brianpjensen

[brianpjensen]

What’s brewing 18 Sept 2019

International Coffee Day is 1 October

How are we celebrating? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00jawJh9v-khttps://www.internationalcoffeeday.org/

McDonald’s refreshes the McCafé branding

To celebrate the 10th anniversary, they’ve updated the logos and created new golden cups to be ‘the gold standard for quality coffee’.

The new McCafé brand identity is intended to embrace optimism, and champion the feel-good moments brought on by the first sip of our coffee, according to a company statement. Fun fact: McCafé served 822M cups of coffee in the US in 2018. https://news.mcdonalds.com/news-releases/news-release-details/McCaf%C3%A9-Good-Is-Brewing-Announcment-2019

EU investment in Ethiopia

The EU has invested €15M in improving coffee production in Ethiopia. Interestingly, Ethiopia is the 5th largest coffee growing nation. Brazil and Vietnam dominate by far, producing 50% of the world’s coffee. https://stir-tea-coffee.com/coffee-report/eu-spends-15-mil-on-coffee/ 

Coffee exploding in Indonesia

Millennials are pushing the growth of coffee in the world’s largest island country, with demand increasing 36% in 2019 (v. LY). In cultures where alcohol is prohibited, coffeeshops provide a socially acceptable meeting place for younger people. https://stir-tea-coffee.com/coffee-report/indonesian-coffee-consumption-soars/ 

Compostable pods: The new trend in NCC?. 

Woken Coffee pods are NCC and 100% compostable. https://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/10/prweb14843566.htmhttps://woken.coffee/?SID=o5ue6redkbb1b8pgik3nh75705

Old but good: Coffee trends baristas wish would die in 2019

I’d have added anything Pumpkin Spice... https://www.wweek.com/culture/2019/01/02/five-coffee-trends-baristas-hope-will-die-in-2019

One to watch: CBD Coffee

As countries re-consider legislation around CBD products, the market for cannabidiol (CBD) beverages is predicted to grow to $260M in the US in three years -- while marijuana-infused drinks could hit $600M by 2022. Research is still undecided on how caffeine and CBD (stimulant and sedation) interact.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/companies-explore-market-potential-for-ready-to-drink-cbd-beverages-851454532.html 

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 13 Mar 17

As always, if you'd like off the list or would like to add other people please let us know!

Casual Dining Show

Condiments were a recent highlight of the Casual Dining Show 2017 showcasing ‘quirky options to add to their menus.’ JDM Foods create a new range of sachets with unusual sauces including Cola BBQ and Sundried Tomato Ketchup. Even Heinz got into the game with smoky baconnaise and other variants. Also of interest are the ‘ancient grains’ appearing as breading for friend foods. (Report attached)

Finger-licking classes

Kentucky Fried Chicken have a launched a pop up cooking school in Canada so that a lucky few can learn how to ‘cook like the Colonel’. And no, you don’t get to learn the 11 secret herbs and spices. Hot on the DIY trend, it’s another example of sharing secrets to demonstrate quality and naturalness of ingredients and a routine many are unlikely to indulge in at home.

http://www.kfc.ca/kfccookingschool

Luck of the Iri$h

St Patrick’s Day spending is predicted to bring in almost $5.3BN in the US, up significantly from last year as SPD falls on a Friday in 2017. With over half of the respondents saying  their spend will be on food that equals a lot of O’Hellmann’s…

https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/st-patricks-day-spending-reach-53-billion-highest-survey-history

Coffee challenging tea in Asia

Three out of five fastest growing retail coffee markets are in Asia, challenging the deep-seated primacy of tea in the reason. One of the things helping to drive growth? 'In 2016, there was also an increasing number of coffee launches which blurred the boundaries between coffee and tea. A tea-drinking culture is the biggest barrier to coffee in Asia, and tea-coffee hybrids can be used to tempt consumers.”

http://www.mintel.com/press-centre/food-and-drink/coffee-brews-up-success-in-asia

Unhelpful targeting

In what’s likely to be an ongoing discussion of the ethics of targeting a recent study by the Journal of Urban Health found that Bronx neighbourhoods with lower rates of income, graduation rates and higher rates of Hispanics and children were targeted with a greater density of ‘less-healthful’ food.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11524-016-0127-9

Delivering more

UK food delivery service celebrated their 100th town and city with its first advertising campaign centred around memorable food moments. Okay, not quite original, but celebrating a 650% YOY growth in 2016 is definitely on.

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/03/01/ad-the-day-deliveroo-celebrates-opening-100th-location-with-first-tv-ad

Posh nosh for pets

UK retailer Tesco has announced a clean-eating pet food range. Catering for the natural and gourmet human craze, the chilled food products range in price from £3-14.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/money/how-sunday-roast-your-dog-9977027

