Brand Strategy
Observations from NRA Show 2011
One of the most entertaining trade shows has to be the National Restaurant Association’s annual extravaganza with celebrity chefs, international pavilions and food trucks galore. Last week, Chicago hosted 58,000 attendees who had the opportunity to sample their way through 515,000 square feet of food and beverage … while getting a peak at all the ancillary products and services that make a restaurant run. Reports are that both attendance and exhibitor counts were up vs. the last few years and that “optimism” was the word of the week. A few observations from the CBD team that hit the show:
- This is an industry made for social media and online services, providers showed up in force. Groupon was both a sponsor and exhibitor; Yelp, FaceBook, Google, Living Social, Continue reading
The ethics of product claims
My friend Tom Vierhile of Datamonitor spoke about global food trends this month at Supply Side East, and mentioned that 2 out of 50 new products introduced in 2010 claimed “no HFCS” on the labels. Whether science bears out that HFCS is or isn’t an ingredient of concern is not my area of expertise … but the marketers have certainly grabbed on to (and perhaps fueled) consumer sentiment in a big way.
CPG marketers have also jumped on the low/lower sodium bandwagon. Packaged Facts states that the U.S. market for products with these claims was approximately $21.8 billion in 2009, about 3% of the total food/beverage sales. Not a niche consumer segment any more but a big opportunity for main-stream buyers.
Which is why the Campbell Soup company has found itself in hot water for the “25% less sodium than regular Continue reading
CBD Proud of Our Emerging Leader Award Winners
Everyone at CBD is excited for account supervisor Melissa Cary (top) and account executive Katie Whitmore (bottom). They are both recipients of the 2011 Emerging Leader Awards presented by the Chicago Association of Direct Marketing (CADM).
The Emerging Leader Awards honor the area’s best and brightest young marketers, who demonstrate “uncommon promise in strategy, creativity and innovative thinking.”
It’s a wonderful honor for both Katie and Melissa and our agency. They are both highly deserving of this recognition not only for their outstanding current contributions to marketing, but for the larger accomplishments they are sure to achieve in the future.
Since its inception in 2009, the Emerging Leader Awards (EL Awards) have quickly become the the Midwest’s most prestigious recognition for rising star marketing talent.
We invite everyone to join us at the awards dinner Monday, April 9 at the Wit Hotel, Chicago to help us acknowledge and celebrate Melissa and Katie.
Olive Garden’s “finto” Tuscan training camp
![olive-garden-tuscan-cooking-school[1]](http://www.blog.cbdmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/olive-garden-tuscan-cooking-school1-150x150.jpg "olive-garden-tuscan-cooking-school[1]")
Last summer, my husband and I were fortunate in having our 16-year old niece join us for a two-week trek through Italy, a destination she chose because she loves Italian food. Fair enough … the art, the fashion and the fountains were a lovely side-show. A commercial for Olive Garden came on TV the night before we left. Katie jokingly asked if we could visit the Culinary Institute. I expressed doubt that there was such a place, but according to the Olive Garden’s website, it’s quite real and alive. “Olive Garden’s Culinary Institute of Tuscany is located in the 11th century village of Riserva di Fizzano. Every year more than 100 Olive Garden chefs and managers travel to our Culinary Institute to learn authentic cooking secrets from head chefs and top culinary instructors.”
Whether the ‘Institute’ is for real or not has been bandied about online since Olive Garden used it as a focal point of their ads beginning in 2008. The ad must do well and consumers must feel that it’s a plus for the brand, as it continues to run … I’m sure they’ve bench-marked and continually perception-test.
Good neighbor marketing
Crain’s Chicago is reporting that State Farm will open a retail store in Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood, but their purpose will be to serve, not sell. State Farm Next Door will offer free financial expertise, as well as a WiFi workspace for groups and individuals. The “Next Door” part will house a coffee shop. Inspiration for the concept came from State Farm employees, who obviously know firsthand that great relationships start with building trust and delivering value.
This concept is something other financial services companies should watch carefully – if not replicate rapidly. It takes great strategies like this to avoid the commoditization trap – a hazard State Farm is dangerously close to getting mired in. Their website currently boasts “Discounts up to Continue reading
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