Low-Carb to Gluten-Free: Meeting the Next Great Grain...
Transcript of Low-Carb to Gluten-Free: Meeting the Next Great Grain...
Low-Carb to Gluten-Free: Meeting the Next Great
Grain Challenge
Grain Foods Foundation Update
April 21, 2013
Overarching Goals and Approach
Thought
Leadership
Consumer Education
Improved Awareness
Consumer
Understanding
Increased
Consumption
+
Maintain and increase wheat flour consumption by reinforcing the health
benefits of grain-based foods.
GFF Value Proposition
• Provide a unified, credible voice for the grain foods industry
• Serve an issue-and-crisis management function
• Educate influencers and consumers on the role of bread and grains in a
healthy diet
Reconcile Consumer Tension
Grain Foods Foundation Background
• Founded in 2004
• Response to low-carb movement
• Funded by voluntary contributions
Refreshed Consumer Segmentation
Last segmentation Understanding the fundamental
shifts in consumer perception and
consumption of bread
2004 2013 Changes in consumer perception of
nutrition and grains over time
Key Questions the Segmentation Research Will Help Answer
• Changing perception of bread
• Who/what influences consumers to purchase or not purchase bread
• Impact fad diets (low-carb diets, gluten-free diets, etc.) are having on bread
consumption
• Bread purchase drivers
• Demographics of bread consumers (artisan vs. packaged sliced bread, etc.)
• If consumers understand the difference between enriched or fortified bread
• If consumers consuming other types of grains (pasta, rice, corn, etc.)
• If eating bread is an emotional reaction
Getting to Know the Consumer
Research Overview
Phase 1:
Exploratory Online
Bulletin Board Discussions
Phase 2:
Consumer Segmentation
Develop a deeper understanding
of bread and grain consumers’
behaviors, attitudes, perceptions,
and influences and the underlying
rationale behind why they make
the choices they do
Conduct a robust quantitative
segmentation analysis, to build
distinct actionable segments;
Identify opportunity segments for
GFF and key influencers
Phase 1: Key Findings
There is no single influencer that guides
consumers’ food choices.
Consumers’ food behavior is built from a
lifetime of cumulative, learned knowledge.
There is a push to purchase and consume more
wheat and whole grain bread and grain products.
Bread purchases are not always rational choices –
they are connected to personal history and emotion.
Consumers are increasingly health conscious and
are trying to make smarter, healthier food choices.
1
2
3
4
5
No Single Source of Truth
Food shows and sites
Friends and Family
What’s Hurting Bread
• 48% think it has too many carbs
• 43% respondents said they are eating
less white bread than before
Bread continues to be a comfort food
and consumers love eating bread.
In Place of Bread….
Pasta
1 3
2
Vegetables & Rice Fruit &
Tortillas/Wraps
Segmentation Findings
6 key segments have emerged based on nutrition
preferences and lifestyles
Segment 4
Foodies
with no
health
concerns
Segment 1 Segment 2 Segment 3 Segment 5 Segment 6
Cost-
conscious
Dieters
Health &
nutrition is
key concern
Healthy
food; no
budget
concerns
Cost
outweighs
health
Minimally
concerned
with budget
and health
Implications
• Messaging strategy should focus on segments 1, 2 & 3 as these
are the most vulnerable segments
• Messages need to be spread passively across multiples
influencers and media channels as consumers create a patchwork
of information regarding food decisions & nutrition
• Messaging needs to break through the clutter
• Messaging should encompass rational, emotional, and quality
facets to address consumers’ desires and concerns
Beyond the Belly A New Challenge Emerges
Situation Analysis/Landscape
The Grain Brain Thesis – What We Know Today
• Fats are important for brain health and should not be
attributed to heart disease and other ailments.
• Alzheimer's, ADHD and other brain ailments are
determined by diet, not inherited.
• “The more carbohydrates in your diet, the more likely
you are to become diabetic, at which point you have
created a scenario where you are more than likely
going to become an Alzheimer’s patient. It’s a
preventable disease.” (Advances in Mind-Body Medicine,
Winter 2013)
• Gluten can be detrimental to brain function/brain
health; regardless of source – refined or whole grains –
due to presence of gliadins. (Sound familiar?)
• Gluten sensitivity = celiac disease.
• Everyone should be tested for gluten sensitivity.
The Grain Brain Thesis – What We Know Today
Carb calories are the
worst thing for the brain,
truly the worst thing for
the endocrine system, and
absolutely the worst thing
for the heart.
“
”
Grains, both refined and whole, cause
inflammation that contributes to neurological
impairment and degenerative diseases.
Advances in Mind-Body
Medicine, Winter 2013
Grain Brain – The Threat
“Reduce foods that raise blood
sugar: High blood sugar
increases inflammation. Avoid
refined grains, and reduce
grain consumption in
general.”
“Wheat in gluten-sensitive
patients is now linked to
being demented…every
patient should be
screened for gluten
sensitivity”
Preparing for Grain Brain
Seven-Point Strategy
Communications Strategy
Goal: Protect the integrity of grain foods and the credibility of GFF message
Objective: Mitigate the impact of “Grain Brain”
Grain Brain Strategy
Activate
Grain Chain
Member
Activation &
Expansion
Recruit
Partners
Scientific
Pump
Engage
Media
Rally the
Public
Bolster
SAB
Prime the Science Pump and Bolster the Scientific Advisory Board
Enhanced Messaging,
Credibility & Influence
Neurology Research
Gap Analysis
Expand Advisory Board
Recruit New Partners
Based on early indications from Perlmutter’s website and past writing, begin
outreach to other organizations/groups that may dispute his core thesis:
Activate Grain Chain
Similar to Wheat Belly, unite members of the Grain Chain to proactively develop
programming to combat “Grain Brain” and its clinical and (potential) agricultural claims:
GFF
Toolkit (including messaging, etc.)
Influencer
Outreach
Proactive Opportunities
Grain Chain
Engage Membership
Insert “Grain Brain” into existing member communication channels
• Schedule in-person meetings or webinars for members to discuss the
emerging situation and share insights and questions
• Develop and distribute a “Grain Brain” member toolkit in advance
of book release
– Include key messages, suggested social posts, and sample Q&A
• Develop member employee engagement activities to support and
extend public facing/digital content strategy
Engage Media
Media Tours Blogger
Outreach
Non-
disclosure
Agreement
• Embrace the term “Grain Brain” as an
opportunity to share compelling facts about
the health benefits of grain foods
• Proactively distribute information about the
health benefits of a grain foods diet in a way
that drives discovery of GFF information
instead of “Grain Brain” hyperbole
• Tap the emotional connection that people
already have with bread to mitigate new
anti-bread and anti-grain claims
Rallying the “Grainiacs”
Experts
Consumers
Media & Bloggers
Text
Photos
Videos
Infographics
Expert Analysis
[Digital Media Kit]
Mindset: Actively searching for answers or
passively consuming social and broadcast media
Mindset: Actively seeking to
contradict fallacy of “Grain
Brain” through content and
interviews
Mindset: Actively seeking
opposing side to “Grain Brain”
story or searching in response to
Mullen outreach
Videos
Articles
Media coverage
Blog Posts + Social Content
Interviews
Quotes 57
Content Strategy
Growing Reach, Discovery and Influence
Bloggers
Media
Paid Search Paid Social
Experts
[Digital Media Kit]
www.ToBeNamed.org
Articles
Photos
Videos
Search+
Six Servings
@GoWithTheGrain @GrainsRD
How You Can Get Involved
Thank You!