R+K DNA

Aligning with TV content, even in the summer.

R+K DNA — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:44:53 GMT

Used to be summer was a time to hit the beach, a national park or at least the backyard. It was not the time most people thought about gathering around the TV (or laptop or handheld) for a new batch of outstanding programming. But this year certainly follows the trend of the last few and offers up a bevy of beauties.

Drama, comedy, reality – they’re all here to distract us from the beautiful weather, friends and family. But, no reason for a staycation, because with DVRs, single system TVs, and phone and Internet packages—plus a little creative jockeying to tune in wherever you are, there are shows-aplenty to create a perfect 30- or 60-minute escape.

The Big C, Covert Affairs, The Good Guys, Memphis Beat and The Hard Times of RJ Berger mark some of the new shows to interrupt the normally packed schedule of reruns and summer reality shows (most that would never make it to air during the peak TV watching season). Returning shows Entourage, Burn Notice, White Collar, Mad Men and True Blood will be bringing audiences back to well-known characters and storylines that will define summer water-cooler or links-strolling conversation. And these are just a few. Jason Dietz, Features Editor at Metacritic provides reviews of 20 of his summer selections.

So there are great shows. Many with narrow themes and niche audiences—dare I say long tail here? So why then, in the case of shows that allow advertising, do we see those pesky TV spots and pre-roll video that don’t have anything to do with the content of the show? Are the digital and traditional folks at agencies not merged together yet? Have we not learned that contextual means contextual no matter where we are—in the airport, at the bus stop, on the Internet, on TV?

I remember 10 years ago while working at the ill-fated marchFIRST, there was a spoken promise of the day when we would never be served an ad that didn’t align with us personally. Nirvana, right? Well, we clearly haven’t gotten there on the box, begging the question, why are we so far away? There have been a few occasions over the past year when ads have come on and at least played to the content and context of the shows where they appeared. They surprise, not because they are necessarily 100 percent relevant to every person in the audience, but at least they recognize that a person is watching a certain type of programming.

Give us the rock star spot for Cover Girl or Sears when we’re watching American Idol or the American Music Awards. Or how about the sports-related spot for Ford or Johnsonville Brats when the baseball game is on? Sure, it means making far more spots (probably cheaper, faster and with a lot more creativity), but isn’t that what we’re already doing with contextual banners, buttons and boxes…even online searches? It is. Maybe if advertisers demonstrated they understood what we were watching, we’d take the time to understand their brand a little better.

Here’s to locking yourself away in the basement on a sunny Saturday to get a few of those new summer favorites off the DVR, and hopefully soon pulling your thumb off the button during commercials to take in something that just might feel like it belongs.

Robert D. Landa is Vice President, Executive Creative Director at R+K. For more information, contact rlanda@rkconnect.com.

A conversation with Grant and Jodi

R+K DNA — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 20:50:28 GMT

If you’re not familiar with the phenomenon The South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals, known to most by its acronym SXSW, you must check it out.

If you are, you’ll understand that it’s literally impossible to get a full night’s sleep after attending the weeklong, annual event, which claims “Tomorrow Happens Here.” Total sensory overload - and an amazing opportunity to get steeped in all-things next gen music, film and interactive.

Two R+Kers attended this year’s event in Austin - Grant Cassiday (Media Supervisor) and Jodi Carreon (Account Executive) - and the halls of R+K have been buzzing ever since. We thought we’d share a few of their favorite tidbits:

Real-time web is a reality. Yes, it’s evolving – rapidly – and goes by many names, including intuitive search (seen a Bing ad lately?), but it’s the future of the Internet. Check out Google Wave.

Content is king. OK, this isn’t a revelation, but it’s a reminder that effective conversations with today’s consumers require fresh, relevant content in formats and places that suit your audiences.

Fight process with process. Jaime Punishill, SVP Social Media, Citibank, told an incredible story of launching a social media effort within a highly regulated company. A core tenet of his success was instituting processes to help internal audiences stay involved in every step of the effort. More here: http://bit.ly/99zKQh

Beware talk of the “digital revolution.” If you’re charged with digital/social media efforts at any level within your organization, you know people’s understanding and acceptance of such things varies…greatly. Best to focus on how it works on a day-to-day basis and the short- and long-term benefits to your company.

