F&B Industry Branding

How Branding is Evolving In F&B post by Bill Sipper

How Branding is Evolving in the Food and Beverage Industry

In today’s food and beverage industry, consumers want brands to be authentic. Branding is evolving in this industry. They are quick to pick up when they aren’t authentic and to tell others on social media.

Brands have to keep customers fully informed about the products they buy. They also need to be smart and strategic to grab market share in a very competitive market.

Brands must first identify their target audience and then create value for them. Once they’ve attracted customers, they have to build trust to turn them into brand advocates. If consumers are happy, they are more likely to continue to buy products and recommend them to others.

Branding and Social Media Interaction

Brands need to listen to what their customers say, and today this is much easier because they can interact with them on social media. Brands are receiving feedback from customers and understanding more about them helps them to cater to their needs.

Social media offers brands opportunities to create emotional connections with their customers and explain more about what their products offer them. In turn, consumers are better informed than ever before.

They have strong opinions about the quality of ingredients, nutritional value, and health. If brands provide this information to those who are interested, they create an opportunity to build loyalty.

More than ever before, people want the brands they choose to reflect who they are as people. Food packaging is one area where this is seen. The designs must reflect environmental and social responsibility and make people feel they are making the best choices for their health and their identities as a whole.

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May 22, 2018May 22, 2018

Food and Beverage Company Faults

A Food and Beverage Company that doesn’t make Good Use of Social Media is Shooting itself in the Foot

The intense competition that exists in the food and beverage industry can make it difficult for smaller brands to gain the attention of consumers. Using social media marketing effectively can make a difference. People tend to try out new foods and beverages based on personal opinions, recommendations, and reviews. This shows how important it is for brands to interact with consumers on social media.

Influencers

Just one post by an influential food blogger about a specific product can generate countless impressions with high conversion rates. A social media presence gives brands the opportunity to connect with such influencers.

Brand personality

The personality of a brand is becoming more and more crucial when it comes to marketing. Relating to consumers on social media helps to build that personality and create loyal followers. Companies are seeking out creative ways to relate to their customers and get feedback their feedback.

Social media interactions

Millennials love sharing dining experiences and will post about interesting beverages they have tasted. They want multi-sensory experiences and food and drink play a big part in this. Well-presented or well-packaged food is likely to be shared on Instagram or Facebook. Social media interactions provide a way for brands to be recognized and to create a loyal customer base without having to resort to more direct forms of advertising.

Companies that do not use social media to their benefit are definitely shooting themselves in the foot. A strong social media presence is no longer an option for food and beverage brands –it’s an absolute necessity.

May 2, 2018May 1, 2018

Electric Cars Could Have An Impact On Beverages

Electric Cars and Convenience Stores post by William Sipper

Will beverage sales drop as more electric cars take to the road?

When electric cars hit the road and drivers don’t have to fill up tanks at gas stations, could impulse purchases at convenience stores drop? Morgan Stanley analysts have concluded that this could take place.

Convenience stores could take a hit

In a report published recently, they noted that only a small fraction of vehicles on the road are electronic, but this could change in the future. Electric vehicles could account for 94% of car sales by 2040.

The analysts believe that convenience stores and beverage companies could suffer losses as a result. Particularly companies like Monster Beverages, as 63% of its sales in the U.S. are made in convenience stores. The analysts did not see alcoholic drinks or tobacco products taking the same hit because beverages are often bought impulsively, and people drink them on the spot.

The Convenience store industry is more concerned about other factors

Those in the convenience store industry are more concerned about their competitors such as other retailers and online stores than about the effect of electric vehicles. They see this threat as being decades away.

Electric cars will not present a challenge unless they are adopted en masse. They are more concerned about the fact that everyone is selling convenience today. With online outlets offering food delivery and grocery services and even hardware stores and clothing shops are selling beverages at checkout counters. New laws that impose taxes on sugary beverages are another current concern that pre-empts any worries about electric cars.

Current sales of electric vehicles

Sales of electric vehicles in 2017 reached nearly 200,000. This was a significant increase in sales in 2016 and happened despite the fact that new car sales overall were down. Still, to stay in context, over 17 million new cars were sold in 2017.

This may fuel the belief that widespread adoption of electric vehicles is still far in the future. In turn, changes in consumer behavior and technological advances always tend to happen faster than we anticipate.

Ways convenience stores could respond

Fuel appears to account for less than half of the profit for gas stations. Much of their money is made from drinks and other items bought inside the store.

People usually make plenty of ‘pit stops’ at gas stations on long journeys, and they don’t just buy gas. Humans need to rest and refuel their bodies, and this need will not go away. Just because electric vehicle owners could charge their cars at home doesn’t mean they wouldn’t want places to stop on a journey.