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 27 February

Have you eaten yet? Malaysia’s Dah Makan has become the first food delivery startup to raise significant capital in Southeast Asia this year, bringing some fire back to what has been a popular niche for local investors. The company has closed a $1.3 million seed funding round from backers that include NFQ Capital, East Ventures, Asia Venture Group and Grupara. A former CEO of Nestlé is among the angel investors to have participated. https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/19/malaysias-dah-makan-raises-1-3m/ The real trend in handheld 'Sandwiches, burgers and other handheld items accounted for nearly one out of every four dollars spent in food service in 2016, totaling just over $205 billion in sales, the study found. Out of those items, burgers comprised 44% of total U.S. handheld sales, while deli sandwiches weighed in at 13% and submarine sandwiches at 11%.’ http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Consumer_Trends/2017/02/Three_ways_to_stay_relevant_in.aspx?ID=%7BE029EF7C-FAFC-4820-9900-4D14F882529D%7D&cck=1 Drought-stressed produce California’s severely water restricted recent history is changing the way people grow, prep and cook food. “I think in coming months we’ll start seeing a shortage of a lot more than avocados,” said Ms. Cousins, who works closely with her aunt’s culinary foundation. “It really breaks my heart witnessing this, having grown up in California, which, in my childhood, was lush and fruitful.” Actually, in my childhood, California was often in drought, but this ingenuity is welcomed. https://www.nytimes.com/2015/07/08/dining/california-drought-restrictions-kitchen-chef-restaurants.html?_r=0#whats-next For the man in your life To drive penetration of its limited edition ketchup flavoured tortilla chip, Doritos developed a DIY bouquet of ketchup flavoured roses. The perfect Valentine’s give for the Canadian men in your life-- If you really want your men to bloat from huge amounts of sodium for love. The 2016 campaign, with limited spend, increased baseline sales by 8% 2.3 times the sales target. http://www.doritosketchuproses.com [scroll for the DIY tutorial] https://www.mtlblog.com/you-can-now-get-long-stem-doritos-ketchup-roses-delivered-to-you-for-free Aisle skip this one In the ‘Countering irritation’ trend, Norwegian online store Kolonial cleverly used the skip ad pre-roll button to convince potential customers to skip the store. The unique take on skipping drove an increase of 30% in the number of people signing up for the grocery service.   https://vimeo.com/190551495 A crispylicious catharsis? The Filipino brand, Jollibee,created a series of stories about love and loss to, umm, sell chicken. Strange, I normally only cry after eating friend chicken. What’s more impressive are the number of viral videos of people trying not to cry watching the ads.   http://creativity-online.com/work/jollibee-date/50985 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lLYsJXnsY4I

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 23 Jan 17

Admap eats this month

Admap dedicate this month's issue to Food Marketing. Happily it tells us things we already know -- 'Big Food’ continues to be embattled, but the battle lines are far from clear and not everyone is against the industry. The desire for healthier, cheaper and better quality food continues even as a growing number of consumers pay more for less processed food. Surprisingly, Food is the UK's top category for advertising spend -- hitting £986.4M in 2015.

(See attached overview)

Brazilian body and mind

Mintel’s new report on  highlight not only the growth of healthy eating products in Brazil, but also the desire for ‘products that contribute to both physical as well as mental wellbeing (for example stress relief).’ Interesting that we haven’t seed a lot more cross-over between the mental wellbeing/positivity trend and food. One suspects we will.

http://www.openpr.com/news/418707/Rising-Trends-of-Healthy-Eating-in-Brazil-Constantly-Boosting-the-Market-Growth-of-Health-Food-Products-Study-by-Mintel.html

Toasted

UK Factchecker, Fullfact.org has today published facts behind the controversial Food Standards Agency campaign to get us to not burn our toast, tatties or vegetables. Citing that it can lead to an increased intake of acrylamide (for which very high doses have shown an increase of risk of mice getting cancer, there is no good evidence of harm from humans consuming it. Basically, even those at high consumption levels would have to ‘consumer 160 times as much and still only be at a level that toxicologists think unlikely to cause increase tumours in mice.’ So toast away, but maybe not have it with that other killer bacon. It raises the eternal question, however, about whether governmental agencies are right to warn consumers away from likely risky behaviour, or wait until evidence is firmly on the side of prevention.

Full Fact - Full Fact is the UK's independent factchecking organisation

fullfact.org

Full Fact is the UK's independent factchecking organisation

https://fullfact.org/health/how-dangerous-burnt-toast/

Ross the Boss

Hip Hop superstar and entrepreneur Rick Ross teamed with fast food chain to ‘buy several Checkers & Rally’s franchises in the Greater Miami area and his native, nearby Carol City, Fla’. The not particularly revolutionary documentary launching the partnership shows Ross touring his old neighbourhood and purports to show the link between Checkers and hip hop culture. What’s more interesting is the constant courting of fast food industry with ethnic minorities in the US.

http://adsoftheworld.com/media/digital/checkers_rallys_rick_ross_buys_back_the_block

Eating disorders and tech

FastCompany report on Project Heal, the largest US nonprofit ‘raising funds to help others with eating disorders access the care they need.’ The article calls out the work they are doing with technology companies in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders and highlights the disturbing fact that research dollars per affected individual is just 93 cents (as compared to $81 for schizophrenia).

https://www.fastcompany.com/3066952/innovation-agents/eating-disorders-are-getting-the-silicon-valley-treatment

Copycats

Just-Food reports that Nestlé and Unilever have been targeted by ‘fake brand plants’ in Tianjin, China making knock-off versions of sauces and flavourings. No reports of dressing being affected, but if UL needs volunteers to taste test….

https://www.just-food.com/news/nestle-unilever-targeted-by-chinese-fake-brands-plants_id135531.aspx

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 9 Jan 17

Welcome to Eat, the Week in 2017! Hope everyone had a tasty holiday season.

We’re busy gathering up all of the trends and forecasts for 2017. In the meantime, some notables from the last few weeks.

