 people - Chefs create recipes that are varied, simple, quick to prepare and healthy - Designed to meet the needs and time pressure of busy families with parents who work - Saves time in planning and shopping for ingredients - Little food waste because the ingredients are measured for the quantities in the recipe
YouTube
- Important media platform to view food content - Video brand integration marketing approach is experiencing significant growth and shaping consumer food choices
The All-In-One Kitchen Machine
- Less time to prepare healthy home-cooked meals - Appliance manufacturers have now developed a wide variety of small appliances such as All-In-One Kitchen Machine, Food Processors, Nutribullets and Stick Mixers that help families prepare healthy meals - Make food preparation simpler and easier - Ability to chop, beat, mix, whip, grind, knead, mince, juice, blend, heat, stir and steam - Allows consumers to prepare a meal using fresh ingredients quite quickly and its steaming function supports healthy cooking methods
Location (Rural) (Number 2)
- Limited choice of healthy foods which consequently impacts on people's nutritional and health status - Suburbs with high levels of social disadvantage may become the target of fast food restaurants which serve energy-dense foods at a relatively low price which makes fresh, quality food that is more expensive less appealing to consumers - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People's are especially at a disadvantage as many of them do not have basic cooking facilities such as ovens, stoves, running water and adequate storage for food products - This encourages reliance on ready-made and often nutritionally poor foods, which can negatively impact on the health of people living in these areas
Magazine and Newspaper
- Magazines (Australian Healthy Food Guide) and newspapers (Body and Soul) feature articles that shape food choice and providing information about nutrition and healthy living - Helps guide people to make healthy food and lifestyle choices to maintain good health long term
- Makes it easy for people to connect and share information with friends, family, businesses and customers at the same time - Popular food companies use their brand logo, viral marketing, product images and links to website on their Facebook pages - Encourages you to 'like' a food company's page - read about news, games, surveys, products - You are notified if a friend likes a page and you are encouraged to like it also - Junk food marketing is prolific - Pages use competitions based on user generated content, interactive games and apps, to increase a consumer's interaction and engagement - Example. Recent popular food brand was Bubble O'Bill administrators responded to almost every post with daily comments - Marketing messages spread quickly - Soft drinks and energy drinks heavily marketed to teenagers, new content appears every two days and goes viral quickly, these drinks have a negative impact of health
Accommodation (Number 2)
- Many apartments within our city, have only small kitchens with appliances such as; - A small fridge - A microwave - A small stove top often attached with one shelf oven - Many of these apartments kitchens have drawers and cupboards Homelessness: - Homeless people have to find accomodation, unfortunately this accommodation is either a shelter or a hostel, which are often full and don't often have the appliances to cook or store fresh foods - Many of them end up on the street and have little or no access to food at all - People who lack money or have a lack of access to a home, therefore find it hard to store and produce healthy food, which means they don't have good health
Accommodation
- Many families either live in detached or semi-detached houses - Some key features of these houses contain, a well-equipped kitchen with many cooking facilities such as a stove and microwave oven, and sometimes barbecue facilities for cooking outdoors - Refrigerators and freezers are also essential appliances to keep food safe and fresh - Having these facilities means that families and individuals can prepare, store and cook a variety of food
Data Collection and Targeting
- Marketing companies track a customer's online journey and target the data they receive (Example. Buying Habits) - Targets individuals (Example. Woolworths loyalty cards sends targeted promotions through email, offering special prices for food they buy regularly) - This technique is called micro-targeting - Encourages consumers to buy more - Helps to drive new trends
Available Time (Number 1)
- Meals are often planned with consideration of the time available and the convenience of the foods to be consumed - For many families where both parents are employed, more time is spent working and less time is spent preparing food - As a result, convenience foods are often consumed in the home because there is a lack of time to purchase fresh ingredients and prepare a meal from scratch - The food industry has been quick to provide a wide range of products to meet the needs of individuals and families who have less time available for meal preparation - A shift in the fruit and vegetables market from loose produce to pre-packed, prepared and ready-to-cook products - These products are more expensive, but people are willing to pay the extra cost because of the convenience they bring - Developing a greater range of tasty, convenient, healthy foods offers a way of improving the diet of these groups - However, consumers should be careful in their choice of convenient products because some can be deceptively high in saturated fat, salt and sugar, which can increase the kilojoules consumed Example: Oven-baked chips appear to be a healthy food option because they are baked rather than fried, they are actually very high in fat
Preparing for Different Needs
- Meat and Vegetable three times a week, fish on Fridays and a Sunday roast are no longer the norm Some of the most common patterns: - Sandwiches are a quick meal - Barbecues are an easy entertaining meal - Spaghetti bolognaise is a versatile meal that everyone loves - Roasts (2 in 1 Meal) - Casseroles
Location-Based Marketing Using Geolocation Techniques
