Consumer marketing: nutrition moves from ‘could have’ to ‘must have’ status

published  2002

Nutrition marketing is no longer just a discretionary activity for most food or beverage marketers. 

With the increasing emphasis on health and nutrition among consumers, and pressure from regulators, consumer groups and the media, nutrition marketing is increasingly moving from ‘could have’ to ‘must have’ status. 

Food and beverage marketers that recognise the need to include nutrition as part of their marketing communications usually fall into one of several categories.  This is because they have:

• Products with strong nutritional qualities.  They want to highlight the importance of good nutrition so they can be seen as a ‘healthy food’ and actively communicate their product attributes to consumers.
• Products which are suffering from long-standing ‘myths’ about their nutritional value.  They want to correct the misconceptions so they can jump from the ‘unacceptable food’ into the ‘acceptable food’ category.
• Products that are on the fringe of regulatory dictates.  They want to manage the issues related to nutrition claims made about the product in order to minimise any adverse publicity.
• A desire simply to position their products as positively as possible within the ‘healthy food’ category.

Communicating nutrition messages sometimes seems like negotiating a minefield.  This is because:

• Research shows that public knowledge of nutrition remains relatively superficial.  This is despite Australian consumers undoubtedly receiving more research-based nutrition information than ever before in their history.
• Consumers are often confused and don’t know who to trust.  This is because the nutritional advice they have been receiving over the past few years has been confusing or even contradictory. Many are befuddled by the mixed messages received from the media, Government and even health professionals.
• Information produced directly by food companies through advertising, handouts etc can be low in credibility.  Research has shown that consumers are more likely to believe what they read as editorial in the media or are told by a health professional.
• Developing a communication program to health professionals - dietitians, nutritionists, doctors etc - about a product related nutrition message is vital, but it won’t by itself necessarily solve your issues.  This is because health professionals won’t automatically articulate your messages - they often need to be asked or prompted by consumers.
• The media generally does not have the time or the scientific knowledge to ensure that the correct information gets to consumers.  Their role is to report news and entertain, and generally they are more interested in new findings, particularly those with a fear factor built in, instead of reinforcing sound nutritional advice which they have covered before.
• Not all health professionals view the world from the same perspective.  Many have their own biases, and when some speak they often do so on behalf of often-undisclosed vested interests.
• Competitor food marketers are often ‘muddying the waters’ with contradictory information.

So what are the ingredients in a well planned and executed consumer public relations program containing a strong nutritional element?

• An understanding of how your key audiences - professional and consumer - perceive your product and its nutritional attributes.
• An analysis of the nutritional standing of your major competitor products and product categories.
• An agreed nutritional positioning for your product (taking into account the above).
• Nutritional attitudinal and behavioural objectives for the product - by audience and over an agreed timeframe.
• A review and repository of the science pertaining to your product and a mechanism for continually updating this.
• A ‘map’ of the key professional audiences and opinion formers and how they impact on the consumer.
• An analysis and segmentation of the media - health and consumer.
• Segmentation of your consumers based on nutritional knowledge and attitudes.
• A credible spokesperson chosen for technical/nutrition credentials and media appeal.
• Clear nutritional messages for each and every audience - professional and consumer.
• A program of activities aimed at health professional audiences.
• A program of activities aimed at media.
• A program of activities aimed at consumer audiences - broken down by segments if appropriate.
• An issues plan which anticipates developing issues and charts a response for each.

In summary, if nutrition is an important element of your product then it deserves the planning rigour that you would devote to other aspects of your marketing program.  As in all marketing activities, strong competitive positions are not achieved just by chance.  Nor should products be put at risk because of inadequate pre-preparation.

Note: The author of this article - Grant Common - is a Sydney-based independent advisor who has had considerable involvement with nutrition PR during his career. He works with PR Managers to help them get the best out of their PR Department and/or PR agency. He also blogs regularly on a range of PR topics.