The Future of Food Communications: Winning Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age by MSL Global

INDEX Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition

Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age The Fourth Industrial Revolution: New World, New Rules

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Health & Wellness Food, genomics and the microbiome: What are the implications for food producers? The growing affinity for ‘fresh food’ in Asian markets Nutrition: What does it mean for emerging economies? Activating Health & Wellness in the Conversation Age

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Culture ¿Hablas Comida? Man the provider is really man the buyer! Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect? Activating Culture in the Conversation Age

35 39 47 54

Reputation & Advocacy Integrated Sustainable Thinking: A critical necessity for food companies Drop-by-drop: Water footprinting for a sustainable food supply chain Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods Green Tables: How restaurants will lead sustainable food consumption Food marketing to millennial parents: A China perspective Activating Reputation & Advocacy in the Conversation Age

57 61 65 77 85 90

Visual Stimuli Food as a beauty product Activating Visual Stimuli in the Conversation Age

93 98

Recommendation How food ideas catch fire and cross borders through the power of online recommendation Online recipes: What factors best promote sharing? Capturing share of mouth in the subscription foodservice marketplace Activating Recommendation in the Conversation Age

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Appetite Appeal Building the next culinary dream: Communicating foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite appeal for today & tomorrow

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Activating Appetite Appeal in the Conversation Age

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Global Food Trends Predictions

Future of Food Special EXPO MILAN: Evaluation of its success and forecast of its legacy Looking Forward: Dining on Driverless Cars

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Conclusion The All-Natural, High Tech Future of Food

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About the People's Insights series People’s Insights is a collection of inspiring initiatives, insights and foresights shared by MSLGROUP’s SPRINTers – our global team of 100+ strategic planners, researchers and insights experts. People’s Insights covers the latest trends in engagement on both the consumer and corporate side. Our original insights and foresights - from experts at MSLGROUP and beyond - are shared in our insights reports. We share these online, on our social platforms and distribute freely to inspire more engaging campaigns. The People’s Insights series crossed 1 million views in 2013 and has reached audiences across 22 countries.

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The Future of Reputation – The Evolution of Reputation in the Digital Age

Foreword Today’s consumers expect brands not only to master the product, but also its communications. Today, for a food and beverage company to win share of mouth, it also needs to win at share of voice. In an era where food and drink have become everyone’s favorite topics of conversation, navigating the complex communications landscape is tricky to say the least. That’s because the global narrative about food has evolved far beyond the food product itself. Once a matter of nutrition and survival, food is often now associated with public status and the endorsement of ideas. The dialogue around food has taken center stage not only in consumers’ minds, but in pop culture, even international politics and its importance is only accelerating. Today’s consumers expect brands not only to master the product, but also its communications. Brands must deliver on consumer and regulatory expectations regarding health and wellness, skillfully communicate cultural nuance, all while maintaining an attractive brand reputation and keeping its advocacy purposeful and in alignment. Brands also need to drive the conversation about them and thereby consumption through a contemporary mix of communication techniques -- powerful visual stimuli, influential recommendations delivered across social platforms and by creating appetite appeal that aligns with the preferences of today’s consumers. In this latest edition of the People’s Insights Series, MSLGROUP explores Six Communication Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age. These drivers are more than a diagnostic tool to help food and beverage brands properly balance their communications for the modern day. They are the beginning of an important dialogue about the latest communications practices, platforms and channels and how uber-efficient utilization and strategic planning can maximize revenue. With the communications landscape evolving as fast as food consumption trends themselves, brands need to know of the latest innovations, or risk revenue. For example, our own recently-introduced Conversation2Commerce (C2C) platform can help food brands harness the power of earned influence by adding the targeting, scale and measurement

capabilities of advertising in order to drive brand lift and commerce. Imagine automatically getting your product’s dream story directly to your customers as they are about to make product selections not just around the time when the story runs, but over the extended course of time it remains relevant. This kind of innovative thinking helps food brands bolster their ability to drive revenue through communications. In this publication, we feature the voices of experts from inside and outside MSLGROUP who examine current food trends, consumer food behavior and how food technology can enable food companies to be at the forefront of innovation. We also take a look at the food sector and its impact on the environment and food marketers’ role in ensuring sustained intervention for the benefit of consumers, business and the planet. If you are looking for a partner to bring a contemporary perspective to communicating around your business and brand, then let’s start a conversation today. Get in touch with us for a customized diagnostic workshop. One final note: We would like to take this opportunity to offer our gratitude and thanks to all our contributors for their valuable input into this report. Cordially,

Guillaume Herbette CEO, MSLGROUP

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well. Virginia Woolf

Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition The Future of Food, as we see it, is also about the future of its representations, in terms of the communication around it. Several factors go into influencing this, one of them being the discussions driven by audiences via social networks.

Pascal Beucler SVP & Chief Strategy Officer, Global, MSLGROUP @pbeucler

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Analyzing food conversations on the web brings up interesting insights – consumer awareness is at an all-time high; food is at the center of peer discussions, pop culture, etc. Today, knowledge about one’s food is considered cool, trendy. There’s a know-whereyour-food-comes-from dialogue that’s caught on with consumers universally. When stakeholders in the industry – food companies and others in the foodservice space – speak of food, what is the angle they are adopting? The food communication that’s targeted at consumers – is it from a well-being or nutrition standpoint? Do they actually measure what impact the language strategies they use may have on the audience – words, images, references, symbols? Do they identify, and analyze, what their competition do, whether direct (other food companies) or indirect (Life Sciences and healthcare companies, for instance) ones?

Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition

Understanding and monitoring what is at stake is certainly something all major companies in this area could do with benefits, for today and most importantly for tomorrow, in a market where disruption and blurring boundaries tend to complexify everything.

Nutrition as food turned into science In our times of effectiveness, and performance spirit, every communication activity has to be positioned in this perspective. In this context, from a consumer’s point of view, the “rationalization” trend impacts how food is viewed, and communication focused around nutrition may be the response or the solution to this demand – for example, messages emphasizing the importance of taking care of oneself (think heath, physical appearance, etc.) like a valuable asset.

Nutrition as the "clear conscience" of food With increasing consumer suspicion toward safety issues, a nutrition-centric approach can translate to a kind of truth/honesty/virginity about food. Adopting a defensive attitude can be risky for food companies. Instead, they can utilize this as an opportunity to reinforce their credibility through consumer insights and extend their business reach. For Life Sciences companies and pharmaceutical groups, febrile stakeholders to the conversation, it may be a real opportunity for developing business, with the significant advantage of their historical “healthcare” image.

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Companies and brands have various ways to address nutrition issues and build their narrative around it – some of them being more competitive than others, obviously. How can food brands intending to resonate with consumers effectively build their communication around the nutrition aspect, in the context of visual communication?

Is my biosphere safe? Nutrition can be seen, and “built” in food communication – think, “the genuine truth of food” in a context of safety assurance. Typically, the imagery that supports this can be nothing short of intimidating, not to mention serious and drab. Doing so certainly is one way to try and take opportunity from the current “safety freaking” trend, but is such a defensive and opportunistic approach a beneficial one, in the long run?

Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition

Am I really what I eat? Nutrition can turn into a complete health concern, where only specialists would be in a position to know, and wisely advise, in many ways, the new and rigorous mantra guiding your life. We’re all too familiar with communication like “Be careful, you are what you eat!”. The result is quite a scary health-at-risk landscape, where the knowledge, and power, belong to healthcare professionals and related actors. Foundations, institutes, dedicated nutrition portals are often used to demonstrate the effort, and the seriousness of the concern, also supported by a massive medical and scientific iconography.

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Is Nutrition ‘The Way’?

Nutrition can be seen as a way to bring back human integrity: the positioning is far more ideological here. Being/feeling healthy and “good” is the goal, proper nutrition is the way. On the mapping, the key words are about (saving) mankind and (restoring) harmony, thanks to natural and organic food. Nothing less.

Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition

What if I just do it? Nutrition can also be viewed as an individual choice to expand people’s potential: reaching the next level, for more fun, satisfaction and transcendence. It’s all about a personal achievement. The key words are pleasure, freedom, well-being, performance: kind of a “just do it” paradigm, in many ways. It is essentially a focus on taking care of one’s body and mind.

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Our business is largely about managing perceptions and representations, to help companies and brands rightly engage with people and communities. Food is much more than nutrition, or “fuel for life”: it is also, and very much, about enjoyment, the pleasure of cooking, tasting and sharing.

From this standpoint, veganism’s vibrant celebration of appetite, good taste and joyfulness is insightful. Similarly, the inclination for powdered food, healthy bars and drinkable meals is here to stay, there’s no doubt about it. People and the planet need it, given the obesity and overpopulation issues we’re facing.

Making the communication matter: imagery, words and speech strategies around food & nutrition

We will only touch food and drink that meets our rigorous aesthetic standards. (…) The eyes carry greater weight in our brains than the tasting senses, so we often taste what we see, rather than what we're actually tasting.

If eating is a need, enjoying food is a pressing organoleptic expectation, where all our senses want to be part of the feast: this a fact that food companies and brands should keep in mind, when balancing the various dimensions and components of their communications. A few years ago, Professor Barry Smith of London University’s Centre for the Study of the Senses observed, “We will only touch food and drink that meets our rigorous aesthetic standards. (…) The eyes carry greater weight in our brains than the tasting senses, so we often

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taste what we see, rather than what we're actually tasting. Odor is another good clue as to whether something will be delicious, but not always. This is because we smell food and drink twice – on the way into the nose (orthonasal olfaction) and on the way out (retronasal olfaction). The brain processes each direction differently, which is why the famously stinky Époisses cheese tastes great once it's in the mouth.” And yes, that’s what makes eating so satisfying!

Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age

Share of Mouth: A given food or beverageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success in being consumed at relevant eating occasions, relative to competing choices. 10 View Apart / Shutterstock.com

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: New World, New Rules The Fourth Industrial Revolution is in its infancy, yet it is already disrupting the historically stable food and beverage business. Big Food companies that once appeared on a steady march toward industry domination are starting to look like slow-moving dinosaurs.

Steve Bryant Director, Food & Beverage Marketing; Managing Director, MSLGROUP Seattle @SteveBryantLive

Now, innovative upstarts are winning through rapid innovation that benefits from eager investors and a democratized internet that can rapidly popularize a new food or drink. Within a decade, the sector will be radically transformed on a global scale. Emerging megatrends point to several promising innovation pathways.

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There are 3 especially relevant ways food producers can innovate to enhance their market value

1. Go mobile, urgently Mobile communications have unleashed consumers and the full effects are only beginning to be felt. As people can work, communicate and be entertained anywhere they wish – often, in fact, while in motion – then eating anywhere or on the move is becoming second nature.

Old guard companies are scrambling therefore to move from cereal to cereal bars, from salads to salad cups, from easy-prep meals to readyto-eat snacks. The quaint habit of dining at a table will increasingly be reserved for special occasions.

Instead, look for foods that easily move with us, always within easy reach, even in a “wearable” form. Autonomous cars will escalate the trend, prompting consumers to enjoy meals and snacks on their commute like never before.

Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age | The Fourth Industrial Revolution: New World, New Rules

2. Tap Big Data to become the new Big Food “Big Food” today is famous for taking years to develop and introduce a product. It’s already a hopelessly dated idea, a turtle in a world where growth is being driven by upstart rabbits. Contrast giant food companies with some of the most promising new food business models: subscription and delivery services that offer a constantly evolving menu of food products. Variety is an old strategy, but this is a new approach that relies on Big Data to reduce innovation cycles to weeks, not years. Not only can these companies now intricately understand the constantly evolving tastes and needs of their consumers; they can also innovate and test in rapid response to them. It’s a marketer dream in a sector where tastes are now evolving at an ever faster pace as consumers crowdsource, not mom-source, their food tastes.

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3. Tell all to ensure trust Trust in food companies has badly eroded. Even a brand like Chipotle in the US, which promised to lead consumers to the promised land of natural food, is now understood to have sickened consumers with tainted food and misconstrued promises of wholesome nutrition. Don’t expect to hide in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Instead, tell all. Smart Labels on food packages are about to demonstrate the concept, allowing consumers to

use near-ubiquitous smartphones and QR codes to learn anything they could possibly want to know about a food product: ingredients, origins, genetics, allergens, nutritionals, etc. Full disclosure will prove they have nothing to hide. It’s an approach that answers activists and empowers special needs consumers.

If one revolution memorialized the phrase “let them eat cake,” then this revolution will require cake that’s packaged to go, finely tailored to the very latest tastes, and served with complete disclosure.

If you are a food producer with something to hide, then fear the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Share of Mouth in the Conversation Age | The Fourth Industrial Revolution: New World, New Rules

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth In our planning for food and beverage clients at MSLGROUP, we regularly account for what we consider the six key drivers of food and beverage consumption:

Health & Wellness

Visual Stimuli

Culture

Reputation & Advocacy

Recommendation

Appetite Appeal

Whether driving demand or overcoming barriers that restrict it, nearly all food and beverage marketing comes down to this simple â&#x20AC;&#x153;share of mouthâ&#x20AC;? objective. Through custom analysis, relying on our deep research assets, we help every client discover the best ways to drive consumption uniquely for their business. In the following pages, a wide range of contributors comment on how these drivers will promote consumption in the coming years. 7+( )8785( 2) )22' &20081,&$7,216

Image Credit: astudio / Shutterstock.com

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Health & Wellness Over the years, the preference for 'sumptuous' food has gradually been replaced by an inclination for 'well-balanced' and 'healthy' meals. No longer is taste the only factor driving consumers’ consumption habits – determinants like quality and nutritional value, among other associated health concerns, have taken center stage in the rising consumer consciousness about food. More and more consumers are questioning what they’re putting in their bodies, and food safety has come to the forefront of their – and as a result food manufactures’ – priorities. Several well-known instances of food recalls in the recent past have only further eroded consumers’ faith in mass-produced foods, and they’re increasingly leaning toward food that’s clean, simple and more naturally produced. As awareness about the benefits of a healthy lifestyle grows, consumers are making a direct association with the food they consume and the illnesses that ail them – and are taking active steps to make informed food choices, even willing to pay more for healthier alternatives. Buzzwords like ‘organic’, ‘preservative-free’ and ‘all-natural’ dominate the discussions around health food. That there’s a global health food movement cannot be ignored – and although the definitions of ‘healthy food’ and ‘nutrition’ may vary across geographies and cultures, the desire among people to consume food that doesn’t harm them and their future generations in the long run is universal, and will only grow with time.

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Food, genomics and the microbiome: What are the implications for food producers?

