POV
Everybody eats. But not everyone is a food marketing expert. Not by a long shot.
To recognize food trends, for example, experience and knowledge count. It’s hard to get a fix on what’s really happening in the food world if you’ve just stepped into it. Every aberrant behavioral blip screams “mega trend.” But most turn out to be short-term fads. It takes context and insight to separate the one from the other.
Case in point: Even during the height of the hysteria, there was no question that low-carb stores and low-carb products were destined to fail. Those of us who remember SnackWells, the low-fat darling of the anti-fat crusade remember how low-fat products surged in sales, then withered when consumers continued to get fat – they were just eating more low-fat products and ignoring calories. Now the buzz is about a diet based on the glycemic index (GI), which measures the impact of carbohydrates on blood sugar. But it’s complex, with many variables and the jury is not in on its efficacy.
We Americans want to have our cake and eat it. And we haven’t found a way to do it…yet!
Certainly, pendulums swing both ways. Catching a trend on the upswing offers opportunity. But investing at the peak means there’s only one place to go: down. Too often, we don’t see our folly until we’re heavily invested.
Whether you’re a food professional or a food-interested consumer, welcome to my world. As a food marketer of more than 25 years, I’ll blog each week about food and food trends. I’ll introduce you to trendsetters and give you a first-person report on food conferences and special events I attend. And I’ll welcome your thoughts and comments.
Sandy
