Unhealthy

02: UNHEALTHY

The second misconception you asked us to tackle was that hot dogs are unhealthy. It’s no secret a hot dog probably isn’t anyone’s first pick when scouting out nutritious options, but we were shocked to find out the extent to which people consider them unhealthy. Even when we asked participants in our perception mapping experiment to compare hot dogs to other unhealthy foods like hamburgers and pizza, participants continually ranked the hot dog last in terms of health. So we asked people how they know if their food is healthy.

“IF IT’S ORGANIC, THAT’S WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR.”

— Tanja, 57

ORGANIC LOVE

Over the last few years, there’s been an undeniable spike in the health foods industry. According to market research, consumers under age 40 have upped their vegetable intake by 52%,[08] while 45% of Americans want to be seen as someone who buys organic.[09]

People connect the term organic with a clear and straightforward ingredient list, explaining the increasing trend for plant-based and whole food diets. According to our food industry interviews, 40% of participants mentioned organic and healthy foods as being important to them. Hot dogs do not fall into this category.

PROCESSED PROBLEM

When asked why they don’t eat hot dogs more frequently, the majority (41%) of our online survey participants stated they had health concerns about them. We were able to establish three specific areas of consumer concerns:

47% Leftover meats 39% Filler and by-products 29% Leftover meats

While we already discussed the misconception of leftover meats, the fillers, by-products, and nitrates are characteristics commonly associated with any processed meat. Processed foods are considered “unnatural” and experts in the food industry agree. Kristin Kirkpatrick, a dietitian at Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute admits that she wouldn’t use the word “healthy” with any processed meat.[10] This confirms consumers have the same health concerns about hot dogs as they do with any processed meat, and it would be almost impossible to sway this collective opinion.

TAKEAWAY Processed meats will never equal healthy.

SOLUTION A “healthy dog” strategy frankly just won’t work.