Kerry Neville Registered Dietitian

The growing affinity for 'Fresh Food' in Asian markets Aruna Handique

Planning Manager, MSLGROUP India

Nutrition: What does it mean for emerging economies? Narendra Nag

Regional Director, Integrated Planning & Asia Practice Leader, Social Media and Digital, MSLGROUP Singapore

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth | Health & Wellness

Food, genomics and the microbiome: What are the implications for food producers? Although it's been around for eons, consumers, lately, seem to have truly taken to heart the adage â&#x20AC;&#x153;you are what you eat.â&#x20AC;? More than ever before, they care about their own well-being and are actively looking for ways to improve their health.

Kerry Neville Registered Dietitian

Given this increasing shift toward health consciousness, what should food producers do, for a better understanding of consumers' nutritional needs?

@kerryneville

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Half of all consumers report using foods and beverages to directly help manage health conditions. Source: The Hartman Group

Understand the impact of food choices on chronic ailments According to a Hartman Group study, half of all consumers report using foods and beverages to directly help manage ailments like diabetes and associated health conditions. Twenty-nine million people currently have diabetes, but more alarmingly, nearly 86 million American adults have pre-diabetes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and 90 percent of them don't even know it. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently launched a national public service campaign to raise awareness about pre-diabetes, with the message that exercise and a change in diet can help reverse the condition. Food manufacturers have an opportunity to win a significant share of mouth by targeting this sizeable group of consumers. But one of the challenges is getting those with pre-diabetes to understand that chances are good â&#x20AC;&#x201C; one in three â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that they will have the condition, and helping them select foods that are good for their health.

Health & Wellness | Food, genomics and the microbiome: What are the implications for food producers?

Explore Gut Feelings One of the most exciting areas of health research is focused on the gut and specifically, its microbiome. Microorganisms, called microbiota, that live in the gut are thought to influence numerous metabolic functions, and are linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes, obesity, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, and others. It's hypothesized that the mix and amounts of these different microbiota may hold the key to health.

Some studies are looking at the influence of the microbiome in managing weight, and in particular, whether or not certain gut microbiota may trigger cravings for foods. Other research is investigating whether particular microbiota inclines a person to be more successful on one type of diet than another, such as paleo versus low fat.

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Although much more research is needed, general advice to maintain a healthy microbiome calls for eating a plant-centric diet. A diet that's high in fiber and polyphenols appears to help benefit microbiota, as do fermented foods. Fresh, minimally processed foods that are limited in sugar and saturated fats seem to be best for the gut microbiome, so food manufacturers have another reason to focus on products that support â&#x20AC;&#x153;clean eatingâ&#x20AC;? ideals.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Bobs Red Mill includes probiotics in its new line of plant-based Nutritional Booster Protein Powders.

Tackle Telomeres

Telomeres are needed to help cells replicate properly and they shorten every time a cell replicates.

Another hot area of health research is focused on telomeres, the microscopic caps that fit on the end of our chromosomes. They're often described as being similar to the plastic caps on shoe laces. Telomeres indicate how well we're aging. Age, genetics, lifestyle, disease and drug use appear to influence telomere length. Telomeres are needed to help cells replicate properly and they shorten every time a cell replicates.

Shortened telomeres are found in a number of inflammatory conditions like atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, obesity and diabetes. Although findings are preliminary, one study showed that healthy lifestyle habits may offer ways to elongate telomeres. Since telomeres are affected by oxidative stress, a plant-based diet rich in phytochemicals and antioxidants, as well as omega-3s, folate and vitamin D may be protective. For food manufacturers, this call for plantbased diets and nutrients provides an opportunity to promote foods that benefit healthy aging. As with research on the microbiome, studies on telomeres are still in their infancy, so food companies need to use caution to not get too far ahead of the science in making claims.

Health & Wellness | Food, genomics and the microbiome: What are the implications for food producers?

THE GROWING AFFINITY FOR ‘FRESH FOOD’ IN ASIAN MARKETS

With rising disposable incomes and better standards of living across leading Asian economies, consumers are increasingly aware of food safety, leading to a surge in organic food and fresh food consciousness. In 2014, fresh food markets saw a spike in growth in Asia, with appreciable inroads into the economies of India and China.

Aruna Handique Planning Manager, MSLGROUP India @arunahandique

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Some very notable factors have been contributing to this gradual yet steady inclination towards fresh food

Healthier variants take precedence over traditional intake One of the key trends enforced by a prioritization in fresh food has been the affinity for food that’s better than what’s already being consumed. For example, in China, pork has traditionally been the most consumed meat, but in 2014 a preference for the far healthier fish and other seafood variants were seen. Another example across China and Japan has been the consumption of cherries and blueberries – long heralded for their benefits – over traditional fruit alternatives.

Health & Wellness | The growingAffinity affinity for for Areshfood ‘fresh food’ininAsian Asian Markets markets Health & Wellness | The Growing

Food safety concerns have become center stage Another contributing factor has been food safety, which is a huge cause for concern across the region. The furor caused by the milk scandal in 2008 and the incident of pigs floating in the Huangpu River are still fresh in the collective Chinese memory. Moving South, the Vietnamese bemoaned a 15% rise in food poisoning in 2014 with imported food products bearing

Favorable government policies are helping food retailers In 2014, an important policy rejig in India saw the delisting of fresh fruit and vegetables from the Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC). From 2009-14, the fruits segment in India grew the highest in the region â&#x20AC;&#x201C; at close to 35%. This delisting should be seen as a big opportunity for grocery retailers and other larger customers to step into the void and cultivate lasting relationships with growers and offer the end-consumer competitive prices.

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the ire of the consumers. Even trusted brands have not been spared, demonstrated by several food safety concerns that were publicly debated last year.

What’s cooking?

On-demand grocery delivery service HappyFresh, one of the leading providers of fresh foods in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, in 2015 announced plans to further expand its services across Southeast Asia.

Active local players are helping the fresh food movement Governments across the region will also be warmed by indicators showing that the fresh food revolution is being propelled by local players. A shining example of this shift has been Indonesia’s Hero Supermarket. The company has made full use of their government’s edict that 80% products have to be local by shaping their marketing around the ‘fresh food people’ and rewarding farmers for quality product with their ‘Local Fresh Farmer of the Year’ recognition. The company also rubbishes the notion that fresh food equals expensive products by selling at affordable prices, and also keeps overall costs down by running a savvy distribution system. Hero is definitely being rewarded, as their revenue grew by 34% from 2007 to 2012. Similarly in China, local brand RTMart’s revenues tripled from 2007-11, but the entry of big players like Carrefour and Metro into the Chinese market has led to fierce resistance from local players.

Health & Wellness | The growing affinity for ‘fresh food’ in Asian markets

Japanese food company Kagome has installed a vending machine with fresh tomatoes and tomato-based products in a runner’s sports facility in Tokyo.

Technology is aiding fresh food With technology impacting our daily lives like never before, it’s no surprise that it’s lending a helping hand to the fresh food industry. In Japan, Internet retailing saw double digit gains in 2014 while in China, logistics giants SF Express and retailer RTMart have all ventured into the fresh food segment. Japanese food company Kagome has installed a vending

machine with fresh tomatoes and tomato-based products in a runner’s sports facility in Tokyo. The machine provides runners with a healthy and nutrition-rich alternative to the more common candy bars. In Tokyo, this has been popular for quite a while (as everything related to vending

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machines seems to be pioneered first in the Japanese capital). In 2010, a machine was launched that grew vegetables inside, making it available to health-conscious urbanites with the click of a button.

What’s cooking?

Singapore-based hawker.today, an on-demand food delivery app helps small local businesses to sell local produce to shoppers.

Cultural food habits are spreading The importance of fresh food has also been reinforced via television and nowhere is this starker than in India thanks to the unprecedented success of Master Chef Australia. The show has already spawned a domestic variant and as far back as 2013, the show was clocking up 3 million viewers in a week. While the competitiveness of the show and the excellent presentation have hooked Indian audiences, the show’s ethos of cooking fresh and using a variety of healthy cooking options has definitely resonated enough to give rise to countless fresh food adapters in urban India.

A universal connector across the emerging market that’s Asia has been consumers’ willingness to pay for premium food, as long as it adheres to the increasingly ‘fresh and organic’ standards that are becoming the norm. The verdict, overwhelmingly, seems to be – if it’s not fresh, it’s no good!

Health & Wellness | The growing affinity for ‘fresh food’ in Asian markets

Nutrition: What does it mean for emerging economies?

Narendra Nag Regional Director, Integrated Planning & Asia Practice Leader, Social Media and Digital, MSLGROUP Singapore

Food supply is no longer the big problem facing the developing world. Agricultural yields are up across the developing world thanks to better seeds, improved irrigation, and a host of other agricultural extensions. But one of the major results of massive food security programs, like that of Indiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Green Revolution, has been the homogenization of agricultural produce. As sources of nutrients have disappeared from regular diets, the big problem facing the developing world today is nutrition security â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ensuring a nutrient-rich diet.

@narendranag

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What’s cooking?

Taste for Africa, a crowdsourced food project, aims to alleviate hunger in Africa by raising capital for food trucks that will tour the most affected regions to deliver free high-quality food.

In India, for example, wheat and rice are the largest food staples, replacing a host of millets and other grains. This has directly impacted the amount of protein in the diets of most Indians who’re unable to afford meat or other alternate sources of protein on a regular basis (unlike the West, India and other developing countries often rely on millets and lentils as their major source of protein).

A shift in primary dietary habits While it has been suggested that the developing world will eventually follow the nutrition patterns of the developed world and introduce more meat into their diets with growing incomes, there are significant challenges to livestock farming at scale. Livestock requires feed, putting further pressure on existing agricultural yields. A rapidly developing China, easily at the head of the class of the countries that were considered “third world” in 1980, perhaps best exemplifies this problem.

Health & Wellness | Nutrition: What does it mean for emerging economies?

The impact of a nutrient-poor diet is significant: Malnourishment statistics are alarming and call for sustained intervention.

According to the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the growth potential for grain production in China is one of the most controversial issues in the recent hot debate on “who will feed China.” The prevailing views of most Chinese scholars are that China basically has to rely on itself to meet the increasing demand. The growth potential lies in yield improvement which can be realized through intensification of land use, as there is hardly any possibility to expand the farmland area. In China, virtually all arable land has been put into cultivation. In many places, such as in the Loess Plateau, semi-arid regions in the Northwest and mountainous areas in the Southwest, very fragile lands which are not suitable for cultivation at all have also been explored for grain production.

The impact of a nutrient-poor diet is significant: Malnourishment statistics are alarming and call for sustained intervention. The challenge for food companies and brands, especially when expanding to emerging markets, will be to place significant emphasis on the nutritional value of their food – as is increasingly being expected – and to effectively communicate it to consumers.

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Activating Health & Wellness in the Conversation Age Consumers' health and safety is imperative to the success of any food business. Food producers need to be asking themselves important questions like, 'Is the food we make today healthier than the options available a decade ago?'. In order to stay relevant, fresh and 'wanted' on the shelves, food brands should tune in to evolving ideas of health and nutrition, and adapt to meet new consumer expectations.

LOW E PRIC

Invest in desirable alternatives Conduct research to find alternatives to artificial food colorings, preservatives and other ingredients conventionally used in packaged and processed foods. Constant innovation will only help food brands to keep up with the demand for 'clean' food.

Be transparent Communicate your commitment about your products to consumer health & safety Enable consumers to feel Consumers want to know that brands are taking their health seriously. Tell your consumers what you are up to â&#x20AC;&#x201C; engage them in a conversation about the initiatives being undertaken to make healthier, safer food available to them.

more confident about the food they purchase. They want to know what goes in the making of their favorite foods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; make that information easily available to them. This not only helps them in their healthy eating goals, but also helps establish trust.

Make healthier food options more affordable Most 'health' foods on an average are priced more than the other 'normal' variants, which is often a deterrent for the consumer. Make healthier options cheaper; make clean eating more accessible.

Health & Wellness | Activating Health & Wellness in the Conversation Age

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Culture Hunger certainly is the most important driving force for food consumption, but other factors come a close second in determining people’s food behaviors. Looking at food from a strictly nutritional point of view has been rare – traditionally, what an individual consumes has been seen as a reflection of their traditions, cultural values and beliefs. The symbolic meaning of food oftentimes has little or no relevance to the nature of the food; however, it does form an important component of an individual’s identity. While culturally-relevant food habits that are passed down from one generation to the next are key in cementing people’s life-long food preference, societal shifts also affect food choices to a significant degree. Events like mass migration of populations from one corner of the world to the other have always enabled the introduction of newer diets to different geographical areas. Globalization has further amplified the spread of foreign diets to different societies. Cuisines that were once considered exotic – Indian, Lebanese, Japanese, for instance – are popular and common foods today. Technological innovations and improved supply chains over the decades have brought previously unavailable food items to local supermarkets throughout the world, as a result of which people have adopted global ingredients to complement their existing tastes. Additionally, pop culture has greatly helped in bringing food to the forefront of living room discussions – food-based entertainment has made cooking “cool”, a desirable asset even. Previously passive participants in the kitchen are now actively seeking out opportunities to plate up, resulting in more diverse tastes being included to the global food culture.

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ÂżHablas Comida? Vickie Allande-Fite

SVP, MSLGROUP Los Angeles (Hispanic Specialty Lead)

Man the provider is really man the buyer! Steven L. Katz

CEO and Founder, Man the Kitchen

Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect? Gina Santana

VP, Strategic Planning Director, Leo Burnett USA

Image Credit: astudio / Shutterstock.com

Six Consumption Drivers | Culture

ÂżHablas Comida?

Vickie Allande-Fite SVP, MSLGROUP Los Angeles (Hispanic Specialty Lead)

In the U.S., every 30 seconds, two non-Hispanics reach retirement age and one Latino turns 18. Hispanics are coming of age and wielding $1.5 trillion in buying power. The community is clearly an influential growing segment of consumers. Food marketers, to successfully engage Hispanic audiences, need to understand the factors driving their consumption behaviors.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Consumers are out-spending for Love Already, Hispanic consumers spend more on total basket than non-Hispanics. While true that Hispanic households tend to have more mouths to feed, it should be noted that all those bodies share an emotional commitment to regroup daily for a meal. Food marketers need to recognize that breakfast, lunch and dinner in Hispanic homes are seen as opportunities for a memorable, emotionallyrewarding experience, and that is the primary motivator for buying fresher ingredients, higher-quality cuts of meat, etc.

Key takeaway: Hispanic purchase behavior is not driven by functional product benefits but the emotional payoff of the meal experience.

Culture | ÂżHablas Comida?

