Marketing Forecast from Ad-ology

There’s nothing like the latest obesity reports to make consumers pay fresh attention to what they’re eating. This week’s release by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation shows that obesity has increased in over half of U.S. states. And for now, 38 states have obesity rates that exceed 25% of the population.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Ice Cream Shops. The following are the predicted Top 3 Opportunities/Challenges from the report for this industry for the upcoming 12 months:

The restaurant industry continues to struggle with slow sales. Technomic recently reported that the family-style segment holds a sweet spot to counter sour consumer attitudes about the current economic conditions. Is there anything fine dining operators can do to improve their position?

Health and weight management are on the minds and plates of consumers nationwide, with 43% of surveyed consumers paying more attention to calorie counts than they were in 2008. In the new Shopping for Health survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of the Food Marketing Institute and Prevention, more than 1,423 adult shoppers polled said sodium levels are the new top nutrition label concern (66%), tied with fat (66%) and followed closely by sugar/artificial sweeteners (65%) and calories (60%). Compared with 2009, more than one-third of shoppers say they’re buying products with more grains (whole grain, 49%; multigrain, 40%), fiber (39%), low-fat (37%) and low-sodium (34%). “This research is extremely valuable as supermarkets promote the health and wellness of their customers as a central part of their mission,” said Leslie Sarasin, FMI president and CEO.

U.S. consumers have been making big changes when selecting their beverage of choice. Over the past decade, more consumers have shifted their purchases away from carbonated soft drinks (CSD), which once commanded 85% of the non-alcoholic RTD beverage market, to options such as ready-to-drink (RTD) teas and energy drinks. In addition, beverage manufacturers have experienced profit pressures because of the recession. These market forces have resulted in what Rabobank analysts call convergence.

Ad-ology Research recently updated their Industry Marketing Insights report for Sugar Processing Companies.