Wholly Real

Retailer Whole Foods launched ‘Real Food' their new ‘always on’ advertising campaign. It was created to re-enter the US market (they didn't advertise in 2016) and continue to drive growth.

http://www.supermarketnews.com/marketing/whole-foods-introducing-real-food-campaign

Food Love Stories

Tesco moves from product promotion to a campaign designed to boost quality credentials by focusing on the passion consumers put into meals they prepare. Whilst it will become an ongoing platform for the brand it doesn’t spell the end of Roger and Jo (unfortunately) or Every Little Helps.

https://www.marketingweek.com/2017/01/09/tesco-makes-step-change-talks-food-new-campaign/

Tesco makes big change to how it talks about food in new ads

O, President’s Choice!

Following the trend for emotional storytelling, Canadian brand President’s Choice takes advantage of Canada’s 150th birthday to show how food and identity continue to be powerful.

http://globalnews.ca/news/3166942/emotional-marketing-get-ready-for-more-ads-that-move-you-in-2017/

Ho Ho Ho! (yet again)

B&G Foods has kicked off the new year by bringing back General Mills' iconic Jolly Green Giant to promote its new line of healthier foods.

'The first, titled 'Snow Angel', shows the Jolly Green Giant returning from a journey around the world where he picked up a number of new skills and ideas that helped created the latest range of products. '

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2017/01/04/jolly-green-giant-makes-his-return

What feeds you

In the latest example of 2016’s promised genomic trend, Habit has launched a hyper personalised nutrition service that guides people to better nutritional choices through a DNA test of over 60 biometric markers. In addition to meal plans, consumers get a personal report and access to a health coach.

https://habit.com

Artistic staples

Wired magazine highlighted the curious work of designer Kenya Hara whose ‘hyperrealistic illustrations’ of corn, wheat and rice products is on exhibition at the newly re-opened Design Museum in Kensington.

https://www.wired.com/2017/01/incredible-photorealistic-renderings-foods-power-human-race/

Oil Well.

Design guru David McCandless lends his ‘information is beautiful' eye to the relative benefits of different cooking oils in this glistening infographic.

http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/oil-well-every-cooking-oil-compared/?utm_content=buffer8a9cd&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Wind-powered

Food Marble’s AIRE, launching mid-2017, is a ‘breathlyzer app’ which can help people identify which foods cause the most digestive discomfort. It uses the breathalyser to test foods that are fermenting in the large intestine. One of the many coming apps which will help people with food sensitivities pinpoint and manage problematic foods.

http://venturebeat.com/2016/12/08/food-marbles-aire-digestive-tracker-tells-you-which-foods-make-you-gassy/

Graphic sushi

Anthony Bourdain lends his dark humour and imagination to a new comic book, Get Jiro: Blood and Sushi. Graphic and violent it may be, but apparently there are also tasty images of food throughout this tale of the future foodie dystopia.

http://boingboing.net/2017/01/02/a-sushi-comic-from-the-sick-t.html

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 12 Dec 16

Welcome to another week of Eat, the Week and the last regular-ish update for the year. Look for our annual review, Eat, the Year coming soon.

Google nudges itself.

Google is famous for having some of the best staff cafes in the world. Turns out, they’re using their own data to help their employees make better food choices.

http://yfood.com/2016/11/16/how-google-uses-data-to-nudge-employees-to-eating-better/

Just-walk-out shopping

Marketers and geeks both were in a buzz last week over the new Amazon Go service. Surpassing all others in the trend of frictionless retail, the 2017 pilot store will use AI-powered sensors to allow registered users to fill their baskets and walk out without stopping at a till. It’s tech-lover’s (and shoplifter’s) dream but highlights the coming perils for retail jobs. What also remains unanswered is what are the ramifications for manufacturers and their product packaging and formats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrmMk1Myrxc

Not so bleak

German supermarket Edeka, maker of the infamously darkest Xmas ad (of all time?) lightens its tone (slightly) with a heartwarming anti-consumerist ad, as you do.

http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/years-most-anti-consumerist-christmas-ad-also-one-its-loveliest-174733

Minimal

We’re gathering the best and worst of 2016 and the year ahead (in food!) but in the meantime, MindBodyGreen has published their predictions for wellness trends in 2017. One of the most thought provoking is a predicted trend in fashion minimalism, raising questions about how a streamlining of life might impact people’s eating choices.

http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-27900/11-wellness-trends-to-watch-in-2017.html

Fry jockeys go robotic

Recode highlights the recent attempts to use robots for some fast food jobs. It raises again the question about the economic challenges replacing jobs in the food industry without concurrent efforts to create more opportunities for displaced workers.

http://www.recode.net/2016/12/9/13903264/trump-robots-fast-food-workers-puzder-labor

Six pack of the gods?

In a daring use of religion, table spread Nutralite sought to change people’s attitudes to the butter alternative with 'Healthcha Shree Ganesh, a shape-shifting 3D hologram Ganpati that lost weight as devotees donated calories.’ ‘The activity reached over 80lakh [hundred thousand] people in Maharashtra …'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRYfhn0kNe0

BK not in a pickle

In a pickle-lover’s dream come true, Japanese reporters put Burger King’s ‘have it your way’ to the test by ordering a burger with a whopping $80 worth of extra pickles. You may end up regretting, but it seems you really can have it your own way.

http://www.eater.com/2016/2/25/11116732/burger-king-pickles-whopper-have-it-your-way

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 18 Nov 16

Attack of the Xmas ads

It’s all twinkly lights, mince pies and sentimentality in this year’s Xmas ad race.