Taste Buds are Neither Hispanic nor American, but Bicultural For a long time, U.S. Hispanics were simply segmented as either acculturated (typically U.S. born, English dominant) or nonacculturated (typically foreign-born, Spanish dominant). Focusing on the non-acculturated Hispanic is common practice but short-sighted, as this is the shrinking (aging) segment and they tend to be already solidly committed to brands and menu patterns from their country

of origin. The bigger opportunity for food marketers lies with the hybrids, a relatively newer segment called the Bicultural Hispanics. These Latinos seamlessly shift between their Hispanic roots and new-found American traditions. Typically bilingual and English dominant, already half (44%) of U.S. Hispanics fall into this grouping and they will soon be the majority. They have higher education, with matching

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higher incomes. They have greater interest in nutrition and within reason are open to adjusting family recipes in favor of healthier options.

Key takeaway: The largest opportunity for food marketers is with Bicultural Hispanics who desire foods/meals/menu options that satisfy their diverse cravings.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Hemisfares, Kroger's multicultural private food brand, includes popular regional fare from around the world.

Foods and meal patterns that address health issues move to the front of the line According to the most recent Census, Hispanics are the least likely racial or ethnic group to seek medical care, resulting in them being largely unaware of risk factors and how diet can help protect against diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes is now considered at epidemic levels within the community, with Hispanics nearly twice as likely to develop Type

2 Diabetes as non-Hispanics, and an estimated one in three U.S. Hispanic adults are already pre-diabetic.

Key takeaway: Eating healthier for the betterment of the community is a growing priority.

Easy, affordable recipes are a strategic way in New research tracks that the majority of Hispanic millennials like cooking at home and over 40% wish they could cook more often. Like others of their generation, they are pressed for time in their daily routines and cite being short on ideas for easy and affordable meals.

Key takeaway: Invest in recipe development.

Culture | ÂżHablas Comida?

Man the Provider Is Really Man the Buyer!

Steven L. Katz CEO and Founder, Man the Kitchen

If you want the competitive edge as a producer, marketer, or retailer of food, groceries, and anything related to cooking and the tools and equipment needed to put a meal on the table, then the most profitable next step you can take is to suspend any stereotypes you have about men doing the cooking at home. That is because all recent in-depth studies have shown that more males are doing more cooking across all age groups, and in the process are redefining gender roles and responsibilities in households across America. Yet when men cook, something much more than cooking is going on.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

The traditional male “provider” role has been airlifted from the workplace and adapted to the kitchen. This has increased exponentially as more women are working, and combines with twenty years of food television and a food-obsessed media and internet to translate into success or failure as both provider and their performance as a chef in their own kitchen! Tanya Steel, who also served as editor of Epicurious.com, notices that “whenever my husband or son decide to start cooking they act like

they are leading troops into combat!” So much seems to be at stake when guys are doing the cooking. Breakfasts are made to order. Lunch is a refueling. Dinner’s got to “Wow!” It is now the job of anyone in the business of food to be equally invested in that success – not simply in making the sale. Increasingly, men look at cooking as a decision, not an obligation, and they have a storyline in their minds that begins with equipping themselves – from tools

and cookware to ingredients – then becoming immersed in the preparation and cooking, and culminates in serving their dish and winning acclaim! Think of where you fit into that storyline, and how your brand and business becomes part of the supply chain of the successful male home chef.

Culture | Man the provider is really man the buyer!

There are 3 keys to connecting with the male cook

1. Capitalize on market intelligence First, treat every available in-depth study that you read about as market intelligence, not simply as sociological research, or trend snapshots. Every time you see a quote or statistic, conduct your own search and due diligence for the underlying research or expert. Most recently this would have included: The U.S. Department of Labor June 2015 “American Time Use Survey” by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates how the contours of genders in the kitchen are shifting. According to the BLS data for the decade 2004-2014: Males ages 15-54 years old are spending 20% more time each year engaged in “food preparation and clean up.” While younger women also showed an increase in time spent in the kitchen, females ages 25-54 years old only increased their time in the same activities by 1.2%. The report also states in the same decade males increased their share of cooking related household activities from 35 percent to 43 percent! How does this play out in the marketplace? It is illustrated by another source of market intelligence

published in January 2015 entitled “Food Shopping in America Report” jointly conducted by The Hartman Group and MSLGROUP. The findings: “increasingly, men who now compose 43 percent of primary shoppers, are shopping frequently and they now make just as many monthly store visits as women.” In fact, J. Walter Thompson’s June 2013 “State of Men” report, developed with research by GfK Global, had also pointed to these same patterns in its interviews with men in the U.S. and the U.K.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Stryhn's 'Food for Men' campaign targets meat products to men in a comic, light vein.

Men now compose 43% of primary shoppers, and are shopping more frequently and make just as many store visits as women.

Image Credit: Yulia Grigoryeva / Shutterstock.com

Source: Food Shopping in America Report, The Hartman Group and MSLGROUP

Males aged 15-54 years old are spending 20% more time each year engaged in "food preparation and clean up." Source: The U.S. Department of Labor June 2015 American Time User Survey

Culture | Man the provider is really man the buyer!

What are the men saying? 2. Observe people Second, when you read phrases such as “behavioral economics” or “ethnography” or “predictive analytics” this really means that it is essential to observe and talk to people, and learn what is going on in society and people’s lives. That means actually speaking to people with an aim to understand what is taking place in people’s lives and across society. Sometimes people close to you or those you work with can be helpful, but often the best insights come from complete strangers about what they are observing around them. If someone asks you to be in a focus group, just say “yes.” You will learn amazing things and realize that whether you are a producer, marketer, or retailer, that helping the male home chef succeed is rewarding for all involved. Or just ask the guys, they will tell you about their successes, and their failures.

Nazat, 23 Work is structured and meticulous, compliance and safety-driven. My cooking is the opposite. I explore as part of the process, take longer than necessary to prepare a dish, start with the fundamentals, a recipe or YouTube video, and make adjustments. I am left to my fate. Eating tells me if it is a keeper or teaches me the limits of innovating.

Josh, 24 My sauce isn't hot. It's the hottest. It's the baddest.

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What’s cooking?

Targeted at fathers in the kitchen, YouTube channel cookingfordads shows men how to go about making tasty food with simple, quick recipes.

Simon, 33

Tom, 50

When I cook I transform from the guy who is late and can’t stay on schedule to being hyper aware of every second and minute and what’s happening to the food!

I need to be in control but not in any dysfunctional way. But yes, I don't want anyone else involved.

Harland, 67 Emmett, 45

The kitchen is an extension of the shop. I love my ricer as much as I love my DeWalt drill.

Pizza dough is my painter’s canvas.

Mark, 63 I’ve finally perfected the omelet, I went through a lot of trial efforts.

Culture | Man the provider is really man the buyer!

Men come in to buy something specific to make a recipe or dish they already have in mind.

3. Strategically merchandize for consumer success For the producer, manufacturer, marketer, or retailer connecting to the success of the male home chef in both providing and performing means becoming part of the home chef’s supply chain and their storyline from creation to plating and serving their latest dish. Skillet manufacturers are

selling the sear and sizzle, not the steak! Spice merchants are selling the transformative aroma and experience of a dish! Groceries stores aren’t just selling eggs, they are selling the making of an amazingly puffy omelet or French Toast made to order for Sunday breakfast! Pass the syrup.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

At the March 2016 International Home and Housewares Show held in Chicago, independent cookware store owners reported equal numbers of men and women customers, but their real insight was expressed in their preference for male customers “because they always come in to buy something specific to make a recipe or dish they already have in mind.”

Yet, even knowing that “the proof is in the pudding” has not sufficiently moved enough people to break from their preconceived and wellworn assumptions and stereotypes about either men or women. It is the connection to cooking that matters most, and truthfully, neither men nor women are making the time to stroll through shelves of cookware or aisles of groceries. The connection to cooking could be as simple as social media or advertising that puts recipes with photos in the hands of male home chefs; complementary displays or

end caps such as cheese and veggies next to the eggs for omelets or quiches, whole peppers and onions and tortillas at the meat case for fajitas; grouping ingredients to actually make dishes. An educated workforce would go a long way – guys like learning from the source – the most innovative step a grocery store could take is to have an inhouse chef poised around the store simply to answer questions and give ideas for how a chef would cook something at home. Thousands of dollars are invested in “buying local” but not a penny on how to successfully cook it.

Men are destination buyers, not shoppers. If men could have man hours in a grocery store, more akin to “adult swim”, they would be very happy. While it may more closely resemble a New Yorker cartoon, men would love a “Male Express Lane” to check out and pay for their groceries.

Gentlemen, Start Your Ovens!

Culture | Man the provider is really man the buyer!

Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect?

Gina Santana VP, Strategic Planning Director, Leo Burnett USA

THE FUTURE OF FOOD &20081,&$7,216 Image Credit: Sorbis / Shutterstock

Q A People's Insights:

Big Food companies have lost significant market share in recent years. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s driving that?

Gina:

The answer to that question lives in the context of how consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; consciousness and knowledge of food has evolved as a result of access to so much more information. This access is causing a shift in consumer mindset and giving consumers greater confidence in creating their own point of view on food that is alternately shaping a new values-based system driving food choices. To compete in the emerging values-based marketplace brands must speak to consumer awareness and satisfy their desire for food transparency, quality, health, taste and convenience. Big Food companies were not prepared for this shift in consumer sentiment and therefore not ready with offerings that align to the new criteria driving food choices. This has opened a big opportunity for small, new entrants to gain traction by offering a true point of distinction that appeals to the new values consumers are looking to satisfy.

Culture | Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect?

Q A People's Insights:

How have Big Food companies responded to this challenge? Is anything working to stem this tide?

Gina:

A popular response has been the creation of organics/natural/simple line extensions, but we are now seeing more efforts to also clean existing labels either by eliminating ingredients altogether (i.e., HFCS, dyes) or by replacing ingredients with their clean /natural versions (i.e., cage-free, no hormones, real butter). Another tactic has been to acquire trending brands or companies to provide an offering and own share in the values-based market.

It may be too soon to tell if anything is working to stem the tide as Big Food companies will continue to feel the pressure of new entrants disrupting established categories that align with consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; values.

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What’s cooking?

Q A

Papa John's International, to correspond with their 'Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.' motto, announced an investment of $100 million a year to cut artificial ingredients, corn syrup, and preservatives from their menu.

People's Insights:

Do you see any signs that upstart brands could stumble in their rise? Will controversies cause consumers to rethink the “smaller is better” mindset, and bring new respect for the competencies of so-called Big Food (e.g., economies of scale, food safety measures, etc.)? Gina:

The only thing that will cause upstart brands to stumble is if they lose sight of what their product promises to deliver. There are cases where small brands have been bought by Big Food companies who did not maintain the integrity of the original product offering. In these cases, consumers feel deceived and take their business elsewhere or even take to the digital airwaves and let the world know of their experiences and dissuade others away from those products/brands. I suspect that the “small is better” mindset will continue to prevail because these are the brands that are likely to be aligned with the new values-based decision-making consumers are utilizing to make food choices. Image Credit: BluIz60 / Shutterstock.com

Culture | Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect?

Q A People's Insights:

Just recently, a long list of brands threw in the towel and decided to label products containing genetically engineered ingredients. What impact do you expect this to have with consumer acceptance of those products? Gina:

Consumers will likely be appreciative of the transparency being offered. This does not mean that products with genetically engineered ingredients will dramatically affect product sales one way or the other. However, it will put consumers at ease, especially in an age when so many consumers are increasingly prone to avoid foods due to allergies, sensitivities or mere suspicion of risk. Overall, consumers are raising the bar on their basic expectations of food. As a result, I would expect to continue to see more big food companies cleaning their labels as much as possible and working to be seen as making their foods better.

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What’s cooking?

In 2016, General Mills announced their plan to remove artificial colors and flavors from their popular breakfast cereals by 2017.

Q A People's Insights:

Are there any demographic or cultural shifts looming that could significantly change the food and beverage landscape over the next five years?

Gina:

We will continue to see the impact of a multi-cultural society influencing our taste buds’ fascination with tasty new food experiences.

In addition, our modern lifestyles have all but done away with the three-square meals. We will see every category, every food type in snack version that can be taken/eaten on-the-go. All this “Snackification” will create a longing for a proper meal, shared with others. There will also be less stringent rules on what is right to eat when as we see consumers enjoying the kind of food they like whenever they want it, as in breakfast anytime of the day.

Culture | Big Food: How can it repair the cultural disconnect?

Overall, consumers are raising the bar on their basic expectations of food. As a result, I would expect to continue to see more Big Food companies cleaning their labels as much as possible and working to be seen as making their foods better.

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Activating Culture in the Conversation Age Food marketers have a bigger challenge today than ever before when it comes to keeping pace with the rapidly-evolving global food culture. Immersive and well-thought-out techniques can help in developing a strategic understanding of the changing culinary scene. A combined approach – involving both online and traditional, offline methods – is necessary.

Study consumers' emotional connect with food Food is more than just taste – especially with cultural influences being huge determinants of food habits. Understand consumers' relation with the food they eat to effectively engage them.

Keep up with newer “tastes”

Make food culturally relatable

Speak to the new food audience

It's important to be able to gauge the impact of cross-cultural and societal dimensions on food choice. Probe deeper and more frequently into available consumer data; listen to consumer conversations and observe consumer behaviors to better anticipate the next big food trend.

Consumers are constantly being introduced to different types of cuisines, and are experimenting with their taste buds to include a variety of appealing foods to their diets. Help them adopt global, diverse cuisines in a way that's convenient, both individually and culturally.

Women are no longer the dominating target for food marketers – more and more men and millennials are now actively involved in the preparation of food. Tailor your communication to resonate with their approach to cooking and food.

Culture | Activating Culture in the Conversation Age

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Reputation & Advocacy

Social media gives anyone and everyone a voice, and the debate around whether or not food brands should respond to consumer attacks is increasingly veering toward the affirmative. Food brands in particular will always be at the receiving end of questions from consumers and activists alike, as people increasingly feel responsible for the societal, environmental and health impacts of the food they consume. This is where brand transparency becomes more important than ever before – by making as much information as possible freely available to consumers, brands make it easier for consumers to trust their products. The trust thus established can go a long way in turning everyday consumers into long-term brand advocates.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Image Credit: Glynnis Jones / Shutterstock.com

It can't be refuted that the most successful, well-known – and loved – brands are usually those that, in addition to providing quality products and services, also establish a personal and close connection with their consumers. This connection helps the brand reputation as much as it helps the brand-consumer relationship. Building this relationship, of course, requires active and well-thought-out brand initiatives aimed at making consumers feel valued and at ease. Today's progressive consumer has more evolved preferences about the brands they invest their money in – and food brands are high on this list of informed priorities. In the conversation around food, consumers today have more of a voice than their yesteryear counterparts – and this voice is all the more amplified by the ubiquitous internet, particularly social media. Social media makes it extremely easy, not to mention convenient, for consumers to call individual brands to task if they suspect their practices are dishonest. This has been well demonstrated by the many instances of consumers exposing food brands on social media for their unsafe ingredients, controversial company processes and more. It wouldn't be far-fetched to say that food activism is steadily on the rise.