We hope you enjoyed these bites, at least for these few minutes before you surf the net, look for that cool new app, turn on the TV or login to Twitter when, of course, you’ll come across chatter of the next big thing.

Want more? Contact gcassiday@rkconnect.com or jcarreon@rkconnect.com. Follow us on Twitter @RheaKaiser.

Nuance – it’s the cake.

R+K DNA — Thu, 27 May 2010 19:27:32 GMT

Maybe it’s the times, maybe it’s my age, maybe it’s because I’ve had more downtime the last few weekends, but I’ve recently become an avid re-reader.

By definition, reread is a verb that means “read anew; read again.” I like read anew because I’m finding that’s exactly what the action of re-reading creates: an opportunity to interpret information in a new form or matter, which often leads to a deeper understanding of the content.

And that’s what communicating today is all about, right? As professional communicators we must genuinely understand the messages we’re communicating, why we’re communicating them, to whom we’re communicating, how and when.

At R+K, that starts with developing personas, or comprehensive profiles of individuals who represent our clients’ distinct target audiences. We get to know our clients’ current and prospective customers, literally on a first-name basis. How do they perceive themselves? What inspires them? Who influences them? Where do they go for information – online and off? Why?

We then use this knowledge – particularly the nuances we confirm or discover – to create and execute tailored communications strategies and initiatives that resonate with and motivate customers, and produce bottom line results for our clients.

We understand that nuance isn’t icing anymore – it’s the cake. And our best client partners understand that too.

Laura Schmidt is just one member of the R+K team who loves nuance. Contact her at lschmidt@rkconnect.com. Learn more about R+K at rkconnect.com . Follow us on Twitter @RheaKaiser.

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Ag Communication's Future

R+K DNA — Tue, 25 May 2010 14:18:17 GMT

Agency overview

In this era of rapid change, we are reinventing core tenets of our business while fiercely guarding and enriching the assets that have propelled us forward for 32 years. In particular, the digital revolution has redefined the communications landscape and fundamentally altered how all of us consume information. It’s not just about print ads and news releases anymore.

Rhea + Kaiser opened its doors as an agricultural advertising agency on May 1, 1978. Today, we are a full-service marketing communications agency with expertise in agriculture, equipment, home and garden, animal health and nutrition, healthcare and education. We’re equally comfortable working in Milan, Tenn., or Milan, Italy – and everywhere in between.

New agency activities

The velocity of change we’re encountering – and must affect – is occurring at warp speed. It’s also driving two distinct initiatives at our agency.

First, we are expanding our digital competencies by creating a digital-centric culture. Digital is, literally, not a department at R+K. We operate under the premise that digital literacy must occur and be nurtured within everyone in the agency, regardless of level or job title, under the direction of a digital champion. Further, we recognize that not all digital is the same, which is why strategy and execution are assigned by areas of competency: Social media is managed through our public relations team, web development is driven by our creative department and search and digital display are the media team’s responsibility. We love silos as much as the next ag agency, but you won’t find any digital ones at R+K.

Second, R+K is conducting an agencywide process review designed to continue improving client service. Over a several-week period, each agency department mapped its current processes and identified obstacles to getting the work done. Now, we’re in the process of overlaying learnings to ultimately keep, kill or evolve steps to enhance the efficiency and quality of our work. We have challenged individuals to give up comfort for quality, if necessary. What we’re doing is the equivalent of a major manufacturer deconstructing its assembly line to determine how and where to gain efficiencies. We expect the outcomes to be equally as significant.

Future of agricultural communications

Before you can be optimistic about the future of agricultural communications, you have to be optimistic about the future of agribusiness. We are extremely bullish on agriculture – and think today is the most promising moment in the history of agriculture. A rapidly growing world population, a push to preserve natural resources and the imperative to get the most out of available farmland (whether from a crop or food animal perspective) all speak to what agriculture can deliver.

But it’s critical that agriculture make its case to people – elected officials, policymakers, media and general consumers – who collectively know the least about farming, yet hold huge sway over our future. That’s where agricultural communications comes in.

