Food Industry | Pierce Mattie

Private Label Brands Out-Tasting Household Names

In the Age of Specialty Everything, many private label brands are now winning taste tests – to the point that generic food items are said to taste as good as or better than national brands. How do marketers respond when a major consumer publication like Consumer Reports magazine says that brands those marketers oversee might not perform/taste as well as those from generic issuers?

Amazon and Wal-Mart Priming for the Grocery Business?

There’s $565 billion worth of sales in the grocery business every year, according to a report from CNBC. Problem is, profit margins have always been historically low. So why would the likes of Amazon and Wal-Mart rush headlong to get into the food business? Does either company believe that establishing a beachhead on Aisle 2 will be worth the effort? Not to mention the cost?

New Labeling Laws Have Meat Industry Up in Arms

In case you haven’t already, forget about Europe’s horsemeat problem. The U.S. has troubles of its own. Groups like the National Cattlemen’s Association don’t want you to know what country your store-bought pork chops came from. Why? Possible retaliatory trade sanctions. And expensive new labels. Isn’t there a real food safety problem, though? Shouldn’t everyone have the right to know where their food came from?

Separating Fit from Fat – Junk-Food Advertising Aimed at Kids

The Canadian province of Quebec banned fast-food advertising to children in TV and print – 35 years ago. With more than a third of kids and teens today considered to be overweight, should there be a ban on junk-food ads aimed at the under-18 crowd? Isn’t it high time that the U.S. government did something about food companies and their “pester power”? Or will nutrition recommendations from the likes of SpongeBob continue to rule the day?

Niche Food Marketing Is More About the Message than the Menu

With more and more people determined to keep to dietary restrictions, it makes business sense for stores and restaurants to do whatever it takes to meet those needs. Restaurants, in particular, can’t simply rely on atmosphere or speed of service to keep their customers. Now more than ever, it’s critically important for foodies to pay attention to the message they’re sending as much as to the products they’re selling.