With consumers increasingly interested in where their food comes from, an upcoming event seeks to help producers, processors and packaging companies tell the story.
Understanding consumer expectations and respecting these, combined with a boldness to draw inspiration from new areas is the perfect mix for successful innovation, say experts.
In a world where retail shelves are already overflowing with options, food manufacturers must already know which products consumers will be giving up before buying their new offering, says David Howlett of MMR Research.
‘The Food Information for Consumers Regulation (EU 1169/2011 – also known as ‘FIC’), which will start to be enforced in December this year, will have a big impact on all those involved in the supply and sale of food and drink products.
Food product marketers have less than three seconds to grab consumer attention, and need think back to the old days of products in supermarket circulars to connect with consumers in the mobile era, says a leading marketing guru.
UK-based pasty maker Ginsters wants to re-engage with its core male audience through a £4m ($6.58m) advertising campaign but said the tone does not aim to be 'laddy' or alienate female consumers.
A national press advert from Warburtons – stating ‘No.1 Now London's biggest bakers’ – has been banned by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), after complaints from Premier Foods and Allied Bakeries.
The private label sector still has enormous growth potential, as it accounts for only 10% of global grocery value, according to a report from Euromonitor International.
Governments must regulate unhealthy foods in the same way as alcohol and tobacco to tackle rising levels of obesity, urges a report from the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO).
Supplements giant Herbalife has won an appeal against a verdict back in 2011 which tarred the firm's recruitment and selling structure as a pyramid scheme.
Iraq has considerable untapped growth potential across all market sectors – despite its continuing political troubles, according to research organisation Grail Research.
Regulation aimed at limiting the marketing of unhealthy food and drinks to children will only work properly if governments step up their role and set the standards themselves, warn researchers.
Social media is a “minefield” and is forcing food manufacturers and retailers to radically change their business systems and the way they manage consumer complaints, according to the boss of a leading food chain traceability and auditing software company.
Greencore’s “resilient business model” means the food manufacturer is poised for growth, with its Food to Go business remaining the driver, says City analyst Panmure Gordon.
There’s a marketing experiment going on in the yoghurt aisle. Two yoghurt brands recently have positioned themselves as ‘yoghurt for men’. Is ordinary yoghurt really so girly?
The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has ruled that Slim Pasta maker NAH Foods Ltd cannot claim that the product contains zero calories – even if the claim is followed by a question mark.
The functional confectionery market remains niche but is growing rapidly as candy makers look for new ways to differentiate their products, according to ingredients firm Naturex.
Food promotions are failing across Europe, as austerity-hit consumers are cutting back on non-essential products and sticking to shopping lists, says market research organisation Symphony IRI.
Food and drink product launches emphasising value for money have outpaced those featuring premium claims for the first time in the UK, finds new research from Mintel.
Ingredient manufacturers should interact more closely with end consumers on social media – and stop delegating communication on ingredients to end product marketers, says Euromonitor.
Social media is an extremely powerful brand-building tool that engages consumers, but it can also be a platform for strong business relationships and revenue generation, an expert says.
Only a handful of employees at Kellogg will be privy to the secret recipe of its newly formulated Special K brand for Europe as the cereal giant works to stave off mounting private label mimics.
UK chocolatier Thorntons has reported increased sales in the third quarter as its focus on the commercial channel drove performance over Valentine's Day, Mother's Day and Easter.
Making quick business decisions is crucial in the UK bread market because it is a highly competitive space, says the sales director of Allied Bakeries.
A new interactive graphical database offering market insights for food and beverage ingredients will help manufacturers and suppliers identify new trends and grow their business, according to RTS.
Whether a consumer perceives themselves to be independent or part of a group has a key effect on how they receive marketing messages related to diet products, say researchers.
Pictures are much more powerful than words when it comes to health claim marketing according to Dutch researchers who have completed a study of Dutch dairy Campina’s weight control yoghurt, Optimel Control.
Irish food and ingredients giant Kerry Group has reported a 10.8% increase in operating profit for the year of 2012 on the back of strong growth driven by its ingredients and flavours arm.
The convenience, quality, and ethical considerations of a product are all more important than a low price for more than 75% of consumers, according to new market data from the UK.
Switching to natural colours can be an important product differentiator, as consumers around the world will always choose a natural product when given the option, says ingredient firm Chr. Hansen.
Taura Natural Ingredients’ newly launched gourmet fruit inclusion range plugs convenience, shelf-life and health for the artisanal baker, its marketing manager says.
The UK’s Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has published a new review on the use of children as brand ambassadors and in peer-to-peer marketing – including online where boundaries between what is and is not considered advertising may become blurred.
Increases in the price of key ingredients, or widely fluctuating prices, are driving reformulation efforts in the industry, with suppliers like Ingredion offering solutions to replace ingredients and cut costs.
How manufacturers incorporate stevia into new products and how they position products with consumers are equally important for market success, says Cargill's sales director, health products for EMEA, Olivier du Chatelier.
Belgian frozen vegetable firm PinguinLutosa has signed an agreement to sell its potato division to McCain Foods in a deal based on an enterprise value of the division of €225m.
Premier Foods has split its bread business and upped sales in Hovis over the last quarter, but it has a lot more work to do and distribution is the sensitive issue that needs to be addressed, says an analyst.
Danone must cut the prices of its branded dairy products significantly in parts of Europe to compete with lower-price private label brands, French banking giant Societe Generale has claimed.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Wilmar International Limited have launched Olenex, a joint venture for the sale and marketing of refined vegetable oils and fats in Europe.
Ongoing economic turbulence in Europe could have a lasting effect on consumer attitudes to brands and private label products, according to new research into the private label sector from SymphonyIRI.