Integrated Sustainable Thinking: A Critical Necessity for Food Companies Arabella Bakker

Director, Consultancy and Communications, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP

Drop-by-Drop: Water Footprinting for a Sustainable Food Supply Chain Caroline Carson

Consultant, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP

Transparency Coming for Genetically Engineered Foods Lisa Kelly

MPH, RDN, Registered Dietitian

Green Tables: How Restaurants Will Lead Sustainable Food Consumption Melanie Joe

Consultant, Research & Insights, MSLGROUP

Food Marketing to Millennial Parents: A China Perspective Irene Ling

Manager, Strategic Insight & Impact, MSLGROUP Asia

Six Consumption Drivers | Reputation & Advocacy

Integrated Sustainable Thinking: A Critical Necessity for Food Companies Business has been addressing sustainability issues for a number of years but there is still some way to go before many organisations can say they are fully integrating sustainable considerations into every aspect of their business strategy, plans, corporate and brand purpose.

Arabella Bakker Director, Consultancy and Communications, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP @Belautel

In the food sector, an embedded approach to sustainability is becoming more and more pressing. Global mega forces including food security, water scarcity, climate change and population growth are changing the way business and the world operates. Sustainable thinking is becoming a necessity for business within the food industry.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Nestlé’s Creating Shared Value addresses sustainability across the value chain.

With the articulation of global ambition through mechanisms such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the contribution food companies are expected to make towards a sustainable future is clear. SDG goal 2, ‘end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture’, is directly reliant on food companies stepping up and treating sustainability with strategic importance.

Food companies need to consider a holistic view of sustainability

Image Credit: B Brown / Shutterstock.com

Not tackling sustainability as a business imperative is a risk to competitive advantage, security of supply, business agility and the ability to attract and retain both customers and employees. Food companies need to consider a holistic view of sustainability. Climate change, food security, health and waste are great issues of our time and require a wholesale approach to tackle them. These need to be considered across the entire business and within all decision-making processes, not as isolated concerns.

Reputation & Advocacy | Integrated Sustainable Thinking: A critical necessity for food companies

Food companies need to consider sustainability impacts across the entire value chain Often, agricultural impacts in the supply chain are the most material issue for a food business. Not tackling supply chain issues will result in a lack of agility. However, focusing on positive impacts such as supporting capacity building with small holder farmers, investing in women-led agricultural enterprises, sourcing food crops sustainably and tackling the fuel and food debate are opportunities for reputational, as well as operational, benefits. Being a trusted partner delivers value to the business and to society.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Food companies need to look at consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; growing sustainability expectations from them At the other end of the value chain the sustainability expectations consumers have of business are growing. Consumers, to an extent, currently expect food companies to deal with sustainability issues so they do not have to worry about them. However, how sustainability feeds into consumer buying decisions is likely to change in the future. Consumer awareness is already growing on issues such as

provenance, healthy eating and waste. This is set to continue and hence the actions companies take and communicate will be increasingly important. Food companies can show leadership by proactively educating and supporting consumers in making sustainable choices. They can drive campaigns and advance solutions to issues such as crop management,

food waste, sustainable and nutritious foods and sustainable living. Sustainability is a business priority for food companies and they need to engage with all of their stakeholders on these issues, from consumers to regulators. Integrated thinking is critical today to secure food for all tomorrow.

Reputation & Advocacy | Integrated Sustainable Thinking: A critical necessity for food companies

Drop-by-Drop: Water Footprinting for a Sustainable Food Supply Chain

Caroline Carson Consultant, Salterbaxter MSLGROUP

Risks associated with water – too much, too little and the quality of it – have been one of the biggest and most visible environmental and climate challenges of recent decades. As the Alliance For Water puts it, “Water is the primary medium through which climate change impacts will be felt by humans, society and the environment.” To underline its significance, the World Economic Forum’s 2015 Global Risks Report defined water crises as the top risk facing the planet over the next 10 years.

Image Credit: Yavuz Sariyildiz / Shutterstock.com

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

The agricultural sector is already the largest user of water resources, responsible for 70% of all global freshwater use. Pressures on use are set to increase still further as food demand increases alongside population growth and global dietary preferences shift to more water and energy-intensive meat and dairy-centric diets.

Water isn't just a Corporate Responsibility issue for food and beverage companies â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it's a complex Business Risk

Water is the primary medium through which climate change impacts will be felt by humans, society and the environment. The Alliance for Water

A risk with a potential financial impact of US$2.5 billion, according to the The Carbon Disclosure Projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (CDP) Global Water Report. Supply chain resilience is threatened as increasingly globalized food value chains drive water extraction, use and discharge at every stage from field to shelf. Similarly, risks are emerging from the demand side with evidence that well-publicized droughts in California and Brazil are changing consumer purchasing.

Reputation & Advocacy | Drop-by-drop: Water footprinting for a sustainable food supply chain

Water crisis will be the top crisis facing the planet over the next ten years. Source: World Economic Forum

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

In their third segment of sustainability reporting, Tyson Foods announced a 2020 goal of reducing water consumption by 12%.

$2.5bn Value of risks associated with water. Source: CDP's Global Water Report

Systems-based approaches to managing water risks is an urgent priority Mapping water impacts across food supply chains is the first step. However, currently only 24% of companies disclosing water risk to the CDP include suppliers in their risk assessments. Recognizing the particular risk to the food sector, NestlĂŠâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and Grupo Nutresa are examples of companies embedding best practice water management into their supplier policies. Momentum to increase water footprinting in food supply chains will likely be aided by rapidly evolving best-practice guidelines and toolkits, such as those recommended by the Business Alliance for Water and Climate Change. Launched at the outset of the COP21 Paris negotiations, it includes a number of food companies amongst its founders. By demonstrating a statement of intent to analyze and share water risks, support footprinting standards and reduce water impacts across the full value chain, initiatives such as these may provide the business impetus and systems thinking required for food companies and companies from other sectors to identify and manage risk hot spots across their value chains.

Reputation & Advocacy | Drop-by-drop: Water footprinting for a sustainable food supply chain

Transparency Coming for Genetically Engineered Foods

Lisa Kelly MPH, RDN, Registered Dietitian

For more than a decade, while Europe rejected genetically engineered foods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; GMOs in the popular parlance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Americans remained oblivious and unconcerned. In the meantime, U.S. grocery shelves were filled with products made from GM corn, soy and sugar beets. Yet, the blind indifference has not endured, as activists in the state of Vermont waged a successful referendum that forces labelling of products sold in that state, starting in June 2016.

@LisaKellyRD

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Lisa Kelly, MPH, RDN, a Registered Dietitian with MSLGROUP, has managed food industry communications for more than two decades. She's among the communicators most active in this arena. In particular, she counsels the United Soybean Board, which represents U.S. growers of soybeans. In a chat with People's Insights, she comments on what to expect next:

People's Insights:

Lisa, how will food companies respond to this new labeling law? Lisa: The requirement has prodded many companies to declare that they will label GM ingredients in their products on a nationwide basis. It wouldn't be practical to label only in affected states.

People's Insights:

Which companies in particular will adopt this labeling approach? Lisa: It’s a long list. Mars, ConAgra, Kellogg’s, Campbell’s and General Mills were among the first to declare. They fell like cards in the face of inaction by the federal government. Some companies will simply choose not to sell in Vermont, but that’s not a sustainable strategy.

People's Insights:

So a small state will call the shots on this major policy issue? Lisa: Yes, and other states are entertaining similar laws, but with considerable variation. The FDA will need to act to avoid marketplace chaos. It’s been difficult to date -- the matter is politically charged – but all parties recognize the need for a national solution, not a patchwork.

Reputation & Advocacy | Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods

People's Insights:

Will they act? Lisa: Almost certainly, but with their usual deliberate pace.

People's Insights:

How do you expect consumers to react to the new labeled products? Lisa: More products than not – well over 50% -- will have to declare GM ingredients. Sugar beets, corn, soybeans, and a few other ingredients are ubiquitous in processed food products. Just as with trans fat labeling, consumers will react initially, but the consumption of these foods will be normalized. In the case of trans fat, consumers initially stopped buying – sales dropped immediately – but in many cases returned to normal consumption levels. Margarine remains weakened, with consumers retreating to butter. By contrast, sales of other foods labeled as containing trans fats, have returned to past levels for the most part.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Taking a cue from Campbell Soup, companies like General Mills, Kellogg's and ConAgra announced that they would start GMO labeling in their products.

People's Insights:

Are they any other cases that are predictive for GMO labeling? Lisa: Several years ago, we saw hysteria over High Fructose Corn Syrup. Some consumers retreated to sucrose, but there is now far less hubbub. While consumers still say they avoid HFCS, their intent isn’t reflected in sales figures. Look at tomato ketchup, for example: The U.S. market leader created an HFCSfree version, but their stalwart product made from HFCS continues to lead the market. Another case in point: Green CocaCola with Stevia did not match expectations. As always, there’s what consumers say, and what they do.

People's Insights:

Will there be a “poster child” for GM foods: one product that will especially bear the brunt of consumer pushback? Something comparable to margarine in the case of trans fat? Lisa: I can’t think of one. GM foods traditionally tend to be supporting ingredients, not the headliners. That may change in the future as additional products, such as fruits and vegetables, enter the marketplace.

Reputation & Advocacy | Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods

People's Insights:

Will companies drop GM ingredients to achieve GMOfree status or claims? Lisa: That’s not practical. The alternatives are more expensive and not nearly plentiful enough. Given this reality, you can rest assured that food companies have done their research and will adopt labeling language that promises to win the best possible reception.

People's Insights:

Does this movement to force labeling portend other food industry trends? Lisa: Absolutely. The consumer right-to-know movement is not limited to GMOs. Openness and honesty are essential to millennials – they want to know about sourcing, sustainability, animal welfare… it’s a long list. The demand for transparency isn’t new, but it’s reaching a critical mass.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

People's Insights:

So called “Big Food” has been fairly battered by these issues. Are they prepared to respond successfully? Lisa: We’ll see. Industry’s solution is: open the books and adopt a Smart Label solution. You can read about such solutions at smartlabel.org. Smart Labels will disclose anything and everything about a product – vastly more than could appear on any label. That will permit consumers to discover what matters to them – sourcing, allergens, country of origin, you name it. Most companies are on board and some are already using it; Hershey and Unilever are the earliest adopters. The Grocery Manufacturers Association aims for 30,000 products with Smart Label by end of 2017. Government has signaled its support.

The Grocery Manufacturers Association aims for 30,000 products with Smart Label by end of 2017.

Reputation & Advocacy | Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods

People's Insights:

What is compelling this broad acceptance of Smart Labels? Lisa: Smart Labels are something close to the Holy Grail for the food industry: It saves money by sharing this information proactively rather than on demand through customer service channels. The information reaches the consumers who have real concerns, without needlessly alarming or confusing others. It dramatically steps up transparency, while leaving more room on the label for marketing. It allows for claims validation and better traceability for recalls, benefitting food safety. It will serve as a ready platform for addressing future issues – BPA or acrylamide, for example – or new labeling requirements. These qualities make it nearly inevitable, and likely to extend globally in time, especially as smartphones become a ubiquitous companion to shopping. In fact, don’t be surprised if it should extend to a wide range of consumer products.

People's Insights:

Is there anything that could stand in the way of Smart Labels? Lisa: Consumer objection would be the only hurdle – yet I can’t see that happening. Critics might complain that consumers use QR codes at very low rates and wonder, “Is it a way to hire the facts?” On the contrary, Smart Labels will finally make QR codes more useful by delivering information consumers truly want and need.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Ahold USA announced a goal of 100% cage-free eggs by 2022.

People's Insights:

How do you expect this “deep labeling” to influence the marketplace? Lisa: Ah, this is very interesting. I expect it to level the playing field and prove a net benefit to big food brands. Small organic brands could burn in their own fire. For example, organic products may need to declare the use of approved pesticides, surprising consumers who think organic equals pesticide-free. Likewise, ingredient sources could prove embarrassing for supposedly authentic brands with a home-spun story. Let’s say your brand touts Florida tomatoes and that crop fails, leaving only South American product. Suddenly, you’re not “grown in the USA.” Bigger companies with superior supply chain management will be advantaged in this environment. People's Insights:

Will food companies finally make a case for GMOs, educating consumers about their value and safety? Lisa: They should. There’s a very strong case that GMOs are more sustainable. Millennials didn’t get the memo on this, but they may now. Also, you can bet that GM foods will help to respond to the impact of climate change on food crops. There is a story to tell, and now perhaps more cause to tell it.

Reputation & Advocacy | Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods

People's Insights:

How about the promise that GMOs are necessary to feed the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s growing population? Do consumers care when it comes down to their personal food choices? Lisa: While genetic engineering will likely serve as an important tool in feeding the world, there are many other benefits that people are looking for in order to embrace the technology, such as improving the welfare of themselves and their family members.

People's Insights:

If there a better argument to make? Lisa: To the extent GM foods can improve human nutrition delivering more personal benefits, they will win more consumer support, not to mention greater support of policy makers seeing healthier populations and lower costs.

People's Insights:

Will we now see attack ads from major GMO-free brands? Lisa: Oh sure, from smaller companies, but letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face the facts: The supply of non-GMO ingredients is too scant to serve even a few major food companies. A non-GMO platform is no longer feasible at any kind of scale without major reformulations to allow for alternative ingredients.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Panera Bread’s ‘No No List’, provides details of artificial ingredients like preservatives and sweeteners the company avoids in its products.

People's Insights:

Might an ingredient like sugarcane benefit from a move to GMO-free claims? Lisa: Here’s the rub. Sugarcane may be GMO-free but it has its own problems, including child labor and heavy water use. It’s a glass house, and stone-throwing would not be recommended. People's Insights:

Will labeling be a boon to a retailers like Whole Foods and makers of whole foods? Lisa: They will surely aim to make the most of it – organic foods are GMO-free by definition – but pricing will be a significant deterrent for the super-premium sector. People's Insights:

OK, let's say the big hubbub passes with GM products largely accepted. Does it make the water safer for other GM crops? Lisa: Quite possibly. There’s a large pipeline of GM products heading to market over the next decade, and they will be closely watching the consumer response. They may see some initial hysteria, but in the end it may amount to a whole bunch of nothing.