In the past few years, R+K has had the good fortune to hire young talent bursting with potential – people who will break new ground in understanding, motivating and communicating with the next generation of farmers. We’re looking to those same people to take the message all the way through to the consumer.

By Diane Martin, VP/Director, Business Development

Is Earth Day really just a day?

R+K DNA — Tue, 11 May 2010 17:31:27 GMT

At R+K, we think not. Yes, we celebrated the day on April 22, but we know that contributing to a healthy planet requires daily thought and effort. Thus, our agency-wide GreenWeek initiative designed to inspire our ranks to take a part-of-daily-life approach to going green.

GreenWeek, conceived and promoted by a group of earth-conscious R+Kers (aka The Green Team), consisted of daily e-newsletters, videos and other in-house efforts focused mostly on waste reduction and energy conservation. New recycle bins popped up in our kitchens. Signage appeared encouraging us to turn off our lights after meetings and before we go home. And we were encouraged to ask…do I really need to print that?

The week culminated with a party, of course, where teams – including URTH, Green Hornets, R+K Real Kermits and Old Poops – got inventive making sculptures out of trash. You’d be surprised by what a bunch of creative people can make out of garbage…see Exhibit A:

R+K GreenWeek. Fun, but important, stuff making an impact on how we as individuals and as a team contribute to keeping the earth healthy.

For more information, check out these interesting sites. And tell us more about how your teams are going green on the R+K Facebook page.

Home Energy Saver

U.S. Dept. of Energy

Are you listening?

R+K DNA — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:25:10 GMT

One of the benefits of weeklong industry conferences (besides free beverage tickets) is that your mind often has a chance to wander and observe, bigger picture, your colleagues, clients and competitors in action.

During one of these moments at the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City, I noticed that mobility isn’t just the next new thing…it’s how EVERYONE is doing business (or looking like they are). While sitting in a session watching 80 percent of the people use their PDAs, I recalled the countless conversations I’ve had about teens constantly texting. You know the commentary…

But how different is today’s professional from today’s teenager? During keynote sessions, on the trade show floor, in line at the Starbucks, during networking meetings in the lobby, waiting on the cab for dinner, even during dinner…EVERYONE was on their smart phone.

It begs the question, what are we doing? Checking and responding to email? Downloading that uber-important document? Re-tweeting a great blog post? Getting the latest from Huffington Post? Just looking busy?

What I didn’t see was a lot of genuine listening. That eye-to-eye contact, close body language and copious note taking symbolic of a really juicy think session.

Now I’m not oblivious to the anomaly that is the “industry conference.” We all do our thing at these things, but at R+K, we’re constantly talking with our clients about the importance of listening, especially with the advent of social media and the insights such online platforms can provide into target audiences. We listen to each other, our clients, our clients’ influencers and competitors, and our prospects. And yes, we use 21st century devices to do so, but we also listen to real people and we know when turning off our PDAs helps us turn on our ears and brains.

At the end of the day, we believe great idea making takes listening. It’s how we truly understand what we’re trying to communicate, why and to whom. So how about turning off your phone the next time you’re supposed to be listening. Your ideas might surprise you…oh, and they’ll give you something to text about.

Laura Schmidt is a member of the R+K public relations group. She loves listening to music, birds chirping in the springtime and to people – on and offline. Contact Laura at lschmidt@rkconnect.com.

Get ready to play R+K Q+A!

R+K DNA — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 21:27:55 GMT

What’s the longest recorded flight of a chicken? How many muscles does the average, garden-variety caterpillar have in its head? What’s a flink?

If you’re attending the 2010 Agri-Marketing Conference in Kansas City next month, you’ll be able to answer questions like these when you PLAY R+K Q+A, a text-based fundraising promotion sponsored by Rhea + Kaiser. For every text received during the conference, R+K will make a donation to the Agri-Business Educational Foundation. You won’t even have to be right for your text to count! And you’ll be entered to win a super-duper prize.

Need some conditioning prior to the conference?

What’s the longest recorded flight of a chicken? 13 seconds

How many muscles does the average, garden-variety caterpillar have in its head? 248

What’s a flink? 12 or more cows

Answers provided by the USDA National Agricultural Library

R+K Q+A Official Rules

Toyota: A Cautionary Tale

R+K DNA — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:50:13 GMT

On Friday, the Washington Post sent out an early morning news alert to report Toyota has formed a committee to examine problems that led to two safety recalls relating to accelerator pedals on some Toyota models.

