“Marketing has changed drastically in a short amount of time,” said Steve Lerch, account executive for government, agriculture and industry associations with Google, at the 2018 World Pork Expo held in Des Moines, Iowa. If a company’s marketing, communications or public relations strategy looks the same as it did even two years ago, he added, then it is outdated and needs to be critically analyzed to see if it still makes sense.
In 2012, television was the most common way that consumers interacted with media and found information. “In 2017, it isn’t even close. People consumed almost all their information online; television is drastically declining,” Lerch said.
Lerch referenced a Mintel report from early 2017 that explained there would be about US$43 billion in packaged meat sales in the U.S. that year; a third of those sales would be influenced by digital marketing.
Food loyalists
Food loyalists are people who are dedicated to buying a product, meaning they will always buy a particular brand or item, such as eggs. Google conducted a food consumer survey and analyzed what factors make an individual loyal to a food (see Table 1). Thirty nine percent of survey respondents listed flavor as the most import factor. Comfort is 19 percent of the influence, and 13 percent said they buy the product because they grew up eating it. A product's health benefits equaled 7 percent. Influences such as ease of cooking, availability, low-cost and variety of uses were each 5 percent. Lerch did not address what made up the rest.
This is a challenge for producers when reaching food loyalists, since producers only have partial control over the least significant factors to buyers, such as availability and price. “Most of the things on the chart are influenced by buyer perception,” said Lerch. Producers can influence perception about flavor, product comfort, nutritional value and ease of cooking, he explained.
Table 1: A Google consumer survey explains what factors play a role in purchasing decisions.
"You can teach people perception," Lerch explained. That is why digital marketing is so important. While the idea sounds rather easy, it isn’t. “We live in a time where no one trusts anything,” he added. According to the Harvard Business Review, people’s trust has declined in business, media, government and non-governmental organizations.
“We don’t trust what we see anymore, and we are at a time in our country where there are more ads than ever before,” said Lerch. Therefore, finding the platforms that your customers like and value is more important than ever. “Consumers don’t trust traditional brands as much as they used to,” he said.
While it’s still important for traditional brands to strive for consumers’ acceptance, using third party options is important and may increase the value of a product, he suggested.
Consumer digital trends — under Google's watch
Google has looked at different analytics based on consumers' buying decisions. While many producers understand that consumers’ wants have changed, determining those needs is the challenge. Statistics from Google offer some interesting perspectives.
1. Strong is the new skinny
All consumers have a purpose, whether it’s the type of person they want to be or the goals they want to obtain, he explained. Google has been studying what people see as their purpose and how marketers can appeal to people through that.
"Strong is the new skinny" is one purpose. People are no longer as worried about being skinny as they are about being healthy and strong. Between 2011 and 2015, Google saw a 29 percent increase in searches related to becoming fit. For the first time, they saw a 6 percent decrease in searches related to weight loss methods. “That is really significant and should change the way we talk to consumers about reaching their goals,” Lerch said.
Lerch explained that one in three people say physical activity is important to their identity or purpose. Sixty three percent of people who exercise pay attention to how much protein they eat, he added. For producers who make a living supplying protein to consumers, this is good news because these producers can market to those who see fitness as their purpose.
The problem is people lack accurate knowledge about the best sources of protein. “Forty percent of people think there is more protein in peanut butter than in eggs; 42 percent of people think there is more protein in soy and almond milk than there is in dairy milk,” Lerch said. The poultry industry needs to educate consumers about their form of protein to appeal to consumers' purpose.
Lerch explained that 40 percent of people think there is more protein in peanut butter than in eggs. | LightField Studios, Bigstock.com
2. Semi-homemade meal
Semi-homemade for the family is the idea that brands and packages can appeal to consumers who would like to create a meal faster to sit down and enjoy dinner at the family table. “The majority of American families report eating a meal together less than five days a week,” Lerch said. Busy schedules are the biggest factor, while technology and modern lifestyles also play a role.
“What we have found is that the American people still want family dinner; that’s why two out of every five parents consider themselves an aspiring chef,” Lerch said. People value their time in the kitchen, and as marketers, it’s important to take advantage of this. This is why sales of “meal kits” have become more popular in recent years.
In 2015, there was US$4.7 billion in shredded cheese sales versus US$3.7 billion in block cheese sales. This is a perfect example of Americans looking for the quickest and easiest option for food and meal preparation.
3. Planning
“The average person decides within 7 seconds of reaching the shelf what option of the product they are going to buy,” Lerch said. In recent years, though, this has changed, with most consumers deciding before they reach the shelves. This is why Google has created the concept known as the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT). ZMOT refers to the moment in the buying process when the consumer researches a product prior to purchase."
Functional food has a lot to do with the digital world. People are generally introduced to products through media before they get to the store. Since consumers have the ability to access digital media, they can research a product more than ever before making a purchase.
"Two out of three people plan their meals ahead of time," Lerch said. It used to be that if consumers wanted information about their food, they went to the butcher or place of production; now, 90 percent of foodies (people that say they care about what they eat) get their information from websites and social media.
It is no longer enough for a product to taste good; it must be able to do something (be functional) for the consumer to consider it in their meal plan.
It is no longer enough for a product to taste good; it must be able to do something (be functional) for the consumer to consider it in their meal plan. These are considered superfoods. For example, the product must benefit physical strength, help improve skin or fight a cold. Articles are all over the internet appealing to consumers from this aspect. A Women’s Day article titled "52 of the healthiest superfoods you need in your diet" included turkey and eggs on its list. Chicken has also been confirmed a superfood in a scientific study by the Chicken Farmers of Canada. Many blogs suggest that chicken liver is also a superfood.
4. Stock management
“We are seeing a huge rise in consumers asking questions about products they already have,” said Lerch. Google saw a 28 percent increase in searches last year relating to the shelf-life of products.
Although challenging, Lerch explains that it’s crucial to market to the people that already buy your product. Help consumers manage their refrigerator, or offer various ways to use the product. “After someone buys your product, communication cannot stop,” he said.
5. Preparation
Consumers want help with methods to prepare their food. As previously stated, now more than ever, people turn to the internet for help. “The average person in the U.S. checks their phone 150 times a day, and six out of 10 millennials use their smart phone or tablet to help them cook,” Lerch said.
This is why it is important for producers’ marketing strategies to include numerous recipe variations online for consumers to view while cooking. “Your customers are walking around with something in their pockets that will teach them about your product,” Lerch said.