UK giants John Lewis and Marks & Spencer are currently the most discussed/viewed (my own preference is M&S’ cooler than peppermint Mrs Claus.) Many are commenting that John Lewis’ move away from teary advertising to bouncing vermin may make it less the highlight of the season.

Buster the Boxer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr6lr_VRsEo

Christmas with Love from Mrs. Claus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=V5QPXhStb5I

In food-related ads highlights include

Waitrose’s stunningly shot journey of a young robin against the elements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtKYdG9r0Pk

Milka’s Dutch spot from quirkster Jean-Pierre Jeunet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ewkf12wctIw

Sainsbury’s slightly contentious, but very heartwarming ad that has employees clamouring for time off: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq5SGSCZe4E

Asda shilling products in their less than good Christmas made better ads: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhdegTdzwoA

Aldi presents the quest of Kevin the Carrot to meet Santa (because who says alliteration is dead). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCZrWFrRgbQ

Tesco and a meta-ironic ad about mince pies in November in November with their career-limiting casting of Jo and Roger. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37BWlK4VHRo

BBC Good Food tapping the ‘kids say the funniest thing mine’ in their xmas ad explaining what’s in ‘mints pies’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRGsMnXuP28

So, tinsel, tears and merriment continue to co-erce us into the festive spirit.  More to follow, but yours truly is all holidayed out for today. Please send Xmas ads, especially from other markets, for inclusion in the next Eat, the Week.

A meaty tax.

The authors of a study published last week from the Oxford Martin Programmes on the Future of Food have ‘calculated the amount of tax [up to 40%] needed globally on meat and dairy products to offset their carbon footprint.’ The additional benefits would include a reduction in mortality due to obesity-related deaths, as well as subsidising fruit and vegetable growth and distribution.

https://munchies.vice.com/en_uk/articles/experts-say-a-meat-tax-would-save-half-a-million-lives

Experts Say a Meat Tax Would Save Half a Million Lives

munchies.vice.com

Researchers at Oxford University have suggested a 40 percent tax on beef.

You are what you swipe.

The UCSD School of Medicine recently found that molecules left by touching/swiping your mobile can leave personal information on your phone months after you’ve touched it. Mass spectrometry can determine the gender of the owner as well as whether they’ve a diet heavy with long-lasting molecules from citrus, caffeine and spice, amongst others.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/11/14/molecules-you-leave-on-your-phone-can-reveal-intimate-lifestyle/

Molecules you leave on your phone can reveal intimate lifestyle secrets

www.telegraph.co.uk

Intimate details of a person’

Fast style.

Jokester Business Insider takes a light-hearted look at the difference between branded and consumer pictures of fast food. Apparently, they were surprised that a microwaved Rustlers burger looked nothing like its advertising. http://uk.businessinsider.com/fast-food-advertising-vs-real-life-2016-10/#but-in-reality-things-look-a-little-more-flat-2

When meals really were occasions.

And if that wasn’t enough to turn you off of food, a new book, 70s Dinner Party, brings back the ‘era of the showboat dinner party’ in all of its avocado green and harvest gold glory. I’m personally going to resurrect the cauliflower with burgers surprise! full of gluten and carb-free goodness. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/nov/13/70s-dinner-party-food-instagram-anna-pallai

70s dinner party food: If only we’d had Instagram back then

www.theguardian.com

They call the 1970s the decade taste forgot. But that’s unfair – no one could forget these dishes, says Anna Pallai

Tokyo: Midnight Diner

Netflix fans might want to gorge on the delightfully surreal Tokyo: Midnight Diner. A series of character-driven stories at centred around a Shinjuku diner open midnight to 7am only and its sage-like owner who will cook anything the customer requests. From ton-teki, to omelette rice, to hot pot for one, expect sweet, melancholy stories. http://www.popmatters.com/review/midnight-diner-tokyo-stories-comfort-food-for-viewer/

And finally,

Andy at DesignBridge shared the fascinating artefact of a 1900 Ladies Home Journal predicting what will happen in the next hundred years predicting ready-cooked meals, refrigerators, shrink-wrapped produce and peas as large as beets. As well as the prediction that C, X, and Q disappear from the alphabet.

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 31 Oct 16

Made of incredible stuff

Australia’s Super Nature’s new campaign features Turia Pitt an Australian athlete severely burned in a bushfire while running a marathon. She’s conquered hundreds of operations and dire prognoses to compete in the recent world iron man championships, fully sponsored by Super Nature. Truly made of incredible stuff.

http://www.bestadsontv.com/ad/82778/Super-Nature-Made-Of-Incredible-Stuff

Made Of Incredible Stuff

made of incredible stuff is the new positioning for Super Nature super food meals. To launch the campaign SHEDcsc, Western Australia, used Turia Pitt an incredible...