- Mobile marketers target consumers based on where they are and what they are doing at that moment - Designed for impulse purchasing - Weather can trigger advertising (Example. Diet Coke ads when weather above 30⁰C) - Hungry Jacks app uses GPS functionality, location service, dynamic foods, social media interaction 'Shake and Win'
Location (Metropolitan)
- Most people who live in metropolitan areas have a variety of supermarkets, wholesale fruit and vegetable markets and speciality food shops within easy distance of where they live - For many people living in urban areas, it might only be a five-minute drive to the nearest shopping centre so they have little trouble purchasing, fresh, good-quality ingredients on a daily basis - Consumers can call into supermarkets on their way home from work or after the school pick-up to buy the fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, milk or bread they need for the family - Food prices are generally competitive because there is usually more than one supermarket or fresh food market in the same vicinity, which keeps prices reasonable for consumers
News Reportage
- News Reportage is the reporting of news on current issues and events in newspaper, TV or radio - Key source of information for consumers - Powerful tool in shaping food information and choice by highlighting issues of nutritional importance and bringing them to consumer's attention - Consumers become more knowledgeable and aware - Should be presented in a balanced way - Often draws attention to obesity and overweight and how to overcome these conditions - Obesity often portrayed as a problem related to poor personal behaviour and responsibility of the individual as a result of poor nutrition and lack of exercise - Solutions most often presented are selecting a Healthier Diet, Not Over Eating, Increased Exercise, Medical Intervention (Example. Lap-band surgery) - Most ignore the bigger issues such as Environmental and Socio-Political issues (Example. Taxing food high in fat, salt, sugar, Better nutrition programs, Healthier foods in canteens)
- Online mobile photo-sharing, video sharing and social networking service - Users take pictures and share them - Hashtags are a way to group ideas, concepts and conversations - Highly successful to showcase and sell products - Example. Chobani yoghurt - This strategy is called 'pathway to purchase' - Many food manufacturers draw together a range of strategies to develop a pathway to encourage consumers to develop the desire to purchase their product - Example. Arnott's Butternut snaps to increase sales did a tie in promotion with taste.com.au - Arnott's brands were included in 148 recipes and inviting people to five step process (pathway) - Download recipe, Buy Ingredients, Make Food, Take Picture and Instagram photo
Popular Culture
- Popular culture surrounds us - Favourite actors, singers, TV personalities, sports stars, reality TV shows found in the mainstream, influenced by mass media - Food manufacturers develop strategies to use each one aspects of pop culture to increase sales - TV stars or sport personalities who endorse products
Social Media
- Popular social media include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube and Google+ used to reach people on a large scale - Effective for food marketing because it can influence buying behaviour, create 'brand advocates', encourage people to share information - Generates conversations, making a difference in the way food is experienced - Everyone has become a food critic
New Cultural Influences
- Strong trend at present for consumers to purchase foods from Mexico and South American countries such as Peru and Argentina - Foods such as Tacos, Enchiladas, Tortillas and Salsa are appearing on supermarket shelves - Food is fun, cheap and ideal for the relaxed culture of Australia - Purchasing Asian vegetable varieties, such as bok choy, choy sum and wombok more frequently - Foods are highly nutritious and can be cooked quickly in a wok for a delicious, healthy meal
The Trend Towards Superfoods
- Superfoods are recognised as foods that have a high concentration of nutrients - Believed to have health benefits beyond those of common foods, they are rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants - Health claims are unsubstantiated - Despite this, superfoods are constantly being promoted as particularly healthy food choices in magazines and on social media Kale: - Cabbage variety with large stems and frilly green leaves - High in fibre and has high levels of antioxidants, vitamin A and C and iron, and is thought to have cholesterol-lowering beneits
Current Trends in Food Purchasing and Consumption (6 Trends)
- The Health Trend - The Trend Towards Snacking - The Trend Towards Superfood - Connection with the Land - The Changing Face of Breakfast - New Cultural Influences
Education (Number 3)
- The National Healthy Canteens Project assists schools by providing guidelines for healthy food and drinks supplied in canteens - Based on the Australian Dietary Guidelines Green Category: Fill the menu with these items Amber: Choose carefully. Consume in moderation Red: May only appear on the menu occasionally The Kitchen Garden Program: - Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program - Help to grow and harvest fresh food, but then use the produce to make simple but delicious meals to share with friends - More willing to prepare and cook these foods in their own home, encouraging other members of their family to try them too The Health Star Rating: - Educational tool enforced by the Australian Government to assist people in making healthy food choices - Front-of pack labelling system that rates the overall nutritional profile to packaged food and assigns it a rating from 1/2 to 5 stars - Tool to compare packaged foods - More stars, the healthier the choice
The Obesity Policy Coalition
- The Obesity Policy Coalition is an organisation that aims to influence change in policy and regulations to help prevent obesity, particularly in children - Advertising and marketing, food labelling, urban planning, health environments, policies and laws impacting obesity (Example. Tax on sugar sweetened beverages)
Income
