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!