Huh?

Other news reports said much the same. After a two-week silence, a public battering by the media, and a recall that affects 8.1 million vehicles worldwide and could cost the company $2 billion in repairs and lost sales, Akio Toyoda (grandson of the company’s founder) said, “I feel we are in stormy weather… (we) must regain customer trust.”

My first thought was along the lines of, “No, ----, Sherlock.”

My second: “Where is his public relations counsel?”

Of course, not even the best PR counsel can reverse time and undo the damage caused by inaction or the head-in-sand, hope-it-will-go-away syndrome. But what good PR advice can do is help a company navigate tricky communications channels to lessen the severity and length of negative publicity and, in some cases, keep an issue from becoming a crisis.

So, what’s the difference between an issue and a crisis? Timing.

There are almost always warning signs that companies have an issue. Inspections show standards aren’t being met, weak spots in protocols are ignored, problems aren’t decisively addressed. For example, the Blakely, Ga., plant of the now-bankrupt Peanut Corp of America, responsible for a 2008 salmonella outbreak in peanut butter that sickened 700 people and was linked to nine deaths, had a history of rodents, roaches, and sanitation issues according to a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution story.

Worst of all, records show the company had found salmonella in its products, but still sold them “a dozen times over two years.”

Similar scenarios may or may not have played out in other recalls, including Toyota’s, but many post-crisis reports or investigations reveal issues that were ignored or purposefully dismissed.

A communications crisis happens when issues become publicly known either because of accidents or outbreaks. When that happens, a company must address the internal problems and face the scrutiny of media, governments, consumers and employees. In an age of instant communications, a company often has hours—not days or weeks—to take decisive action and communicate that action if it hopes to minimize damage to its reputation and bottom line.

Preventive and proactive actions are your best course of action. Address issues as they arise, and if the worst happens, have a plan in place so you can respond in hours—not weeks.

This advice may seem obvious, but if a global company such as Toyota lacked a proactive plan, which others do, too?

Who needs Roger Ebert when we’ve got “Roger W.?”

R+K DNA — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:16:13 GMT

So, I was channel surfing the other day and a TV spot for an upcoming new movie ("When in Rome") caught my attention. No, not because the movie looks charming enough (it does) or might be a nice diversion on a Saturday night (it could). What got my attention was that the ad featured positive reviews and quotes from "real people," supposedly posted on Facebook.

I'm sure this isn't a novel approach. But it struck me that in this new era of cynicism on steroids, your next-door neighbor might be the ultimate authority on matters of entertainment. Or local government. Or national security.

Who needs Roger Ebert when we’ve got “Roger W.?”

In fact, we have become so distrustful of powerful people, whether they be elected officials or Tiger Woods, that to hold power is a disadvantage. What really matters is what your best friend, or Commenter No. 8 on this morning’s Facebook post, think.

The implications of this have already played out in the journalism world, where once-venerable news organizations have been scooped (literally and figuratively) by “citizen journalists” pumping out “news” via their bedroom computer. It is within this brave new world that a hoaxster masquerading as a CNN iReporter can post an item, unchecked and initially unverified, on CNN about the death of 15-year-old heartthrob Justin Bieber, and the tween world for a few days goes mad with speculation and panic. Calmer heads prevail after Justin tweets that he is, in fact, alive and MTV(!) confirms the good news under the headline “Justin Bieber: Not dead.” Good times.

For those of us who toil in public relations, this topsy-turvy turn of events – where the power-brokers are persona non grata and the “unwashed masses” spout pearls of wisdom – poses some interesting challenges. When we pitch a media outlet, do we offer up the CEO or somebody who bought the company’s product for the first time yesterday? When we craft recommendations for a speaking platform, do we suggest the Ph.D. project leader or a research intern who just joined the company and has a “fresh take?”

I’m being facetious (I think). We will eventually sort all of this out, ever-mindful that the rank-and-file more and more are the Ones Who Matter.