Reputation & Advocacy | Transparency coming for genetically engineered foods

People's Insights:

Why was there so much food industry foot-dragging on this issue? Lisa: Clearly, the industry should have taken action years ago. That said, the food industry was very engaged in preparing the market for GMOs in the 1990s, but the issue proved latent with consumers. It was a case of bad timing. Industry attention lagged about the same time that trust in institutions began to fall so precipitously. Then industry attempts to fight labeling only energized activists, making Big Food the Big Bad Guys. Hopefully, this new transparency will both benefit consumers and boost their trust in food brands.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

The food industry was very engaged in preparing the market for GMOs in the 1990s, but the issue proved latent with consumers.

Green Tables: How Restaurants Will Lead Sustainable Food Consumption

Melanie Joe Consultant, Research & Insights, MSLGROUP @melanie_joe

Food companies and brands have been, in recent times, actively demonstrating their commitment to sustainability. Most major players in the food industry are restructuring their business practices to align with their sustainability goals – different aspects of the business are being re-evaluated, from supply chains to production methods, distribution channels and even packaging. While making the switch to more sustainable processes brings with it its own set of challenges, there's one common trend – everyone is, gradually, getting on board with sustainability. What does this increasing emphasis on food sustainability mean for another significant stakeholder in the food revolution – restaurants?

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Today, people are eating out more than ever before. Americans, for instance, eat out on an average of 4 or 5 times per week – that's about 18.2 commercially-prepared meals in a month. More and more, people are choosing dining out over cooking. So much so that in 2015, Americans' dining expenditures overtook their grocery sales. And it's not exclusive to America – across the globe, people are actively seeking out restaurant meals. Various factors are contributing to this increasing food consumption outside the home – urbanization, more women in the workforce, rising demand for 'foreign' foods, easy accessibility to eating options, to name a few. Rise in disposable incomes is another contributing factor – people increasingly have the resources to support their varied food choices. As people juggle demanding careers and nuclear families, they're often left with little time for meal preparation – and this is where restaurants come to the rescue.

Image Credit: Filipe Frazao / Shutterstock.com

Food Away From Home (FAFH) is becoming the norm

In 2015, Americans' dining expenditure overtook their grocery sales. Source: Bloomberg

Additionally, there has always been an allure to dining at restaurants – the ease and convenience that comes with eating out is tempting for most people. Eating is also about more than just food – for millennia, the act of eating has brought people together, giving them a sense of belonging within their communities; more people bond over eating than most other activities.

Reputation & Advocacy | Green Tables: How restaurants will lead sustainable food consumption

It is estimated that nearly 10% of restaurant food purchases make their way to landfill; additionally, patrons end up not consuming a significant chunk of the food they order at restaurants.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What can a restaurant do to save the planet? Plenty. Restaurants are traditionally associated with food wastage – chefs are often forced to throw away perfectly edible food on account of freshness, storage challenges and even aesthetics. It is estimated that nearly 10% of restaurant food purchases make their way to landfill; additionally, patrons end up not consuming a significant chunk of the food they order at restaurants. As many socially and environmentally-conscious consumers strive to be more 'green' in their everyday lives, it becomes pertinent to ask – are consumers prompted to think along the same lines when it comes to their eating habits, namely, eating out? The answer is, not all that often. While eco-friendly restaurants are increasingly gaining popularity, they are usually not the first choice when people decide to eat out. The idea of 'green' restaurants is still a novelty, something new to be ‘checked out’ – not yet the norm.

This is where the opportunity for those in the foodservice industry lies – to show diners that a 'fully sustainable' restaurant is just as exciting and diverse as a 'normal' one. Consumers tend to respond positively to new brand innovations, as long as they serve their original purpose – in restaurants' case, whipping up good food for their patrons. Restaurants have a monumental advantage over others in the food sector simply because consumers choose to visit restaurants not out of need, but pure desire; restaurants can leverage this preference to make consumers view their eating habits through the sustainability lens. Show consumers how they can be active agents of change simply by deciding where to eat.

Reputation & Advocacy | Green Tables: How restaurants will lead sustainable food consumption

Sustainable business practices are necessary across all sectors, and restaurants will have no choice but to rethink their strategies. An all-encompassing approach that evaluates every aspect of the business is necessary. As the number of restaurants making a commitment to environmental stewardship will eventually grow, we can expect to see certain practices that will be more universal in the next decade.

Restaurants will adopt a Farm to Table approach Most fresh foods and vegetables make a journey of about 1500 miles before they reach their final destination, like supermarkets and restaurants. This puts a considerable strain on the environment. Locally grown produce is not only more fresh, but also uses up less energy during harvesting and transportation. Restaurants, by supporting the local economy, also stand to develop mutually beneficial relationships with local farmers.

All produce at The Captain's Galley in Scotland is sourced exclusively within a 50-mile radius of the restaurant.

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Image Credit: Thornton / Shutterstock.com

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

The Perennial, in its aim to be "the most environmental restaurant ever", has a 360-degree approach to sustainability; everything from the cutlery to furniture is designed to be as sustainable as possible.

Patrons will be encouraged to choose their own portions One of the prime reasons for per capita food wastage at restaurants is the portions patrons are served. Restaurant portions are more often than not unrealistic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; either too little or too much. Replacing standardized serving sizes with customized options will not only reduce the amount of food that goes to trash, but also give customers a bigger say in how their meals are prepared. McAlister's Deli's 'Lite Choose Two' feature lets customers choose their own portion sizes from a variety of healthconscious options.

Seasonal menus will dominate As restaurants source their produce locally, their offerings will depend on produce availability â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ingredients with short growing seasons won't always be on the menu. This will help chefs be more creative with the dishes; rotating the menu is also a great way to keep customers interested.

Relae in Copenhagen, winner of the 2015 Sustainable Restaurant Award, has a menu that rotates nightly, to correspond with the availability of local, organic ingredients.

Reputation & Advocacy | Green Tables: How restaurants will lead sustainable food consumption

Bring Your Own Food (BYOF) will expand beyond drinking establishments While the BYOF trend is widely popular in several breweries and taprooms worldwide, it has, understandably, not caught on with restaurants. In the future, however, restaurants will adopt BYOF policies that encourage patrons to carry certain kind of foods like dips, condiments, personalized allergen-free ingredients, etc. The BYOF trend could also translate to customers providing restaurants with the raw ingredients they want in their food. This will help restaurants cut costs, while building an inclusive dining area. Image Credit: Radiokafka / Shutterstock.com

In their garden barter program, Maine restaurant Gather accepts surplus home produce from customers in exchange for restaurant credit.

More restaurants will grow their own food Many restaurants around the world are now choosing to grow their ingredients themselves â&#x20AC;&#x201C; roof-top gardens and window boxes are gaining popularity. Growing their own food will enable restaurants to have quick access to produce; this will be a huge contributor to reducing their carbon footprint, and help chefs understand their food better. Additionally, this will help in the recycling of food wastage; leftover food can go straight to the garden in the form of compost. Chicago-based restaurant Uncommon Ground, named the 'World's Greenest Restaurant' in 2013, grows a number of their ingredients above their restaurant, in what is hailed as America's first certified organic rooftop farm.

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Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Chicago-based Sandwich Me In adopts the zero-waste approach, and managed to produce only 8 gallons of trash in two years.

Restaurants will look beyond food Making the food that's served as ecofriendly as possible is the first step restaurants can take toward enabling sustainable consumptions; however, food sustainability involves more elements than just the food. A 360degree approach will see restaurants making themselves 'fully sustainable'; this will include energy-efficient appliances, recycled menus, biodegradable cutlery, etc. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in other words, all-around 'green' infrastructures. Azurmendi in Spain uses photovoltaic solar panels, geothermic electricity systems and harvested water in the restaurant. Additionally, the architecture is designed to be eco-friendly. Restaurants will now, more than ever, need to be active participants in the sustainability dialogue. As the world anticipates a food crisis which will fail to support the 9 billionstrong population the planet is expected to reach by 2050, restaurants have an allimportant role to play in driving responsible food consumption.

Reputation & Advocacy | Green Tables: How restaurants will lead sustainable food consumption

Food Marketing to Millennial Parents: A China Perspective

In China, millennials make up a third of the total population (31%) in the nation. This generation grew up during a period of particular turbulence; the nation went through the economic reform, started the one-child policy, and undertook rapid urbanization to become the world's second largest economy today.

Irene Ling Manager, Strategic Insight & Impact, MSLGROUP Asia

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Chinese millennials' upbringing in this era has given them very different behaviors and experiences when compared to their predecessors. Often stereotyped as being selfobsessive, Chinese millennials on the contrary can place priorities on their own family â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially when they themselves become parents.

Almost 2 in 5 (38%) millennial mums ranked a blissful marriage and family as being their top desired compliment from others. Hence, for food brands that are targeting the Chinese millennial 'parents' â&#x20AC;&#x201C; what are the exact values to focus on in order to appeal, and attract this particular segment of consumers?

Often stereotyped as being self-obsessive, Chinese millennials on the contrary can place priorities on their own familyespecially when they themselves become parents.

Reputation & Advocacy | Food marketing to millennial parents: A China perspective

64% of Chinese millennial mums aged 20-29 are likely to continue with the mother and baby care brands they are familiar with. Source: Mintel: Marketing to Mums

Build Brand Trust (and deliver on it!) Safety concern(s) is one of the top priorities among Chinese consumers. Considering the number of food safety scandals over the past years (most notably the tainted milk scandal in 2008), Chinese consumers have been extremely cautious about their product choices, and continue to look out for safety issues being exposed in the media.

77% of millennial mums are worried about the unsafe ingredients used in baby food, and 64% of younger millennials aged 20-29 years are likely to continue with the mother and baby care brands that they are familiar with, which is the highest across different product categories. This implies that food brands need to make sure their products deliver on their claims, as brand trust plays

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an important role. Highlight safety in communications, such as list of ingredient origin printed on the packaging and international food certificates would help mums to justify the quality of the products.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Chinese e-commerce platforms like Taobao and Jingdong include a significant variety of maternal and infant products in their offering.

Ensure millennial parents that the 'best care' is available for their children The relaxation of the one-child policy in China not only helped stimulate/ promote growth of the consumer base, but also contributed to the growth of baby care products. Expenditure on child-related products is expected to rise exponentially â&#x20AC;&#x201C; parents are increasingly more willing to spend on their child (which exemplifies the modern child-rearing philosophy in China), i.e. to meet material needs, and provide the best care that they can afford. With higher disposable incomes, millennial parents are also willing to pay a premium for personalization; for example, infant formula designed for specific health issues such as reduced allergen is more appealing to parents.

Reputation & Advocacy | Food marketing to millennial parents: A China perspective

Motivate millennial parents to share and spread the love digitally Chinese millennials are among the first in the country to truly ‘get connected’ with the outside world via the convenience of internet, and have first hand experienced the rise of social media, which has now become an essential part of their lives. Millennial mums like to exchange parenting tips with other mums on social media. At the same time, they also feel the extra pressure to "show off" their life and compare with others. When other parents buy or recommend a specific baby food brand or product on social media, they tend to buy the same products and advocate them on social media. They're also more receptive to online reviews from other mums, which they believe are more trustworthy than recommendation from professionals. This implies that the purchase decision is heavily influenced by social media. Food brands can tap social media to reach out to the millennial parents.

For example, food brands can engage with parenting KOLs (e.g. bloggers) for product trials and peer recommendations. One of the most popular social media platforms in China, WeChat, now also allows brands to push targeted messages to their specific followers based on their personal preference and engagement with the brand.

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Capturing the attention – and loyalty – of this burgeoning and very important decision-making section of the population will be crucial for food brands, if they intend to establish themselves as leaders of the food revolution.

Activating Reputation & Advocacy in the Conversation Age Establishing consumer trust is extremely crucial for brands – if a consumer doesn't trust you, why would they give you their business? As the global food movement gains momentum, this rings especially true for food brands. Crisis management and brand advocacy will become important priorities to sustain long-term brand health.

Be proactive

Stay prepared for crisis

The best way to avoid crisis is to ensure the answers consumers seek about your brand are readily available. Show them how their food is produced – from the ingredients to the value chain and right through to the packaging; the transparency will help in establishing trust.

Despite all the right precautions, a brand will at some point face consumer ire. Prepare to give honest and straightforward responses to alleviate the intensity of the crisis and repair the damage. More importantly, be prepared to re-establish trust – invest energy in assuring consumers that the food they consume is safe.

Leverage existing brand advocates The advent of social media has brought to the fore opinionated consumers who're prolific creators of easy-tounderstand brand data. These self-made brand advocates have a significant clout on the internet. Engage with them and gain their confidence, which will translate into positive brand reviews to their followers.

Adopt sustainable business processes When it comes to brand reputation and long-term consumer loyalty, bringing about a revolution to the core functioning of the business is essential. More information is available today than ever before about how businesses can negatively impact people and the earth. Add food to this equation – food that people consume – and sustainable production becomes an unavoidable priority.

Reputation & Advocacy | Activating Reputation & Advocacy in the Conversation Age

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Visual Stimuli First impressions are known to make a significant impact – opinions are formed based on how we interact with something or someone for the very first time. This holds true for food, as well. Our first interactions with food are usually through sight – while the act of eating is a coming together of our main sensory perceptions, no sense is as quickly stimulated as our sight. We first see, smell, feel and then finally taste our food. This explains why plating up is the most fussed-over aspect of food preparation. Visual appeal is just as – if not sometimes more – important as the taste of the food. Creating food is an art in itself; it makes sense for art to be visually enticing. Seasoned chefs and others in the food business are not the only ones taking the ‘attractiveness’ of food seriously. Social media and the wider internet are proof of how phenomenal the “food porn” movement is among everyday people – foodrelated photographs are among the most widely-shared content on the internet today. A casual scroll through a social network’s newsfeed is guaranteed to include one food photograph at the very least. The visual element of food is clearly appealing, and technologies like the smartphone are enabling easy sharing of dining experiences; with the click of a button, everyone becomes an instant photographer. Visually appealing brand messages have always helped pique consumers’ interest – the brain responds and relates to visuals more strongly than to any other form of communication. Having a strong visual strategy is beneficial – and necessary – especially for food brands; satiating people’s visual hunger is as important today as putting something on their plates.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Food as a beauty product EJ Armstrong Commercial Food Photographer, Art Director, Armstrong Pitts Studios

Six Consumption Drivers | Visual Stimuli

Food as a beauty product

EJ Armstrong

Of course, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always so.

Image Credit: Armstrong Pitts Studios

Commercial Food Photographer, Art Director, Armstrong Pitts Studios

Modern commercial food photography has carried the torch for food as a status symbol and beauty product. A simple serving of coffee is now, with the sensuous swirl of cream at its heart, its carefully-designed mug and a myriad other things, elevated to an artistic level, a photo of which would be worthy to be displayed in a museum!

