Marketing Trends

• Supermarket chain Meijer has extended its marketing partnership with Kraft Foods in a campaign entitled “Dining in Makes $ense” first introduced in Winter 2008 offering discounts on future Meijer shopping trips with purchase of multiple Kraft products. Kraft has been aggressively marketing its products with retailer tie-ins. A recent inducement is a $2-off with purchase of three boxes of Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese or Velveeta Shells & Cheese. Kraft promotes the discount with floor clings showing meals made from Kraft items, along with sending consumers to their website for “deep-dish pizza casserole” and other recipes too yummy to contemplate. The program is also being flogged on the retailer’s website.

• McNeil Nutritionals has launched a Benecol smoothie in the UK and Ireland hoping to reach a younger market with a product offering plant-derived cholesterol-lowering benefits along with a fruit flavor. Retailing for €4/bottle, it will be slightly higher than the market leader innocent (aimed at the 45-55 year-old consumer).

• The #1 marketing tag for confections last year was “upscale” with new products bearing the tag rising for 9% in 2005 to 13.8%. It is no surprise chocolate is the largest confectionery category with a 50.9% share of the U.S. market ($18.4bn). Cereal bars are the fastest growing category in Europe with growth forecast at 31.7% to 2012. Overall in Europe, the most frequent claims made on new products were those claiming “no additives/preservatives,” “organic,” “vegetarian” and “microwaveable.”

• Not only is the grocery business regional, but costs vary depending on where you are in the U.S. Grocery store prices in Chicago are cheapest overall in the store-brand, national brand and organic food categories ($115.73 per cart ), though with the highest organic prices ($142.95 per cart). Overall Los Angeles was the most-expensive ($124.43 per cart), followed by New York City ($122.66). LA had the least-expensive organic costs ($137.52 per cart).

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