Reflections on sustainable tomatoes

Sundrop farms in Australia ‘is using mirror to harvest the sun’s energy and grow tomatoes more sustainably.’ The unique experiment is made of 23,000 mirrors pointing the sun’s rays at a water tower that provides electricity and desalinates seawater as a sole source of irrigation.  The fair with supply a whopping 15,000 tonnes of tomatoes annually, but tantalises with the prospect of renewable, sustainable farming in arid (albeit coastal) climates.

http://www.springwise.com/tomatoes-grown-mirrors-desert/?utm_campaign=563708_Springwise%20Daily%20-%202016-10-31&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Newsletter&dm_i=3GJ2,C2YK,2V1JY5,16NJQ,1

Tomatoes grown with mirrors in the desert | Springwise

www.springwise.com

In Australia, Sundrop Farms Grows Tomatoes with Seawater and 23,000 mirrors.

JOG on Echo

Amazon Echo recently launched in the UK and whilst it hasn’t set the country on fire, it has proven an interesting testing ground for Jamie Oliver Group who recently launched a ‘skill’ in which users can ask Alexa (Echo’s AI) for recipes. Once installed, users can ask Jamie for recipes which are then emailed to them and receive a short message from Jamie himself. It’s a clunky way to get a recipe, but provides the JOG with a new source of data from the easiest method of interaction: talking. It doesn’t yet order ingredients or talk you through cooking processes, but that’s likely a matter of time. And it’s a pleasant break from asking Alexa to tell you a joke!

http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/10/11/jamie-oliver-teams-up-with-amazon-s-echo-offer-recipe-recommendations

Crafty potato chips

Swedish brewer S:t Eriks couldn’t find a crisp to pair with it’s IPA, so they made their own. Claiming ‘the world’s most expensive potato chips’ they’ve sold out of the $57 USD box of just five crisps, made up of Matsutake (a highly prized fungus) and Ammarnas potatoes which are hand planted and picked. One for the expenses...

http://www.sterikschips.se/eng

Macedonia in Vogue

Literally. Vogue magazine recently highlighted one of the new foodie destinations: Macedonia. The article focuses on the Slow Food movement (which for many Macedonians was just ‘food’ for many generations) and teases us with comfort food made of vegetable relishes, flaky pastry, artisanal sheep cheeses and makalo (a creamy garlic dip.). Taxi!

http://www.vogue.com/13495447/macedonia-foodie-crawl-slow-food/?mbid=social_cp_facebook_cnt

Spotlight on Thailand

One of the global royalty of cuisines, the rise of an urban middle class and an ageing population are two possible reasons that health is driving growth of packaged food in Thailand.

http://www.just-food.com/analysis/packaged-food-in-thailand-demographics-driving-healthier-categories-but-price-key_id134745.aspx?utm_source=daily-html&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=31-10-2016&utm_term=id95062

Viet-nom

Having grown up in a city with an abundance of Vietnamese/Cambodian food, I was severely dismayed at the lack of London restaurants serving this fresh, fragrant, healthy cuisine. Luckily, that’s changed in the last few years, giving rise to the many joys contained in this list of London’s best.

http://londonist.com/2016/10/london-s-best-vietnamese-restaurants?utm_content=buffera85c4&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

London's Best Vietnamese Restaurants | Londonist

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 10 Oct 16

McDonnell’s Makes Food Taste Great (again)

In 2014, Ireland’s McDonnell’s Curry Sauce, once the market leader, was in terminal decline before creating their first market with a new brand campaign ‘Makes Food Taste Great’.  Ubiquitous on the shelves and in chip shops, the brand needed to create more top of mind awareness against new and own-brand competitors, especially with the ‘can’t be bothered to do more than bake or boil’ crowd. The campaign reversed the decline and led to sales growth.

Case study attached.

See the ad here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsQeBA-ITa8

McDonnells Curry Sauce TV Ad 2014

www.youtube.com

Description

Dental health bites

Japan’s Matsumoto Apple Association gave away free dental advice to drive sales of apples. The Dentapple app campaign drove consumers to scan a QR code on their apple, take a bite, submit a picture and answer questions about how the bite felt to get back dental analysis about their risk of cavities, gum disease or jaw arthritis (?!?!?!). The promotion lead to a 155% increase in sales and a few grimacing smiles, we’re sure.

Case study attached.

Practical magic

Boosting culinary skills is a common theme in the list of NYTimes’ best new cookbooks for Fall (Autumn, to you Europeans).

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/09/28/dining/best-cookbooks.html?_r=0

The Best Cookbooks of Fall 2016 - The New York Times

www.nytimes.com

Alton Brown’s eighth cookbook is the first in which he offers at least a small peek at the ways he cooks and eats at home. Peeks don’t come easy for Mr ...

Cake bread

California-brand Outer Aisle builds on the gluten-free trend with a range of cauliflower-based bread substitutes that do not contain any starches, rice flours or oils. They hired an FDA attorney to see if they could challenge the current regulations that bread must contain flour of some sort, but in the end opted for the ‘sandwich thins’ label. We fully expect to see more cauliflower-based bakery items, once manufacturers tackle the shelf-life challenges.

http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Ingredients/Outer-Aisle-Gourmet-expands-cauliflower-sandwich-thin-production

Veggies in disguise? Outer Aisle Gourmet plays stealth health card with cauliflower-based grain-free sandwich thins, pizza crust

www.bakeryandsnacks.com

Cauliflower is a nutrient powerhouse packed with vitamin C, K, B6, folate, potassium, and fiber… and it also makes a surprisingly good bread substitute, says Santa Barbara-based start-up Outer Aisle Gourmet, which has secured shelf space for its cruciferous veg-fueled sandwich thins and pizza crusts in Whole Foods and is about to open a new facility enabling it to significantly boost production capacity.