In the meantime, I guess the upside is that maybe we’ll have to tolerate fewer “Best. Movie. Ever!” hyperbolic quotes from that local Fox affiliate critic in Albany.

Deron Johnson, R+K’s VP, Director of Public Relations, is a former journalist who was never asked to confirm the veracity of a celebrity death report. He was, however, once assigned to look into the inner workings of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Time will tell if AG CONNECT Connects with Farmers

R+K DNA — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:40:21 GMT

Is there room for another ag tradeshow? The folks at AEM think so. That’s why they’re banking on Ag Connect to become North America’s true international ag show. Ag Connect appears patterned after AEM’s widely popular CONEXPO and MINExpo shows. Many feel it’s our answer to Europe’s enormous Agritechnica show.

As interested observers, R+K staffers Jim Haist and I attended the opening last week in Orlando. Temperature-wise, it felt like we never left Naperville. Mickey’s ears must have gotten frost bite as the mercury dipped below 30 degrees.

Here’s our take from the show:

Ag Connect resembled Commodity Classic-times-two more so than a mega-iron show. Crowd sizes seemed lighter and more geared to high-value prospects.

While the numbers of attendees were lower than expected, farmers there had good opportunity to ask questions of company reps, and many were taking advantage.

This was clearly an “iron” show, anchored by the usual players: Case IH, John Deere and AGCO. Each had different twists: Case IH’s used live events, and multi-lingual presenters, that packed its booth with onlookers; AGCO parked its traveling road show at its booth; Deere took a more traditional approach and enjoyed steady crowds. An elevated classroom over a part of their display was an interesting idea.

Perhaps most unusual to what we’re used to seeing at U.S. shows was the large number of unfamiliar names from overseas, most notably quite a few companies and distributors from China.

Several niche and short line equipment companies and engine manufacturers were prominent.

With crop input suppliers few and far between, Pioneer Hi-Bred’s relatively small exhibit stood out to us.

Other players, such as soil nutrient suppliers and specialty tool makers, got better attention than they may have at larger shows.

All the exhibitors we talked to were most excited with the international customers and prospects they met with. This international reach is what many said will keep them coming back.

As with any event, what’s most interesting are the people you meet. For us, one such person was Troy, a mid-sized farmer with a big-scale custom operation. Right after spring planting, this Midwest based farmer runs a custom forage cutting operation stretching from his home to Florida. And he takes the scenic route.

He roads much of his convoy of heavy equipment cross country. While the view from the cab may be nice, a road speed of 30 mph gives new meaning to the term “Are we there yet?” For his crew’s sake, we’re hoping he opted up for the XM radio.

Meanwhile, AEM, as well as its 300 exhibitors, are hoping to see operators like this custom harvester and many more of his friends - at next year’s show in Atlanta.

Food channel predicts "back to basics" will lead food trends in 2010

RKDNA — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:59:00 GMT

Food channel predicts “back to basics” will lead food trends in 2010.

Forecasts for 2010 are as common as snow this week, ranging from predictions of Peacocking (wearing bright colors to offset the gloomy economy) to Lifeswapping (trading homes, clothing, services to make it seem as if you have more than you do).

The Food Channel joined the group of forecasters Monday with its release of the top food trends for 2010. Only time will prove them right (or wrong) but here’s the countdown to the Food Gurus’ No. 1 trend:

10. I, Me, Mine—personalizing portions, the parallel trend to collectives and communal eating, is reflected in the growing number of individual-size foods, restaurants that let people choose their own ingredients, and making our own specialty desserts. It’s not about portion size, but about food that reflects personality.

9. Will Trade for Food—bartering for consumables—a box of tomatoes in exchange for babysitting—will become more common as technology makes it easy to connect and many of us have more time than money.

8. I Want My Umami—today’s foodies are less obsessed with snob appeal and more interested in fun experimentation, such as combining exotic or expensive ingredients with everyday items, i.e. lobster with mac and cheese.

7. Food with Benefits—“functional” foods aren’t new, but will continue to proliferate as more consumers demand beneficial foods. Examples are chocolates that reduce acne or Nestle’s new Nescafe creamer with collagen.

6. Mainstreaming Sustainability—more Americans will adopt sustainable practices, such as eating locally sourced, seasonal foods and buying products with sustainable/biodegradable packaging.

