Junk Food

W

e all know that it takes time to build an effective and sustainable growth strategy, and for it to reap rewards. Both my examples – Coca Cola and MacDonald’s did not expect there to be quick fix. It takes time and good marketing. Both have established staying power.

by Victor Cherubim

( October 24, 2015, London, Sri Lanka Guardian) One of the main features over the past thirty to forty years around the globe has been the proliferation of junk food. We notice a profound change in our relationship with food. We seem most concerned “how we shop, what we eat, where we eat and how food is produced”. With limited time at our disposal, changing patterns of work and working hours, we are driven to rely more on convenience food. The mantra is why spend time cooking, why not “just eat” what you like and when you like? We have been conditioned to eating out, as if eating in at home, was not the thing to do?

Celebrity chefs, doctors, dentists and food technologists are all now calling for action on what we eat and how much we eat. Sugar reduction in food and drink, salt reduction in processed food, obesity, particularly child obesity campaigners are all demanding immediate and comprehensive action on diet related disease. Consuming too much sugar we are told can lead to weight gain and related health and dental problems. In England, almost two-thirds of adults, according a report by Public Heath England are overweight and almost a fifth of 10 to11 year olds are obese. Treating obesity and its consequences alone currently costs the NHS £5.1 billion annually. The fight against obesity can no longer be ignored.

The trend in the marketplace

Whilst smoking has been banned in public places, and e-cigarettes too will soon be banned, “two for the price of one” packs of 10 cans of beer, have also gone off the supermarket shelves; there is a new trend in food and drink available to the public.

Today, the marketing boys were releasing opposite London Bridge station, a new brand of diet Coca Cola, “Zero Coke” with zero calories. “While Diet Coke was created in 1982 as a sugar free soft drink, young adult males shield away from this beverage –identifying diet cola as a woman’s drink”, according to Huff Post. Coca-Cola Zero according to reports, we are told, has a lot less caffeine. The public are told to judge which of these two artificially-sweetened Coca-Cola beverages actually tastes better? Can anyone tell the difference? The advertisement outside read: “Choose Happiness?”

Another trend, MacDonald’s $79 billion fast food chain also announced their decision to serve breakfast – “the humble egg muffin” all day. This turnaround strategy has we are told increased US sales, the first increase in two years.

How effective is marketing in all this?

In business, a variety of pricing strategies come in to play when selling a product or service. The price can be set to maximise profitability for each unit sold or even increase market share. One certainty in business as we see both from Coco Cola and MacDonald’s, is constant change.

The message is: how can you add value to your product or service and how can you show that. It isn’t good enough to say that you provide better product or a cheaper price than others unless you can demonstrate this. Businesses may benefit from lowering or raising prices depending on the needs and behaviours of its customers in a particular market place.

Staying Power

We all know that it takes time to build an effective and sustainable growth strategy, and for it to reap rewards. Both my examples – Coca Cola and MacDonald’s did not expect there to be quick fix. It takes time and good marketing. Both have established staying power.

The new rules of the Game

Whilst obesity and other health concerns are making inroads in the change of relationship of food, how it is produced and consumed, let us not forget that the business to business landscape has changed dramatically in recent years and meeting sales targets is getting more difficult for those businesses that have not adapted to the changing needs of the customer.

An understanding of the motivation and behaviour of modern customers is needed to be able to achieve sustainable sales success. Sales and Marketing need to adapt and work together to maximise opportunities.