Bread for cake

A Dutch university is researching ways to turn unused bread into sugar syrup and other baking ingredients. Already re-purposed into animal feed, the program is designed to help reduce the waste created by the estimated 140M loaves overproduced in the country.

http://www.foodingredientsfirst.com/news/KEY-INTERVIEW-Turning-Unsold-Loaves-of-Bread-into-Cakes-and-Cookies?frompage=Key%20Interview&tracking=Slider%20Menu

Tic Tac shows some tact

Confectionary brand Tic Tac is the latest brand finding itself having to respond to an election scandal. Mentioned in the now infamous Donald Trump/Billy Bush Access Hollywood tape, they released the simple and endorsable statement: "Tic Tac respects all women. We find the recent statements and behavior completely inappropriate and unacceptable."

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/tic-tac-calls-donald-trump-s-behavior-completely-inappropriate-and-unacceptable-173966

TV to the rescue?

After years of eschewing traditional TV spots, Chipotle might be reconsidering its strategy and is looking for a new creative agency partner to help recover from a scandal-packed year. They’ve also announced 'that it would give out $20 million in catered meals to 85,000 members of its new rewards program Chiptopia.'

http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/embattled-chipotle-looking-new-creative-agency-partner-173915

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 22 Aug 16

What’s pinned is new again.

Pinterest is launching a new ‘promoted video’ format following early tests with 12 brands, including the Old El Paso brand. The new format is paired ‘with features pins to give people the ability to watch a video and immediately take action — click to make a purchase or learn more about an item.’ So in other words, it’s a new paid format that mimics what the web has done for years...

http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/08/17/pinterest-launches-promoted-video-ads/

Break the snack code

Japanese confectionary brand Glico has create Glicode, a mobile augmented reality app that teaches kids how to code by taking pictures of different configurations of its snacks. Now, on the one hand we applaud that brand for teaching coding — the lingua franca of the next generation — on the other, the cynic in us sees it as a ploy to get kids consuming for snack food and furthering the argument that companies are increasingly using sneaky ways to get its products in front of kids.

Ranveer Ching returns

Capital Foods brand ‘Ching’s Secret’ launches a new 5.5 minute film direct by Rohit Shetty of Singham fame and starring Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh in an culture-crossing, action-packed film that’s an ad trying to be a film. 'The ad film begins in a dystopian setting, where amidst ruined buildings and rubble, there are many who go hungry, craving for what they love – Ching’s Secret noodles.’ We’d love to say it’s brilliant, but Google are still blocking Sea Containers, so we’ve not yet seen it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFVUtUr03Dw

Expanding vegetarian perceptions in Brazil

Flamingo highlights the rise of vegetarianism in meat-loving Brazil, specifically Sao Paulo where 'the discourse around it is shifting from one defined by absence and substitution to a much more holistic concept that aspires to integration and plenitude.'

http://flamingogroup.com/aspiring-to-live-holistically-is-sprouting-new-eating-habits-in-são-paulo/

Subway’s new logo and clean slate

Attempting to disassociate itself form the scandal-ridden ex-spokesperson, Subway has revamped its identity and brand platform to focus on clean food efforts. 'The new spot ends with "The best way to stay fresh is to never get stale," and offers the hashtag #SearchforBetter.’ The new, (but no less awkward) logo will launch in 2017.

No ‘soggy bottoms’ here

To celebrate the return of Great British Bake Off to our screens, the DailyMail profiles past winners of the series showing that, unlike X Factor, these winners actually win.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3734683/How-Bake-winners-gone-make-millions.html

But a few here.

Lastly, the team wanted you see this, from the extraordinarily gross new trend in Hong Kong. Lets never do this with dressing. You have been warned...

http://www.reuters.tv/v/Cm$/2016/08/05/oozing-buns-titillate-hong-kong-diners

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 8 Aug 16

It's Summer, and news is relatively light, so here is the frothy, sun-lounger edition of Eat, the Week to enjoy by the pool.

Once niche, now mainstreaming

Just-Food reports that once-future trends in natural products are going mainstream.

Natural foods' move into the mainstream is closely related to growing interest in healthy and better-for-you products as well as increased transparency levels.

There's little that will surprise all of us, but the gauntlet has been firmly laid at the feet of the 'big' food industry to innovate.

http://www.just-food.com/analysis/future-trends-in-natural-food-to-go-mainstream-analysis_id134030.aspx

Trends in fats and oils

Food and Drink Europe profile some of the emerging consumer trends (and confusion) around fats and oils. They highlight the appeal of artisanal, cold-pressed and raw as consumer concern over contaminants and plant origins rise.

http://www.foodanddrinkeurope.com/Consumer-Trends/Trends-in-fats-and-oils-It-s-all-about-minimal-processing-novel-ingredients-changing-the-plant-s-genetic-profile?nocount

UK innovation slows.

Food and Drink Technology report a surprising drop in new product launching on shelves in the UK in 2015 as major retailers rationalise their shelf space.