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to quicker and more convenient preparations. From an anthropological point of view, a lot of this can be attributed to the growing number of women joining the workforce; with this societal shift, we saw a significant shift in what we ate, as well. Bread went from home baked to the Wonder variety; coffee went from boiled-in-a-pot to instant. As packaged, instant food replaced home-made meals, we also started depending on machines, a box, to get our food to their desired

temperatures. The Jettsons had arrived, so to speak; ‘speed’ food was everywhere. Only, they were in black & white commercials and stiffly-done color photographs in magazines, and looked nothing like food – look and taste were secondary priorities; speed with variety, the ultimate.

Image Credit: Armstrong Pitts Studios

Years ago, it used to be that food was a point of pride in a home – it wasn’t an iPhone photo-op, and definitely not a stepping stone up the social ladder. Being able to whip up something delicious as well as pleasing to the eyes certainly came with bragging rights – but it had usually to do with pride, not power or status. Food – and how it tasted – was at the center of it. As our societies began to evolve, so did our eating habits. Elaborate, home-cooked meals took a backseat

Visual Stimuli | Food as a beauty product

Image Credit: Armstrong Pitts Studios

Food has become a beauty product – and the stakes are high Fast forward a few decades, and food evolved again. It has transitioned into a status symbol, a beauty product, something that communicates lifestyles and opinions. From a magazine spread to a post on a social network, It has hard-pressed to not come across a lavishly-photographed food item (and not-so-lavishly-shot food), as people photographing their meals at restaurants is a common sight – because that’s just how good most

food today is made to look. Everything is click-worthy. Or we think it is. Today, there is as much – if not more – emphasis on how food looks as on how it tastes. The rising demand for food photographers and food stylists is indicative of the desire for ‘good-looking’ food. Food is to be photographed like a beauty product – it has to be beautiful, perfect, sensuous, desirable.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

As more and more food ideas are shared to be consumed, the preference for food that looks like ‘a million bucks’ will only grow. After all, we can’t really experience taste on the pages of a magazine or our social media timelines. We aren’t taking it in with anything other than our eyes. We have to be won on looks and a promise alone.

What’s cooking?

Food retailer Food52 creatively uses tastefully-done food photographs to promote their line of food-related products.

Food photography is enabling the ‘slow food’ fantasy

Image Credit: Armstrong Pitts Studios

In commercial food photography, slow is a way of life – hours and thousands of dollars are spent, the best crew and food stylists are brought in, all to capture the vision of ‘perfect’. A simple spread of pancakes, for instance, can be made to look inviting enough to warrant a second look.

Image Credit: Armstrong Pitts Studios

The food experience has also gone from wanting to be fast and modern to a movement described as ‘slow food’. Slow is sensuous, slow is sexy. Slow food is essentially serving fastfood with the promise of being homely, customized and carefully done with only the finest ingredients. It’s all about giving the consumer the best possible experience in the best possible time – namely, beautifullyplated food that appeals to the eyes and the palette.

Visual Stimuli | Food as a beauty product

This plays out especially well on digital platforms, where food-related content is one of the most widely shared. Every time we whip out our phones or cameras to document our meal, we’re telling everyone about our ‘food place’ in the world, our status, where we are in the pecking order. Well-crafted food content, in addition to being pleasing to the eyes, must convey desirability. Food marketers leveraging this ‘desire’ element with relevant and stunning visuals have a high chance of successfully engaging with their audience. It’s more and more about selling the fantasy of something luxurious, extraordinary, and yet, attainable. It’s safe to say that food has moved on to another evolution of viewing – how that settles out the iPhone shot or the full beauty treatment will only be decided by time.

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Activating Visual Stimuli in the Conversation Age Food that looks appealing to the eyes ends up tasting good, too – this has already been established by several studies. Food brands and others in the food industry should now, more than ever, consider the “attractiveness” of food as important as its other aspects, like taste.

Make food click-worthy In the digital age, everything is a click away – including customer advocacy. Make your food attractive enough for consumers to want to voluntarily endorse it through photographs.

Let your packaging do the talking Packaging does more than just protect food from harsh weather elements and keep it fresh. Today, unique packaging plays as important a role in attracting consumer attention as brand name or recall.

Establish visual consistency in food communication Over time, your visualheavy messages around food should be instantly recognizable; consumers should be able to identify it from a distance – and this can be achieved only through a well-designed and smartly-executed visual strategy.

Leverage the right visual mediums Some platforms are naturally more effective in catering to visual hunger – think social networks like Instagram and Snapchat; traditional mediums like billboards. With enough creativity, food content on these platforms can go a long way in creating curiosity and interest.

Visual Stimuli | Activating Visual Stimuli in the Conversation Age

Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Recommendation Word of mouth has forever been a driving force in influencing consumer buying and behavior, and nowhere is it as wide-spread as with food-related decisions. While there are several determinants to food choices – culture, health, economics, lifestyle, to name a few – suggestions from friends and family certainly play a significant role in helping consumers make up their mind. Today, mere information about the product/service doesn’t cut it. The most flashy, over-the-top advertising messages may not pique the consumer’s interest as much a simple ‘I liked it, you should try it, too’ from a trusted source will. Learning what real consumers of a product think about it has become easier than ever before with the internet. While those in close social circles were the traditional agents of influence, the internet provides a wider network of ‘go-to’ individuals for suggestions – everyone from friends, acquaintances, celebrities, public role models to even absolute strangers from across borders can now sway a consumer’s opinion. It makes sense, too. A search here and a quick look there can yield hundreds of thousands of results in a matter of seconds. Everything from recipes to restaurant reviews and product samplings are freely available with an effortless click – why wouldn’t consumers flock to it? As global boundaries and distances continue to rapidly shrink with advanced communications technology, the power of online recommendation will be further amplified, most notably through social networks. This will in effect influence already evolving consumer behaviors around food, more so than at present.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

How food ideas catch fire and cross borders through the power of online recommendation

Esmee Williams Allrecipes, Vice President, Consumer & Brand Strategy

Online recipes: What factors best promote sharing? Erin Dorr

Vice President, Digital & Social Strategy, MSLGROUP

Capturing Share of Mouth in the Subscription FoodService Marketplace Brianne Killinger

Vice President, MSLGROUP

Six Consumption Drivers | Recommendation

100

How food ideas catch fire and cross borders through the power of online recommendation

Esmee Williams Allrecipes, Vice President, Consumer & Brand Strategy @esmeewilliams

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Q A People's Insights:

Are we approaching an era of global food culture in which flavors and food tastes freely cross borders? Or do national food traditions still dominate? Esmee:

As more people tap into the power of digital technologies to collect and share information, the smaller our world becomes. Today 3 billion people worldwide have access to nearly one zettabyte of data; answers to questions, guidance for creating new things and inspiration for expanding horizons are just keystrokes away.

93% of online cooks worldwide seek new recipes weekly; for 79% of them, the internet is the top source of recipes. Source: Allrecipes' 2015 Global Digital Food Research

Global food culture is greatly benefiting from this phenomenon as home cooks from all corners of the world share food experiences with other cooks through social media. According to Allrecipes' 2015 Global Digital Food research, 93% of online cooks worldwide seek new recipes weekly, with the web being the top source for recipes (79% of cooks). Allrecipes' global reach with 19 sites serving 24 countries gives us the unique ability to witness the similarities that occur among cooks across cultures. Image by: Robert Kneschke / Shutterstock.com

Recommendation | How food ideas catch fire and cross borders through the power of online recommendation

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Our data shows that the most popular, most viewed recipes in the countries we serve are those which are deeply rooted in that country's heritage and traditions. In the United States, the top recipe is 'Good Old Fashioned Pancakes', in Nederland it's White Asparagus, in Brazil it's Brigadeiro, and in China it's 回锅肉 (double cooked pork). This supports the notion that national food traditions continue to dominate. However, it's interesting to note that when you read the cooks' reviews of these dishes (there are typically thousands), stories emerge that demonstrate how cooks are increasingly introducing variations to these dishes that push traditional boundaries. Sometimes the review shares new cooking methods that make a dish faster, healthier or more affordable. However, increasingly, we are seeing reviews across the globe where cooks are introducing new ingredients and flavors to the dish – and often times the new ingredient or flavor is from a country outside of their own. For instance, in Nederland there's a strong interest in world cuisine, with Thai and Moroccan flavors trending strongly.

States alone show that there's a growing curiosity and craving for global foods. In Brazil, guacamole (Brazilians think of avocados as dessert, a savory avocado dish is a revelation) and cupcakes are trending strongly. The last piece of evidence of the growing interest and adoption of global flavors, especially among Millennial home cooks, is from our 2015 Thanksgiving Attitudes and Behaviors survey. When we asked

Another interesting observation is that, while the most popular recipes in each country are often of local origin, the fastest trending recipes are typically recipes for dishes that are not endemic to each country. Trends in the United

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home cooks which cultural foods they planned to include as part of their Thanksgiving meal (arguably the least likely meal for American home cooks to stray from traditional foods), more than 2/3rds of cooks said they would introduce new twists on American foods. And a significant number of cooks, especially Millennials, indicated that they would be introducing flavors from a variety of cultures from Mexico, Middle East, South America and Asia.

WHICH CULTURAL FOODS WILL YOU INCLUDE AS PART OF YOUR THANKSGIVING MEAL? Non-Millennials

Millennials

Variance Millennials vs. Non-Millennials

300%

267%

250%

200%

150%

104%

100%

90% 63%

69%

50%

26%

0% -7% -50%

68%

New twists on America foods

-1% Hispanics

East Indian

Italian

Middle Eastern

European

Asian

African

South American

Source: Allrecipes 2015 Thanksgiving Attitudes and Behaviors survey

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Q A People's Insights:

Some say that crowdsourcing has substantially diminished the role of our mothers in forming our food preferences? Does your data support that point of view? Esmee:

There's no doubt that the most significant influence on a person's dietary preferences â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially when they first begin cooking - is their parents. We see this influence play out on Allrecipes every day. Many of our most-loved, most reviewed recipes have titles that start with the word 'Mom'. In fact if you do a search on Allrecipes, the word 'mom' appears just short of a half a million times in recipe titles and reviews.

Crowdsourcing has expanded the sources of food information that are available to cooks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a seemingly unlimited supply of recipes, tips, articles and videos are available at their fingertips, and is always flowing through their feeds. Despite this abundance, mom still has a firm hold on us when we seek kitchen advice. In Allrecipes' 2016 Food and Social survey, online cooks responded that they are most likely to engage with Facebook food posts shared by a family member which supports the notion that it's the wisdom of the crowd that fuels trends, opens up new horizons and determines what's most popular, but it's the wisdom of mom that prevails first in the kitchen.

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LIKELIHOOD TO ENGAGE WITH A FOOD POST Post of food brand is recommending

23%

Millennials GenX

39%

Boomer+

45% 24%

Post of food a celebrity or chef has prepared

41% 46%

52%

38%

Post of food that a food/recipe site is recommending

52%

78%

69%

73%

Post of food prepared by friend/family member

Source: Allrecipes 2016 Social and Food Trends Survey

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We saw this same trend in Allrecipes' 2015 Thanksgiving Cooking Trends Survey when we asked home cooks what sources they look to first for cooking and baking help. Survey results support that parents are cooks' primary source for cooking help – especially millennial cooks who were more than twice as likely to select parents as a resource as compared to older cooks – followed by online searches, and then friends.

72% WHICH RESOURCES DO YOU USE FOR COOKING/ BAKING HELP?

68% 48%

60%

32%

42% 47%

Online recipes

Parents

Friends

41% 17%

Cookbook

Millennials Non-Millennials

YouTube recipes Source: Allrecipes 2015 Thanksgiving Cooking Trends Survey

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cooking?

Allrecipesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Dinner Spinner allows users to select from a wide range of recipes, while also serving as a recipe box and shopping list.

Q A People's Insights:

Can you help us put into perspective the power of shared experiences and recommendations when it comes to food choices? How far has it come? Is its influence continuing to grow; if so, how fast and far can we expect to reach? Esmee:

Food and cooking are inherently social. As long as humans have been gathering together, prepared foods have served as a centerpiece for celebrating, caring and expressing creativity with others. Before there was MySpace and Facebook, the kitchen table served as the original social network. Broad-reaching mobile connectivity and social sharing is taking food sharing to entirely new levels. Go online today, and you'll be hard pressed to find a social feed or stream absent of some form of a shared food experience such as recipes, reviews, photos, videos, comments and posts.

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At Allrecipes, social is deeply rooted in our DNA; we were the first website to allow and actively encourage cooks to share their food experiences among a community of their peers through shared recipes, reviews, photos, profiles and meals. What started as a bold, revolutionary idea 18 years ago, has grown to become

a cornerstone experience of all leading digital food and social network experiences. The volume of food-related shared experiences is so widespread it's difficult to put an exact number on the quantity of posts, photos, reviews, blog entries and videos being shared â&#x20AC;&#x201C; although according to data shared

by Facebook, Instagram, Allrecipes, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter â&#x20AC;&#x201C;it likely totals in the tens of billions of experiences. This number is large, and growing each year at an accelerating rate, thanks to the broad reach of connected devices and the infectious appeal of social network feeds.

RECENT SOCIAL FOOD ACTIVITIES (PAST FEW MONTHS)

68 55 62

Read reviews

47 47

Liked social food post

Saved recipes

Posted photos Shared recipes

31 31

20 10

Posted review

Millennials Non-Millennials

9 Posted a video

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Source: Allrecipes 2016 Food and Social report

The reach and appetite for shared food experiences is considerable. In December 2015, three-fourths of all online users, and 91% of women ages 18-49 visited a food site, 87% of whom say they visit food sites or view food content in their social feeds at least weekly.

The impact of all of these shared experiences on home cooking activity is significant. The first major trend we are seeing is an increased passion for cooking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially among the next generation of cooks. In Allrecipes 2016 Food and Social survey, we asked online cooks their

PRIMARY REASON FOR COOKING: "IT'S A PASSION FOR ME."

62%

primary reason for cooking. The generation most likely to say 'I love to cook, it's a passion for me' were millennial females (who also happened to be the most likely group to say they are visiting food sites and viewing food posts in their social feeds daily).

58% 38%

Millennials

Gen X

Boomers

Source: Allrecipes 2016 Food and Social report

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Additional effects of the rapid growth of shared food experiences is that cooks – especially millennial cooks – are preparing more meals at home, feeling more confident about their cooking, cooking healthier meals, and eating more adventurously.

HOW DOES YOUR COOKING ACTIVITY TODAY COMPARE TO A YEAR AGO?