5. Food Vetting—food sourcing issues ranging from Fair Trade to organics to mercury-free fish will continue to grow in importance.

4. American, the New Ethnic—American food is made up of a growing number of ethnic staples and favorites. And we love it.

3. More in Store—grocery stores will see growth in private label, a revival of emphasis on the in-store butcher, and upgraded delis and fresh take-out sections. Frequent purchases of fresh meal ingredients will become more common as a means of making meals special and minimizing waste.

2. Experimental Nation—expect more growth for gastropubs, fusion dining, "shareables" and communal tables, and those built around "fresh" and do-it-yourself themes.

1. Keeping it Real – It’s determining the essentials and stocking the pantry accordingly. The focus is on buying quality, basic ingredients and building a menu from there.

What we can learn from The 100-mile Challenge

RKDNA — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:34:00 GMT

Earlier, I blogged about The 100-mile Challenge, a reality show on the Plant Green channel. After viewing all the episodes, I must say, it turned out better than I predicted for the denizens of Mission, British Columbia, who ate only locally grown and produced food for 100 days.

In practical terms, that meant no coffee, bananas or wine, as well as no processed foods like potato chips, chocolate candy bars or boxed macaroni and cheese. The challenge also meant a lot of cooking from scratch—a skill most participants (and many of us) lack. But the people were convinced it would be a healthier way to diet and benefit the planet by reducing their carbon footprints.

Some key things that participants found:

Grocery bills initially doubled, but returned to slightly above normal once participants learned to cook
Carbon footprints actually increased. Participants often had to drive to the edge of the 100-mile radius to find "local"
Sourcing and preparing local food required a lot of time. A lot. Their days revolved around food, even to the point one participant took a vacation during the challenge to have more time for "hunting and gathering" activities

Despite a brief furor over a loophole that allowed one couple to have coffee while traveling, all of the participants eventually admitted to indulging in forbidden foods—cake, coffee and fast-food burgers—when out of town. Not surprisingly then, Day 101 saw the immediate return of coffee, salt and other "global goodies" to the pantry.

And though no one planned to stay on a 100-mile diet, the food industry can still glean useful information from the experiment. In post-challenge interviews, all of the participants said they planned to keep most of the habits developed during the challenge, i.e. fewer meals-from-a-box, more fresh foods and more home cooking. In general, most said they'd eat about 80 percent local.

That's a significant chunk of a grocery bill, and while the Challenge may seem like just another reality show, the food industry needs to pay attention to this trend.

Wanting "locally sourced" food on the menu is a distinct trend among consumers, according to the November issue of Prepared Foods in its annual statistics, trends and new products report, and a quick Google search shows that awareness of our carbon footprints and assumptions that "local is better" are firmly planted in the public's conscious.

Not sure how to respond to this trend? Start small. In many places, the infrastucture doesn't exist to make a local-only diet feasible, but by adding a local food section to your shelf or menu, you can meet your customers' interest in local foods and measure their commitment to the movement. Also, an informal survey—or just chatting them up during a sampling event—can provide ideas of how to (or if to) incorporate local foods into your offering.

Oh, and there's one other reason you should be aware your customers might come looking for local food. All the 100-mile participants except the most rampant "cheaters" lost weight, a few dropped 30 pounds or more. Most chalked it up to eating differently rather than less. Can the local-food-only weight-loss program be far behind?

RIP. Smart Choices label we barely knew you

RKDNA — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:40:00 GMT

A few months ago, I wrote about the new Smart Choices nutrition label and how it’s not such a smart choice for consumers. The goal of the new nutrition label was to provide easy-to-understand, at-a-glance guidance for consumers who want to make better choices in the grocery aisle.

My opinion was—and still is—that consumers know a “smart” choice from a poor one when it comes to food. The average person simply prefers the flavor and convenience of the less healthful choices.

However, I missed the real story about the label, but the Food and Drug Administration didn’t.

In late October, the FDA stated the label is misleading. The thinking is: when Froot Loops, a highly processed, sugar-filled cereal, meets the nutrition requirements of the Smart Choices Label there’s something wrong with label requirements.

It seems food manufacturers followed the letter of the label—but not the spirit.