1,000 fewer packaged grocery items on shelves (a drop of 6.3%) – 13% fewer new branded items were launched in 2015 compared with 2013.

http://www.foodanddrinktechnology.com/14190/news/new-product-launches-drop-13-uk/

#viteunKFC

To promote the new opening of the Brest, France KFC store, KFC put up a countdown to the store's opening that instructed fans that tweeting the 'quick, a KFC' hashtag could make the countdown faster. The result? The hashtag was used more than 3,200 times and the store opened 12 days ahead of schedule. No word on whether '#viteunGAVISCON will follow.

https://vimeo.com/167868219

Happy birthday, Mr Peanut.

On the 100th anniversary of Planter's Peanuts' Mr. Peanut, the Daily Progress dives into the origins of some of America's food advertising icons like the Jolly green Giant and Betty Crocker.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/lifestyles/hilde-lee-how-some-favorite-food-advertising-icons-got-started/article_397bf9b6-5035-11e6-b6cb-473874d4802e.html

Early to rise

Amongst the Summer fluff that is online news comes this article about the rising and eating habits of morning newscasters. Microwaved mug omelette, anyone?

http://www.bonappetit.com/entertaining-style/trends-news/article/insanely-early-morning-routines-newscasters

Ain't nobody here but us chickens

Lastly, we couldn't let Eat, the Week go by without honouring the brave Hellmann's team who donned hazmat suits to meet the aptly named chickens of the Happy Chicken Farm in the Netherlands.

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 23 July 16

Hello! We're planning  big changes to Eat, the Week but wanted to get your feedback before we do. Please take our very short survey to help us understand how we can make Eat, the Week more valuable to you! It's anonymous, we promise.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/2WBFZFQ

More men are cooking.

The snappily named Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey recently published data showing that more American men (43%) are cooking than in the last three decades. More women are also cooking (although down from the 88% of women who were cooking 40 years ago). Will this result in more marketing to men or more gender neutral marketing?

http://www.fooddive.com/news/with-more-men-in-the-kitchen-marketing-may-shift/422922/

Insights into Premium

IFT.org and Hartman Research recently published a great compendium of facts about consumer desires for premium food products. Topics include 'Convenient decadence' and 'Fresh indulgence' but the trends will be familiar to those who've seen the Food Energies.

http://www.ift.org/food-technology/past-issues/2016/july/features/specialty-food-market-trends-consumer-demand.aspx?page=viewall

Spin that salad

Public Health England is warning people to wash salad leaves after two people die from e.coli poisoning in the UK. The advice is sensible but raises issues about food safety as more switch to fresh and raw ingredients.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36823404

Weaning the French off of sugar.

Stealing an idea of ours (no, really!) Intermarché recently launched a 'Sugar Detox' yoghurt pack to help French consumers realise the need to reduce sugar. The clever, little idea is to lower the level of sugar in each pot of a 6-pot pack to show consumers how accustomed to over-sweetened yoghurt they had become and prepares them for low-sugar versions.

https://vimeo.com/172421479

A bashing egg-less platform

Hampton Creek founder Josh Tetrick surprised many when he recently took out a full-page NYTimes ad for an open letter to Donald Trump. The critical letter comes at a time when companies like Just Mayo are working with both US Democrats and Republicans on food industry legislation,

'When asked if the letter could hurt sales, Tetrick says, “It might,” adding that he “would feel sick if I didn’t do anything.”'

http://fortune.com/2016/07/17/trump-hampton-creek-tetrick-ad/

Marketing nostalgia

Two examples of restaurants using nostalgia reinvigorate footfall.

First, comes Chili's (also recently in the blogosphere after foodies complained that Trump's VP nominee and his family dined in the fast food outlet before leaving NY). Who capitalise on Creedence Clearwater Revival-era fashion to remind people they've been 'Chilin' since 75'

http://www.campaignlive.com/article/ad-week-chilis-breaks-slow-ride-back-its-roots/1402079

Second, is McDonald's who created a museum of Happy Meal days and recreated ads from the 1990s to promoted their new Hong Kong branch. http://www.campaignasia.com/video/mcdonalds-hong-kong-remembers-its-past-with-toys-throwback-ads/427591

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 11 Jul 16

So much has happened since we last ate! Here’s a quick round-up of just some of the goings on.

Have we voted for higher food prices?

The UK voted to leave the EU. While it will be many years before the details are worked out, Food Navigator is already hypothesising the impact on food prices:

Speaking to FoodNavigator yesterday, Tim Lang predicted it could take five to 10 years for the UK to become food self-sufficient in food products, if that extreme scenario ever arose. And in the meantime? “People will pay more for food. The British people have voted to raise the food prices," he said simply.

http://www.foodnavigator.com/Policy/What-are-Britain-s-post-Brexit-options-and-how-will-it-impact-industry

Danone grows it’s organic/health range

Danone acquired WhiteWave foods, making it a “food advertising behemoth” in the US that could now rival Mondelez for advertising spend.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/danones-acquisition-of-whitewave-creates-food-advertising-behemoth-1467911846

A patriotic basket

A recent survey showed that 65% of Americans plan to attend a BBQ or picnic to celebrate the 4th of July and will spend an average of $71.34 per household on those BBqs and picnics.  Doesn’t sound like a lot? Our Wisconsin-based 4th July shopping included 18 cans of Bud Light for $8.00 and 25 hotdogs for a fiver and the largest jar of Hellmann’s my aunt could find.

https://nrf.com/media/press-releases/americans-spend-the-same-july-4-more-will-celebrate