Millennials Non-Millennials

Cooking more meals at home

76%

55% A more confident cook

63%

37% Cooking healthier foods

51%

47% More adventurous cook

43%

33% Source: Allrecipes 2016 Food and Social report

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

For grocery brands seeking to connect and influence the purchase behaviors of these cooks, this is good news. These cooks are not only stocking up their kitchens with more products more often, they are also more likely to be advocating for the branded recipes and food products they like best. In terms of what's next or how far we think the power of shared food experiences can go, the activity we're witnessing now is likely only scratching the surface of what's possible. Smart Kitchen technologies (IoT) where sensors allow devices, appliances, gadgets, shopping carts, vehicles and more to connect and exchange data to deliver very personalized, simplified cooking experiences is extremely promising. With half of millennial cooks surveyed in Allrecipes 2015 Smart Kitchen Technologies responding that they 'Love new technology, and am the first to purchase new gadgets' we have every reason to think we are just now starting to see the impact of where the influence of a shared food experiences can go.

HOW DOES YOUR COOKING ACTIVITY TODAY COMPARE TO A YEAR AGO? Millennials

Non-Millennials

More likely to recommend recipes

36%

41%

More likely to recommend food product

24%

31%

Source: Allrecipes 2016 Food and Social report

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Online recipes: What factors best promote sharing?

Erin Dorr Vice President, Digital & Social Strategy, MSLGROUP @edorr

Most marketers today understand that recommendations from friends, family and those they trust impact consumers’ purchasing decisions. This is particularly true when it comes to food. Recipes (or food ‘ideas’ in general) have long been shared among families and communities, often passed around by word of mouth or written down by hand on recipe cards. With the advent of the internet and social media, recipes (used broadly here to include all how-to-videos and other multimedia) are one of the most shared content types, and those recommendations are driving consumers to make new dishes and explore different culinary experiences.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

89% of U.S. Grocery buyers are very willing or somewhat willing to make a recipe or meal they haven’t cooked before based on a recommendation on social media. Source: The Retail Feedback Group, October 2015

Product inclusion in an oftshared or ‘hero’ recipe can drive incremental sales. Furthermore, this is the type of content that women, who’ve been traditional driving forces behind food sales, desire from food brands – 79% of U.S. online women to be exact, according to a Sep 2015 study from SheSpeaks. Whether it’s a tried and true traditional holiday dish, or a creation that incorporates new food trends, there are several factors that influence sharing to keep in mind when developing new recipes or creating recipe content.

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Make it remarkable Compelling creative is one of the most important indicators of success. Your recipe content should be remarkable, as in “worthy of a remark” – if it’s worthy of a remark, it’s share-worthy. Whether still photography, a gif or video, the content must stand out and be developed with your audience in mind, and oftentimes that doesn’t mean that the food has to look perfect or have high production value (a lot of “food porn” doesn’t have a highly paid food stylist involved). Take time to think about the creative strategy and aesthetic for your brand’s recipe content.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Popular independent YouTube channels like The Sweetest Vegan and Laura in the Kitchen present easy-to-follow recipes in short, entertaining videos.

Show, don’t tell Today’s consumers, especially millennials, aren’t necessarily following step-by-step recipes, and prefer quick, easy food ideas shown by video or even gifs.

CHERRY TOMATOES PEPPERS CHILLIES SALT Recommendation | Online recipes: What factors best promote sharing?

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Must be seasonally relevant Recipes are often shared for certain occasions or holidays. The usual suspect â&#x20AC;&#x201C; holidays â&#x20AC;&#x201C; are still extremely important, but also consider creating content around consumer-created occasions like Friendsgiving or Holiday cookie swaps, or tap into seasonal partyplanning trends.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Image Source: https://www.thrillist.com/recipe/ nation/ramen-crust-pizza-thrillist-recipes

Get on trend Leverage food, consumption and flavor trends, and ensure your recipe content meets the changing tastes of your target consumer. Watch that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the right side of the trend arc â&#x20AC;&#x201C; food mash-ups (think: the cronut, or baking a pie into a cake) still delight and awe the internet, but may start to tire consumers after a while.

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Who is it coming from? Consumers are more likely to share content from someone they trust online, and more and more people are finding their recipes from digital influencers. Do your research: find those digital food influencers your target audience trusts, start building a partnership with them and turn them into brand advocates.

Influencer marketing drives 11x more ROI than other forms of digital media. Source: Nielsen, TapInfluence and White Wave Foods

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Where is it? Where you distribute your food content will factor into its shareability quotient. Who is your target audience, where are they going for recipe content and where are they sharing it? Facebook and Pinterest are the two top social media platforms for recipe

content for US online women (see chart below).

often get 30-40 million views in just a couple days, are optimized for the platform and their millennial-minded audience. They are quick, useful and no sound is needed to understand the recipe steps.

Once you have your channel strategy developed, optimize your content for those channels. For example, Tasty’s mega-popular 30-60 second how-to recipe videos on Facebook, which

Social Media Sites that US Female Internet Users Visit for Info/Opinions on Meals, Snacks or Recipes, by Age, Sep 2015 % of respondents in each group

NONE Note: n = 2,767

18-24

25-34

35-45

46-55

55+

Total

61%

64%

66%

65%

56%

64%

78%

71%

65%

58%

45%

62%

47%

35%

26%

24%

17%

27%

33%

32%

25%

21%

16%

24%

46%

36%

25%

15%

23%

13%

10%

14%

19%

26%

16%

Source: SheSpeaks, “The Social Food Journey: Insights on Women Consumers Path to Consumption,” Sep 24, 2015

www.eMarketer.com

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Capturing Share of Mouth in the Subscription FoodService Marketplace Americans are increasingly wary of the nutrition of processed foods. However, many are too time-starved to whip up a homemade meal. Enter the subscription foodservice as a solution, offering nutritious and delicious foods in customizable options, delivered automatically to your doorstep.

Brianne Killinger Vice President, MSLGROUP @beege

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Worldwide revenues from fresh food subscriptions will top $10 billion by 2020. Source: Technomic

Companies including Blue Apron, Hello Fresh and Plated have introduced a model offering total convenience – weekly shipments of foods pre-measured in a handy mis en place fashion, ready for some quick searing and enjoyment. They’re also offering the experience of something new whether it’s ingredients like yuzu juice and garam masala or previously untried cooking techniques like braising. And there are options abound with preferences for couples or families, vegetarian or gluten-free and even wine pairings. Technomic, a food-industry consulting firm, predicts that worldwide revenues from fresh food subscriptions will top $10 billion by 2020. However, numerous brands are competing for a piece of the home food budget and it’s unknown how large the addressable market is for these types of services. Furthermore, retention can be a big issue as consumer fatigue sets in quickly if a brand missteps with poor shipping or food quality. Even a few weeks of churning out menu items perceived as “boring” can lead to cancellations.

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So how can a food brand with the subscription model stand out?

Establish and maintain trust While on-demand food delivery services like Amazon PrimeNow and Instacart also capture share among busy consumers, people look to subscription food services to curate ready-made food experiences. Clearly indicate via communication channels and your packaging what customers can expect and deliver that at all times. Make a mistake? Communicate it early and provide a way for customers to give feedback.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Vegetarian and vegan food delivery service Vegin' Out provides pre-made meals that customers can customize as per their tastes.

Find your value proposition and dig in While variety is the spice of life, consumers can be resistant to change. If your brand made a name for itself by bringing paleo food to the masses, don’t ease up. Stay up on trends to keep the freshness alive but

don’t stray too far away from your mission statement. If your customer has low confidence that you’re the expert on whatever niche offering you provide, they’ll look to another alternative that speaks to them.

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Listen and adjust to your audience A passionate and vocal fan base is your best resource when competing with multi-million dollar CPG companies with years of research and testing at their fingertips. Listen to your customers often through social media and brand research studies to learn what tweaks you can make to stay relevant. The Millennial is said to be one of the largest audiences for food subscription services. However, as millennials age and some become parents, dinner for two is no longer enough. Brands like Blue Apron are adjusting by offering family plans with larger portions and ingredients friendly to a childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s palate. Similarly, with snacking on the rise, NatureBox changed its business model from monthly shipments to customizable size and delivery options. As more Americans look to seamless and convenient options for food, subscription models will no doubt continue to gain momentum. With these tools, brands looking to leverage this business model can get ahead and stay there.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Activating Recommendation in the Conversation Age Word of mouth is perhaps one of the most powerful marketing tools online. Food companies battling for consumer mindshare online can employ several creative tools to turn passive, everyday consumers to vocal brand advocates.

Make food cool and shareworthy Food is an everyday part of existence – why would anybody talk about something that's so routine? Making your communication around food – promotions, recipes, product information, etc. – enjoyable enough to make consumers want to share it with their peers is half the battle won.

Enable easy sharing of food messages across the web When people want to draw their friends' attention to something online – a recipe or food photograph, for instance – quick access to crossplatform sharing options will make the process hassle-free and successful for them.

Show people how to 'do' food

Partner with food influencers

Knowing a little more than the average person about food has already become 'cool', thanks to the popularity of food-related entertainment over the past decade. People are interested in the creation of food – show them how to go about it (read recipes) in fun, interesting and easy ways.

The celebrity status enjoyed by well-known chefs and food presenters speaks volumes about the 'desirability' factor of food expertise. Having a popular chef or other food celebrity on board as an ambassador can significantly help brand popularity with consumers.

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Six Consumption Drivers for Winning Share of Mouth

Appetite Appeal It’s no news that consumers’ tastes and food preferences are evolving at a fast rate. A growing number of people are making significant lifestyle changes to accommodate different dietary habits, for a variety of reasons ranging from health consciousness to ethical concerns. The increasing number of people who adopt a vegan/gluten-free diet, for instance, demonstrates the power – and increasing relevance – of the global food movement. As consumers shift to newer dietary preferences, they’re also taking their food into their own hands, so to speak. More and more people are open to being an active part in the preparation of their food – the phenomenal popularity of food-based entertainment, especially in the past decade, demonstrates this. Food networks, by bringing gourmet cooking to consumers’ television sets, have made the very act of cooking ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’. The celebrity status and fan following enjoyed by chefs is indicative of how significantly the chapter on cooking has been rewritten. While consumer attitudes to consumption and cooking continue to change, those in the food business should evaluate if their approach is consumer-friendly from every angle. As brands to whom consumers will turn to in order to explore their newly-adopted tastes, are food companies making the transition easier for the new consumer palette? Are they being given enough options that facilitate the innovation they seek to achieve in their kitchens? Food companies need to constantly innovate to keep up to complement changing consumer food behaviors – if they’re not where the consumers are, there is very little chance of resonating with them in the long run.

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Building the next culinary dream: Communicating foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite appeal for today & tomorrow Mimi Bonnett Director, Food and Drink Reports

Diana Kelter Foodservice Analyst

Jeannette Ornelas Social Media Analyst

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Building the next culinary dream: Communicating foodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appetite appeal for today & tomorrow

Mimi Bonnett

Diana Kelter

Jeannette Ornelas

Director, Food and Drink Reports

Foodservice Analyst

Social Media Analyst

@dkelter

@Jornelas2

@mimibonnett

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

It's no secret that we're living in a “foodie” world. The hashtag #foodporn has 90 million Instagram posts and counting. People have an enormous appetite for content about food – they have the same hunger for a video about how to make a donut sundae as the sundae itself. And as people seek out balance, they're tasting new types of foods, testing out different diets and new-to-them culinary techniques, all putting a bigger spotlight on the chef and the home kitchen. Vegan for a day and trying multi-cultural cuisines the next, consumers are balancing diets that include items like the diet-friendly kombucha, but have room for indulgences as well.

Mintel, the world's leading market intelligence agency, routinely tracks trends which aid in forecasting the future. With global reach across thousands of sectors, Mintel works directly with clients in a variety of industries to provide expert analysis of consumer data and market research to help move businesses forward. We conducted a Q&A with top food and beverage experts from

Mintel to find out how food and beverage companies can continue to drive share through appetite appeal and sensory considerations.

The hashtag #foodporn has 90 million Instagram posts and counting. Source: Instagram

Perhaps this hyper spotlight on food is why the short-form, beautifully produced recipe video has risen to such popularity. In 2015 alone, food videos generated close to 11 billion views on Youtube. For groups like millennials who are largely painted to be obsessed with all things food, but mindful of their health, is watching food content a zero-calorie indulgence? Or is it the sensory experience of food videos which draws them in? With the advent of media-rich communication platforms like Facebook and Instagram and newer vehicles like virtual reality, brands will test new strategies to gain iconic status while promoting food's sensory appeal.

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People's Insights:

Tell us some of the history behind brands leveraging the five senses for marketing purposes, and what potential does the future hold for this? Mimi: Brands have been using multisensory techniques to connect with consumers for decades. One of the most iconic examples is the CocaCola contour bottle invented in 1915. The bottle’s shape, along with the dynamic ribbon, has been used worldwide, for decades, to create a “smashable” effect, connecting the two images in consumers’ minds. With established and emerging platforms like social media and Virtual Reality, brands have more opportunity than ever before in intimately engaging consumers with the food story.

People's Insights:

What’s next for communication as it relates to the taste and look of food? Mimi: Virtual reality will play a role in the form of cooking tutorials featuring chefs connected to brands or perhaps helping the shopping experience or decision making process.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

In 2015 alone, food videos generated close to 11 billion views on YouTube. Source: Tubular Labs & Google

People's Insights:

Is there another emerging vehicle or medium that will change the face of home cooking like the advent of food blogging? How strongly does social media fit into the picture? Jeannette: Social media and mobile trends are changing the way we consume content and blurring lines between categories; for example, the intersection of food and travel. Tastemade, a food and travel video network built for mobile, hit the 100 million monthly active users mark in 2015, with more than 1 billion monthly views. On Facebook alone, Tastemade grew its audience from around 100,000 fans to more than 5.7 million. Diana: Look at the way Snapchat has grown. It is already starting to become the next Instagram in terms of diners sharing their meals, but it can have broader implications if chefs start leveraging it to showcase the meal preparation process.

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People's Insights:

How might changes in technology impact food marketing efforts? Mimi: As technology advances, food sensory marketing techniques become more direct. Recently, Oscar Mayer has developed an iPhone app that will actually waft the smell of bacon through the air as your alarm clock signals – so you literally wake up to the smell of bacon. The California Milk Board has created cookiescented bus stops in San Francisco. And now Haagen-Dazs has created their Symphony app, featuring songs that are perfectly in sync with the product melt time so the moment the music’s over, you’re ready to enjoy your ice cream.

People's Insights:

How do you think developments in “social” technology affect consumers’ behaviors? Would you say it influences their attitudes toward the foodservice space? Diana: Social media has certainly influenced consumer attitudes toward the foodservice space. Instagram, for example, plays a huge role in the foodservice space – it’s driving an increasing preference for destination dining. We find that consumers are more willing to wait in lines and drive further for specific dishes and specific menu items that catch their fancy. THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

What’s cooking?