One way in which convenience stores could respond to the wide adoption of electric cars would be to install the types of charging stations people would enjoy. Those who currently spend money on gas could pay for a super-charge, a safety inspection, a beverage and a bite to eat. Charging stations could also be popular with those who may not have charging ability where they live.

Selling merchandise during the electric car era is not likely to be a problem to those who are tuned in to providing convenience.

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May 1, 2018May 1, 2018

Drink Consumption in Philadelphia Drops

Drink Consumption in Philadelphia post by Bill Sipper

Sugary Drink Consumption in Philadelphia Drops

A Drexel University study has found that the tax of 1.5 cents per ounce on soda and sweetened beverages in Philadelphia has meant that residents are about 40% less likely to drink soda every day. The researchers surveyed 900 Philadelphia residents before and after the tax took effect.

They also compared responses with those from residents in places near Philadelphia without such a tax. The findings of the study were published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine.

A co-author of the study, Amy Auchincloss, said the tax was in the interest of public health. She believes that sugary drinks have been under-priced in comparison with healthy beverages. This tax has helped to level the playing field.

The study only reflected drinking patterns for two months after the tax took effect. Whether consumption of sugary drinks will continue to remain lower is yet to be seen. When Mexico imposed such a tax, soda consumption declined for at least two years.

Effects of the tax

The health costs of drinking sugary drinks are undeniable. Weight gain, heart disease, higher risks of developing type 11 diabetes, tooth decay and other ills.

Whether a tax can change human behavior is questionable. Despite the fact that unhealthy drinks have become less competitive, 30% of Philadelphians continue to drink one sugary beverage a day.

The surveys for the study also showed that consumption of sugary fruit drinks like Koolaid did not go down, even though they are also taxed. Auchincloss believes that this could be due to the false perception of these drinks. The thought is that these drinks are healthy, even though they contain very little fruit and about the same amount of added sugar as soda.

Reduced Projected Revenue

Philadelphia was the first major city to impose such a tax, and the revenue was to be used for public projects such as libraries, schools, recreation centers, and parks. Projected revenues have not been as expected. No one was surprised when Mayor Jim Kenney’s budget proposal reduced projected revenues from the tax by about 15%.

After Philadelphia passed its 1.5 cent-per-ounce tax on the supply of sweetened beverages in January 2017. Other jurisdictions like Seattle, San Francisco, and Cook County did the same.

The Cook County tax was quickly repealed. Also, none of the others have worked out as expected. It has been found that consumers shift to other beverages or buy the higher-priced items in other jurisdictions.

One of the main reasons the beverage tax passed was it was tied to popular programs. These programs are now facing serious shortfalls.

Some pending legal challenges from retailers and the American Beverage Association as to the legality of the tax, add further uncertainty. One thing seems sure – beverage taxes are not a reliable way to fund public programs.

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April 9, 2018April 9, 2018

Amazon’s Strategy Changed the Marketplace

Strategy And Your Brand

Amazon has been a game changer in the digital marketplace where it has redefined the customer experience. Traditional brands are fighting to stay relevant as they compete with new, digitally experienced companies.Your brand needs to understand Amazon’s strategy.

Prime, Amazon’s membership program, is helping to accelerate its forward momentum. Over 40 million people in the US have a Prime membership. Customers want to know ‘Do you have what I want and how quickly can you get it to me?’ Amazon has been working hard giving a positive answer to these questions.

They want users to keep renewing their membership and buying more products. The more products they purchase, the more data Amazon can use to establish what they want to buy next.

Understand Its Use

Alexa, Amazon’s virtual assistant, has created an on-demand, personalized experience for users. They can simply give Alexa a voice command, such as for toothpaste to be reordered, and it happens.

Your brand, no matter how big or small, can’t afford to ignore the extraordinary growth of Amazon. You can learn from them to understand more about how customers are using the platform. Work at creating a more customer-centric experience for your own customers.

You need to know more than just what they are buying. In turn, you also need to be aware of the other ways in which they are using the platform, such as using Alexa or Prime Video. You should also be familiar with Amazon’s different selling models to find out what may work for your products.

Connecting with Customers

Amazon has accumulated large amounts of data that can be used to gauge more about customer behavior. Amazon Marketing Services (AMS) and Amazon Retail Analytics (ARA) offer enlightening reports.

Some brands are using third-party apps and other skills to find new methods of connecting with customers. Companies like Uber and Domino’s are enhancing their existing services this way.

Technology can be game changing. It shouldn’t be used just for the sake of using it. Should be used where it can make an improvement to the customer experience.

All brands need to think about making whatever changes are necessary to their marketing strategies in order to thrive in a world that is digitally driven.