According to news stories regarding the FDA statement, the Smart Choice’s nutrition standards are too lenient. Critics say the program is an attempt by food companies to bill processed foods as nutritious.

As a result, food manufacturers behind the label have “postponed” active support of the label while the FDA investigates labeling issues. And Kraft has said it will phase out usage of the label.

So what is the lesson here? Simply: Don’t put a pig in a dress.

Not every brand is healthful—and our advice to marketers is to not “stretch brands” to fit into a category they do not belong in. Consumers won’t be fooled and neither will the FDA.

Spread the love.

RKDNA — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:27:00 GMT

It was a glorious day last Wednesday when the office gathered together to share our mutual love for dips. It was R+K’s annual “Just-for-the-love-of-dips” contest proving once again that dips are not just for parties or dining out. A banquet of homemade, delicious creamy, saucy, spicy, warm, cold and tangy dips became our lunches for the day and the highlight of our week.

Why do people love dips so much? Is it because it’s a restaurant dining experience they don’t get as often in this economy? Is it a comfort food or an indulgent food? Whatever the reason, dips and spreads are growing in popularity with consumers yet they aren’t a necessary purchase and tend to be impulse driven. To get them on a consumer’s grocery list, you need to give consumers a reason to buy. Positioning a product as unique, healthy, comfort/indulgent or as a versatile snack might just turn dips and spreads into a household staple.

If our own internal Dip Day was an indication of consumer trends out there, a basic salsa isn’t topping the favorite list (I didn’t win L) and instead people are opting for more unusual, creative and complex dips including hummus, reuben sandwich and jalapeno popper dip.

The winners of the “Just-for-the-love-of-dips” contest:

Best Appetizer Dip: Stephanie Soesbe – “Fire Roasted Corn Dip”
Best Appetizer Dip: Bonnie Heinsohn – “Jalapeño Popper Dip”
Most Creative (Presentation) - Valerie Holland – “Crab Dip”

Claudia Zellmann is a member of the R+K Food team, which offers food manufacturers and marketers a fresh perspective and measurable communications solutions that work today yet are flexible enough to endure.

A different type of food challenge

RKDNA — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 22:36:00 GMT

There’s an interesting little show on the Planet Green channel that has sucked me in like a cosmic vacuum. It’s the 100 Mile Challenge.

The premise is the people of Mission, British Columbia, will eat “local” for 100 days. And from what I’ve seen so far, it’s going to be a loooooonnnnnngggggg 100 days without coffee, sugar, salt, and beer. But the people are convinced it’s a healthier way to eat, not just for them but also for the planet.

Now there are advantages to eating local that the food industry can’t afford to overlook—and smart operators don’t. Not only does local sourcing provide fresher food and lower fuel costs, but it also appeals to consumers who tend to be passionate about food and healthful eating. These consumers tend to be willing to pay more to a price premium on premium goods.

But the show also reminds us of why we have such an extensive food system in place in the first place. Think about it. Although it varies by geography, chances are the bulk of what you eat and drink probably doesn’t grow within 100 miles of you.

For me, contraband would include coffee, orange juice, olive oil, almonds, spices, any fresh, out-of-season produce (unless it comes out of a green house) and probably most staples, such as sugar, salt and wheat.

I’m not taking the challenge because I must have coffee, but it’s interesting to watch the people of Mission, B.C., struggle through the challenge. I laughed when a couple rhapsodized about a few sips of coffee after they found a “loophole” in the rules. However, when others freaked over lack of sugar and salt and resorted to raiding beehives and taking home buckets of seawater, I decided the blithe way these reality-show participants entered the challenge is indicative of the real issue facing our agriculture and food industries.

It’s not where our food comes from or how it’s produced, it’s the lack of knowledge the average person has about where their food comes from.

Whether a person eats organic, only locally produced food or nothing unless it comes from a can or box, he or she should understand exactly what is on the table and how it got there. Knowledge is critical to make informed decisions, and before anyone decides to “go local” or eat only organic, she should understand what that really means, as opposed to what she thinks it means.

Otherwise, someone could be as surprised the residents of Mission, BC.

So, would you take the challenge? And if you did, what foods would be off the list?