Annie’s, General Mills’ organic unit, introduced a line of yogurts targeted at children in 2016.

People's Insights:

Chefs, home cooks, growerchefs, chef-nutritionists, experts..the list of culinary influencers is long. Whom do consumers trust when it comes to culinary leadership? Mimi: Older generations are still trading on the advice of celebrity chefs. But millennials prefer more grassroots and peer leadership. While popular in previous years, today when a celebrity chef partners with a large brand, it may end up back firing. Diana: Highly acclaimed chefs now feel more accessible and personable than ever before and that is driving more of a direct trust relationship between chef and consumer. This is being seen through Netflix documentaries and higher caliber chefs offering meals that are affordable to the masses, such as David Chang and Rick Bayless.

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People's Insights:

It’s been seen that consumers are more vocal now about food-related citizenship. What role can those in the foodservice sector play in addressing this rising food activism? Jeannette: More and more consumers are seeking out information about how their food is made and where it comes from. This is especially true of millennials, who view their food choices as a personal reflection of themselves. Chefs have a unique part to play as they connect producers and consumers, serving as cultural icons that are not only shaping food culture, but changing perceptions of what a gourmet meal is. For example, Dan Barber, chef at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, educates his patrons about where their food comes from and the good agricultural practices required to produce it.

People's Insights:

What’s the next big food trend that you think will ‘go viral’ due to its sensory appeal? Mimi: Millennials and the iGeneration really seem to connect with mashups, but are driven by healthy alternatives. Some sort of hybrid of these may be the next sensation. Diana: Hybrid bakery items still continue to engage interest, such as the donut cone for ice cream. The pizza inside of a pizza also gained viral attention. Indulgence (such as the Cronut) and visual appeal (rain drop cake, rainbow bagels) are integral to a viral trend.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Millennials and the iGeneration really seem to connect with mashups, but are driven by healthy alternatives. Some sort of hybrid of these may be the next sensation.

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Activating Appetite Appeal in the Conversation Age With ever-changing diets and eating habits, culinary innovation can go a long way in driving food consumption. The food industry is at the beginning of a flavor overhaul, and inspired culinary ideas can significantly help in igniting word of mouth among consumers.

-F

Create an inclusive menu/food line for all palettes More and more people are adopting a wide range of diets – foods that are vegan, paleo, gluten-free, etc. are becoming increasingly popular. Make these diets an important consideration while designing your restaurant menu/food delivery business or developing your snack products.

Innovate with flavors Consumers respond well to new, creative food preparations. Make the dining experience exciting, interesting and outlandish, even. Introduce consumers to new flavors while respecting their existing likes and dislikes.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Adapt to local tastes When introducing a new flavor or variant to a market, ensure that it complements existing culinary preferences. It becomes easier for consumers to adopt something when it goes well with what they like and are used to.

Capitalize on food programming Food-related entertainment has gained phenomenal popularity worldwide, and with good reason. People love watching food being prepared, and the more elaborate it is, the better. Tie up with food entertainment networks to creatively bring your brand to the consumer’s television set, and ultimately, their “shopping mind”.

Global Food Trends Predictions

Food trends have until now been forecast across specific geographies. Now, trends increasingly sweep the globe. Sure, there remain local tastes, but across societies, we have a common stake in climate, health and safety. Food and beverage marketers will benefit from closely watching these worldwide food movements that are already under way.

Global Food Trends Predictions

138

The Rise of Climatarians

Climate change and epic droughts are triggering widespread conservation. Next, consumers will adopt water-conscious diets, alert to the water impact of various foods and kitchen practices. Brands and crops will tout smarter water use and irrigation. At home, look for kitchen composting and smart dishwashing.

As urban populations worldwide continue to boom, city roofs will become mini agricultural centers, and communities will devise vertical farms, container farms and other creative solutions that escalate the “local foods” movement.

Food Waste Disruption

Shameful levels of food waste, now exposed, will compel interventions. Misshapen vegetables and bruised fruits, at bargain prices, will widely appear in farmers' markets and grocery stores under the #uglyfood banner. The movement will even bolster canned and preserved foods. Activists will equate wasted food to wasted water, adding further urgency for action.

As faith in Big Food erodes internationally, food companies large and small will earn consumer trust by engaging consumers in product development, stripping down ingredient labels and disclosing ingredient origins and production methods to satisfy even the most demanding consumers.

Microbial Menus

Agriculture Everywhere

Expect booming demand for fermented (and tasty) foods, such as kimchi, yogurt and sauerkraut. Eaten as part of a balanced diet, foods rich in “good bacteria” can promote a healthier human microbiome and thereby improve one’s mental and physical health. They may even promote sustainable weight loss.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Radical Transparency

Future of Food Special EXPO Milan: Evaluation of its success and forecast of its legacy Elena Zaco Senior Account Executive, MSLGROUP Italy

Looking Forward: Dining on Driverless Cars Steve Bryant Director, Food & Beverage Marketing; Managing Director, MSLGROUP Seattle

Future of Food Special

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EXPO Milan: Evaluation of its success and forecast of its legacy

Elena Zaco Senior Account Executive, MSLGROUP Italy

The idea of an international community that discusses global issues is an old one, one that dates back to the eighteenth century. Throughout centuries this approach has never stopped influencing collective thinking, society, arts, education, international relationships, and so on. 2015 experienced one of these big global events, and its final judgment has been largely positive. Hosted in Milan, Italy, EXPO 2015 was dedicated to the inalienable right to food of each Earth inhabitant.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Relying upon a pay-off that stated ‘Energy for Life, Feeding the Planet’, Milan experienced six intense months of exhibition – from May 1 to October 31 – with shows, roundtables, conferences, research presentations, influential statements about technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity, all of them linked to food.

There are 800 million starving people in the world. Source: The United Nations

With 148 exhibiting countries, the involvement of international organizations such as UNO, a variety of contributions and impressive foresight and vision from some of the biggest worldwide brands, the event saw more than 21 million attendees, well above the estimate of the organizing company. Also many influential people like Ban Ki-moon, Michelle Obama, 60 heads of states and Prime Ministers, among others, visited the EXPO. With respect to the EXPO, crucial questions to be evaluated by communications experts will be: (I) What will the EXPO 2015 do for public opinion about worldwide events like these? (ii) Have the topics supported and exhibited at EXPO 2015 become more understandable? Let's look at some figures that can help define a context. During the six EXPO months, social media and social networks recorded 6.2 million posts about the event, shared by more than 1.2 million users. On the

Image Credit: Pavel L Photo and Video / Shutterstock.com

other hand, after the closing of EXPO, a survey promoted by an NGO shows interesting results – half of the Italians surveyed aren't much aware about hunger as a worldwide issue. According to 39% of the people interviewed, 1.6 to 3 billion of people are starving, while the UNO estimates that starvation is an issue for 800 million people. On the flipside, while there are 2 billion obese people in the world today, Italians believe that the figures are much smaller.

These figures, if only partially, demonstrate how the EXPO used to be often perceived as a great shopwindow promoting products, countries and brands. The challenge for the EXPO, and indeed other global change-making events like it, is to change public opinion to regard these events as generators of awareness and engines of intellectual curiosity.

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Right to Food as a universal Human Right The Milan Chart, the final EXPO document, according to Italian President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella, â&#x20AC;&#x153;states the right to food and water as essential part of a wider right to life, a right that from now on cannot be disregarded when you evaluate the application of the universal human rightsâ&#x20AC;?. A really wide communication effort is needed to inform, raise perception, and consolidate the EXPO 2015 heritage, which the Milan Chart could significantly help achieve.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Image Credit: Artigone Pumsirisawas / Shutterstock.com

The challenge for the EXPO, and indeed other global change-making events like it, is to change public opinion to regard these events as generators of awareness and engines of intellectual curiosity.

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LOOKING FORWARD: Dining on Driverless Cars

Steve Bryant, Director, Food & Beverage Marketing; Managing Director, MSLGROUP Seattle @SteveBryantLive

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

On-board equipment Microwaves, coffee makers, induction heating pads, and mini fridges could soon be mainstream in the personal auto space. Picture something like the galley on a small boat, then add a 3D food printer.

Driverless (or autonomous) cars have been a subject of fascination, but there is so far little commentary on its implication for eating. We believe the effect could be profound, as driving hands are freed up to prepare and enjoy meals on the road. It requires little imagination to picture ever longer commutes giving way to full-scale breakfast and dinner en auto. Think popcorn on date nights. A microwaved potato for carb loading on game day. Hot coffee without a Starbucks stop. We're already eating en route, but picture a virtual pantry and kitchen on wheels as our wheels shuttle us across town. Talk about Fast Food! In reality, reliable hands-free driving is still quite a ways off, but it's not too early for food and beverage strategists to plan for the wave of innovations these vehicles will help drive.

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On-dash biometrics Where could driverless cars and food lead to? Joy Blakeslee, a Registered Dietitian with MSLGROUP, helped us brainstorm some possibilities:

Envisioning health and nutrition trackers in cars is not farfetched. Imagine your car monitoring your pulse and advising against a third cup of coffee. Or how about a verbal cue that the chocolate donut sent your blood sugar sky high? Encouragement could be a standard feature: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good job. You've lost three pounds!â&#x20AC;?

Drop-down dinner tables Built in to doors/back panels of seats, this could perhaps be the best bet for restoring good old family dinners.

Preboarding of meals What could be more practical? Your car travels without you to pick up a meal so it's fresh and hot for your commute. Alternately, a service drops off a meal on schedule or on demand at your car, wherever it might be parked, making you ready to roll and dine.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Minibars Once autonomous cars prove to be absolutely foolproof, this could very well be a reality. Yes, we said it. Drinking and â&#x20AC;&#x153;drivingâ&#x20AC;? could be a thing of the future.

Future of Food Special | Looking Forward: Dining on driverless cars

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Conclusion: The All-Natural, High Tech Future of Food Steve Bryant, Director, Food & Beverage Marketing; Managing Director, MSLGROUP Seattle @SteveBryantLive

The present paradox is that food consumers are reverting to the simplicity and trustworthiness of naturally grown foods fresh from the farm while at the same time benefitting from rapidly developing technologies that address the demands of urban living and the values of highly informed food and beverage consumers. The resulting tensions will require nuanced communications that help consumers navigate this new world and its unprecedented range of choices.

In reality, these are not opposing movements.

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THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

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Opportunities for Food Technology Food technology can help bring us foods that are safe without preservatives, colorful without dyes, and flavorful without artificial ingredients

Biological technology promises to deliver plantbased nutrition that allows us to maintain our â&#x20AC;&#x153;blood lustâ&#x20AC;? for a juicy burger

Biotechnology will help us feed a burgeoning population and adapt to an altered climate

Packing and distribution technology are putting ready-to-eat food easily in reach at any time

Digital communications technology helps us discover foods, refine our tastes, and determine which foods meet our particular needs and values, however specific

Agricultural technology now helps us to harvest fresh food practically anywhere

Nutrigenomic technology will help us understand which foods to favor and avoid for our personal benefit

Conclusion: The all-natural, high tech future of food

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Technology holds incredible promise and consumers are excited about it. Still, effective communications will be required to explain new technologies, cultivate trust in unseen innovations, and popularize new ways of eating. When it goes right, everyone wins. But in a time when knowledge of, and trust in, science has ebbed, this task is not without complications. Take, for example, the genetic modification of food. Most scientists and policy makers agree that it is highly beneficial and in fact essential to our future food supply, yet consumers remain suspicious. Some say that's because the introduction of the technology largely left them out of the conversation, and its early benefits â&#x20AC;&#x201C; tomatoes that would not go bad, crops that could fight weeds â&#x20AC;&#x201C; seemed to favor industry more than consumers. For another example, turn to baby food, a category that was revolutionized by the introduction of pouch packaging, a technical solution that made mom's life easier and empowered babies to feed themselves. The pouches are plastic, and not recyclable, yet moms are voting in huge numbers for this technology, which was introduced with an emphasis on organic ingredients from smallerscale producers. In each case, storytelling was a key determinant in the acceptance of the technology. And storytelling will be pivotal to the adoption of new technologies that will fuel our food futures.

The wide range of global insights shared in this report look closely at emerging food and communications technology, with an emphasis on how various factors influence consumer consumption and behaviors.

For communicators and marketers looking to leverage this trend to capture share of mouth, some key storytelling lessons emerge:

Transparency The escalating pace of change, and the growing scale of global food enterprises can spawn consumer suspicion, making transparency essential for winning acceptance. Food makers who embrace transparency will win share through enhanced reputations, heightened demand and more rapid adoption.

Personalization The more consumers know and the more choices they have, the more likely they are to prefer, even demand personal solutions that are the closest possible match for their tastes, values, health needs, and sensory desires. This phenomenon can fuel a high degree of market segmentation, but it also opens up opportunities for food makers and retailers who can closely personalize their offers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and stories.

Innovation It's essential to sustain a brand and company, whether that means taking a brand like Oreo and evolving it endlessly, offering an endless parade of varieties, or in some cases more and new ways to enjoy a beloved brand. Winning brands will innovate faster over time as options proliferate for consumers. Communications will tell those innovation stories, but also contribute engaging content and media innovations.

THE FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS

Mobility Food and beverage consumption is going mobile at roughly the same pace as communications technology. Consumers on the move require food on the move, as well as positioned or delivered everywhere they might need it. This heightens the value of mobility in food and beverage communications, and requires smart storytelling to highlight food mobility innovations.

CREATIVE TEAM Ankita Thobias Sr. Copywriter

Ashish Shah Sr. Design Director

Darshit Mahajan Asst. Manager

Imran Memon Sr. Graphic Designer

Nikhil Mehta Sr. Visualizer

Roselynn Raj Creative Specialist

Tapan Bhatt Sr. Art Director

Vipul Barot Sr. Graphic Designer

Write to us to start a conversation on how we can help you distill actionable insights and foresights from conversations and communities.

Pascal Beucler

Steve Bryant

SVP & Chief Strategy Officer (pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com)

Director, Food & Beverage Marketing; Managing Director, MSLGROUP Seattle (steve.bryant@mslgroup.com)

Melanie Joe Consultant â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Research & Insights (melanie.joe@mslgroup.com)

Some images from shutterstock.com

With more than 3,000 people across close to 100 offices worldwide, MSLGROUP is also the largest PR network in Europe, fast-growing China and India. The group offers strategic planning and counsel, insight-guided thinking and big, compelling ideas - followed by thorough execution.

MSLGROUP is Publicis Groupeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strategic communications and engagement group, advisors in all aspects of communication strategy; from consumer PR to financial communications, from public affairs to reputation management and from crisis communications to experiential marketings and events.