- The cost of food shopping is a large financial outlet for all families - However, in lower and middle income families, the weekly food shopping bill takes up a large part of their budget - People who have a low income may be restricted in the choice of food they purchase - Households with limited financial resources often stretch their food budget by purchasing cheap, energy-dense foods that are filling rather than more expensive nutrient-dense options - Higher income households are more likely to buy whole grains, seafood, lean meats, low-fat milk, fresh vegetables and fruit - Lower-income households purchase more cereals, pasta, potatoes, legumes and fatty meats The Rise of Supermarket Private Labels: - Developed a range of everyday household products that are cheaper than similar branded products - Owned by supermarkets The Rise of Low Cost Supermarkets: - Changed their allegiance to Aldi for better value for money, which means more affordable items - 25% cheaper - Reduced number of brands and offer no bagging services
Education (Number 2)
- The level of knowledge and demand for information is driven by greater access to the internet, lifestyle magazines, television and smartphone and tablet apps - There is a heightened public awareness of the risks of an unhealthy diet as the number of people living with obesity, type two diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease in the community increases - Government programs such as the "Eat Well, Be Active" campaign, "The Australian Dietary Guidelines" and the "Australian Guide to Healthy Eating" focus on providing information on healthy eating to the community - Non-Government agencies such as "Nutrition Australia" also provide educational information to the community by providing the "Healthy Eating Pyramid" as an educational guide to healthy eating - Food and nutrition education in schools is an important way of increasing knowledge of healthy promoting eating behaviours, students learn how to prepare meals that are cost and time effective as well as nutritious and tasty
Advertising Techniques used to communicate to consumers (6 Points)
- The message is designed to evoke a lifestyle (Family setting, or hungry children getting home from school) - Creating a fantasy or mood (Romance) - Music to set the mood (Catchy jingle) - Scientific research (Supports claims) - Celebrities or personalities delivering testimonials - Cartoon or real characters (Entice children)
Cartoon Characters (Marketing Techniques)
- The use of cartoon characters is another strategy used by food companies to market their food products to children - Although Kellogg's market some healthy cereals, the varieties of Coco Pops and Fruit loops are high in sugar and salt - Cartoon characters are used to promote these cereals (Example. Toucan Sam with Fruit loops and Coco monkey with Coco Pops) - Cartoon characters are fun, easily recognised and loved by children - Studies show - Overweight cartoon characters (like Homer Simpson) influence unhealthy eating in children, normalise the condition of obesity - Children who watch TV ads are more likely to have poorer diets
Toys and Giveaways (Marketing Techniques)
- Toys and Giveaways are another way of enticing children's food choices - Patties released "Mr Men Little Miss" packs of 36 mini party pies (Mr Men characters and books are international best sellers) - Popularity of books encourage children to pester parents (pester power) to purchase pies so they can get another book
Marketing Techniques (6 Techniques)
- Use of Colour - Sponsorship - Toys and Giveaways - Cartoon Characters - Advergames - Augmented Reality
Main Meal Repertoires Report
- Vegetarian choices, Asian noodles and 2-minute noodles are ideal for young singles and couples - Rissoles, beef casserole, roasts, lasagne and beef sausages seem to be preferred by households with children - 2-minute noodles, burgers, Mexican, beef and chicken nuggets are popular in households with younger children - Households with older adults prepare pork and lamb chops and vegetable soup more regularly
Reality TV
- Watching TV shows like Masterchef is a popular form of entertainment - Masterchef uses marketing to support and promote their TV show - The show is influenced by the food industry and food businesses (Example. Coles) - Products and ingredients are Coles products - Consumers watching the show learn new skills and cook recipes, having purchased the ingredients that are promoted on the program
Available Time (Number 2)
- Woolworths Supermarkets have also made home-cooked meals easier and quicker with the launch of their new range "Created with Jamie" - This range of easy-to-cook food products use locally sourced Australian ingredients and are quick and easy to prepare - Woolworths also place the ingredients all in one location in the supermarket to reduce the amount of time consumers need to spend finding the ingredients for dinner - "Crispy Garlic Chicken" takes 10 minutes to make
Celebrities and Sporting Stars
Celebrities - Supermarkets and food manufacturers contract celebrity chefs to promote the chain and market food products - Their influence, opinions and promotions have considerable impact on food information and food choices - Example. Jamie Oliver for Woolworths and Curtis Stone for Coles Sporting Stars - Used particularly to promote food to children - Research shows that if a star promotes to young boys they are more likely to eat that food
Changes in Planning and Food Purchasing Patterns
Changes in Planning and Food Purchasing Patterns: Planned on the Day: 42% Planned for a Couples of Days: 35% Planned for the Week: 23% Drivers For Main Meal Choices: - The 2011 Meat and Livestock Australian Report found that the main drivers in deciding the choice of meals are health, flavour, convenience, cost and cooking skills - The taste of food is the most important issue for people at all stages of life - For young singles, all couples and families with older children, the next most important issue is convenience - By contrast, cost is more important for households with younger children and for older singles - While the cooking skills of the food preparer are relatively important, work commitments and children's activities more or less impact on the preparation of food
Advertising is Designed To (3 Points)
Inform: Provide detailed information about a product Persuade: Helps build brand preference, encourages consumers to switch brands Remind: If a product has a new competitor or been in market place for a long time, maintaining brand loyalty