New York gets Fancy Food

Spice, sprouted grains, and international flavours topped the list of trends showcased at the Summer Fancy Food Show.  'Speciality Food Association Kara Nielsen said ingredient highlights included spicy granola, chocolate dessert hummus, spices that are sprayed on instead of sprinkled, and spicy maple syrup’.

http://www.fooddive.com/news/trends-show-hunger-for-spice-sprouted-grains-and-international-flavors/422132/

The urine effect

The Organic Effect

from Swedish supermarket Coop demonstrated the before and after benefits of organic food by testing the urine of a Swedish family for pesticides and publishing the results after two weeks of eating only organic foods. Showing that simple test led to a 50% sales increase and their best financial result in 23 years. (Case study attached)

#

Myfamilycan

The second case study comes from SPC Foods in Australia. Taking advantage of a competitors’ food contamination scandal, SPC Foods sought to reassure consumers about food labelling and origins by putting the latter on the former.  The consumer could see that farmer/supplier on the can and then go into other media to see their stories. This lead to SPC smashing the sales uplift objective of 8% without discounting a cent. (Case study attached)

Breakvertising

A Belgian soup brand, Royco Minute Soup, has created a new ad format: static screens that appear when live TV is paused to reinforce the brand's association with break times. They worked with Belgian broadcaster SBS for six months to create the new format that will likely be annoying consumers on a tv near you soon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IVWXqZT7P4

[brianpjensen]

Eat, the Week of 19 June 2016

Many will be shocked that I forgot to Eat, but it happens sometimes. Apologies and welcome back! What, no chianti?

The Finnish company, Fava Mill, is to launch a range of ground fava beans and granolas in the UK to satisfy the growing demand for vegan protein sources. Presumably to a generation too young to have been haunted by Anthony Hopkins. https://www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk/finlands-fava-mill-brings-bean-products-uk/

Be jerky

In the US, snack meat brand Krave is using Gold-medalists Michael Phelps and Carli Lloyd in an extension of their ‘Krave better’ campaign to engage millennials in a print campaign perfectly posed to dominate National Jerky Day (which was June 12th). http://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/krave-jerky-adds-michael-phelps-carli-lloyd-team/304425/

Eat mor chikin

Adweek recently surveyed the interesting history of Chick-fil-A and outdoor and its role in helping the fast-food brand become number one in sales in the US. http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/chicken-beef-untold-story-chick-fil-cow-campaign-171834

Food waste reporting

The Food Loss and Waste (FLW) Accounting and Reporting Standard haas launched  as "the first-ever set of global definitions and reporting requirements for companies, countries and others to consistently and credibly measure, report on and manage food loss and waste", the World Resources Institute (WRI) said. Supported by Unilever, Nestle, Tesco and others, the launch article reports the disturbing fact that is food loss and waste were a country, it would be the third largest greenhouse gas emitter behind China and the US. http://www.just-food.com/news/nestle-tesco-back-new-world-standard-on-food-loss-and-waste_id133473.aspx

Is texture the driver?

Kraft Heinz has taken exception to Mintel’s recent suggestion that lack of innovation and focus on flavour, not texture, is why the UK is ‘out of step with its western European neighbours when it comes to table sauces’. The article hypothesised that the faster growth markets had focused on texture rather than flavour and goes on to state that textural innovations in the form of nitrogenation or chunky vegetable pieces could lead to more premium, smoother mouthfeel or crunch. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Market-Trends/Kraft-Heinz-says-UK-sauces-market-still-hot

Peddling myths

The UK’s Guardian newspaper debunks several myths, many reported invented by the advertising industry, that people take as conventional wisdom. From breakfast of champions to 8 glasses of water a day. We can mea culpa, but I still believe carrots will give me night vision. http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jun/07/take-it-with-a-pinch-of-salt-the-food-marketing-myths-weve-swallowed-whole That’s not the only sin we seem to have committed. New York magazine recently profiled the ‘...sexual segregation of food marketing’ that may have led to macho food marketing that is killing men. It’s a bit of a crass op-ed, but makes the interesting point that the gender stereotypes of food is still pervasive. http://nymag.com/betamale/2016/06/macho-food-marketing-is-killing-men.html

For the birds

Meanwhile, in Moscow, comes the news that Domino’s pizza transformed the humble pizza box into bird feeders that could be hung in trees so that birds could eat any leftover bits of crust or crumbs. The boxes were professionally illustrated so they look less like garbage hanging from trees, but given that up to 70% of small birds (ptitsa!) are a risk of death in Russia’s harsh winters, they could be life-savers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1uuonK7Z150

[brianpjensen]

Best thing I read this week

Read this before our next meeting, Al Pittampalli

If you haven’t read this, I highly recommend it. It really struck me that for good and not-so-good reasons we have a lot of unproductive meetings and this is the most lucid argument for how to change I’ve read. I’ve tried to change the meetings I hold accordingly.

7 Principles of Great Meetings:

1. The meeting supports a decision that has already been made. 2. The meeting moves fast and ends on schedule. 3. The meeting limits the number of attendees. 4. The meeting rejects the unprepared. 5. The meeting produces committed action plans. 6. The meeting refuses to be informational. Reading memos is mandatory. 7. The meeting works only alongside a culture of brainstorming. http://modernmeetingstandard.com/the-modern-meeting-standard/ https://www.amazon.co.uk/Read-This-Before-Next-Meeting-ebook/dp/B013XUNU8C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1479909027&sr=8-1