Date published: 01.09.08 - not release date

Sunshine and showers forecast for the food and drink industry this year

PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release

Sunshine and showers forecast for the food and drink industry this year

food&drink towers celebrates its three-month birthday with the publication of its ‘Ten Top Trends for 2007 Tip Sheet’

A strict focus on health may be the downfall of the food and drink industry, as it takes its eye off the ball and misses other emerging trends set to influence consumer purchasing decisions over the next 12 months.

food&drink towers (www.foodanddrinktowers.com) forecasts a year full of sunshine for food and drink companies prepared to address a range of issues rather than solely pursuing the health megatrend. Companies choosing to ignore other emerging and major trends, and only focus on health, are forecast to experience a more unsettled climate in 2007.

“There’s a lot going on in the food and drink industry, so brands that choose to chase the healthy pound in isolation are at risk of limiting their consumer appeal”, says Helen Lewis, MD of food&drink towers, the online PR and media resource for the food and drink industry.

Lewis, also a freelance food and drink journalist, explains: “Health is a hugely important megatrend within the industry, but it is important to consider all the trends relevant to your brand and consumers – not everyone wants to be told what to eat, when, and how often”.

food&drink towers points to the increasing importance of other issues such as premiumisation, restaurant-quality products, indulgence, provenance, local sourcing, comfort foods and the rising role of smaller players; all of which will become more important as the year goes on.

Celebrating its three-month birthday on January 9, 2007 with the publication of its ‘Ten Top Trends for 2007 Tip Sheet’, food&drink towers predicts a successful year for brands willing to consider how they can tap into more than one of the major trends. The tip sheet will be distributed to registered users on food&drink towers’ three-month birthday, including all new subscribers who sign up on the day. Registration, access to the news and press release archive, and the publication of press releases are still free services, and available to everyone involved in and interested in the industry.

Three of the top ten trends for 2007:
1.Premiumisation for the middle of week
Consumers want to treat themselves during the working week, as well as at weekends. After a long commute home, and a stressful day in work, more and more people will turn to food and drink to help them relax and make them feel better about themselves. This does not automatically mean high sugar, high fat and indulgent products. As health awareness continues, the focus will be on the premium quality of food and drink, particularly organic and fresh ingredients. Provenance (origin of ingredients) ties in closely with this mid-week treating, and is associated with the premium megatrend. Ultimately, 2007 will be the year when consumers demand more from their mid-week meals (including breakfast, lunch, evening meal and snacks) because they are worth it!

2.Rising role of small players
Big brands and corporations may have the powerful purse strings, but smaller players are gaining an advantage on these multinationals in 2007. Consumers are showing a greater interest in who is producing the food and drink they are purchasing from their local store, independent delis and even from the supermarket. Where and how the food is made are also of growing importance to many people today. Smaller players can meet demands by highlighting the provenance of the product on packs, as well as personalising brands and encouraging consumers to ‘meet the producer’ via marketing materials and the company website.

3.Purity
Chasing profits from the health megatrend was a major NPD strategy in 2006, but manufacturers seeking future growth should consider the sub-strategies involved in the megatrend such as purity. Unadulterated products with just a handful of natural ingredients will appeal to health-conscious consumers and those simply fed up with the long list of strange, chemical-sounding ingredients found on the back of packs. For example, consumers are wising up to things like concentrates and added artificial sweeteners in ‘healthy smoothies’. Purity in ingredients will become essential – not just in the healthy arena.

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food&drink towers (www.foodanddrinktowers.com) was launched by Helen Lewis to increase communication within the food and drink market. The site enables PRs, journalists, businesses and consumers to interact and increase their knowledge of the industry. Since October 9, 2006, more than 165 news stories and features, and 220 press releases have been published; all of which are freely available online, and regularly accessed by journalists.

To upload a press release, you just have to register (it’s free) and then go to http://www.foodanddrinktowers.co.uk/press_upload.php. Press releases are published online as soon as possible, and interesting and newsworthy releases are included in the daily e-mail alert sent to leading journalists including freelancers, and those working for trade and consumer publications.

For a media copy of the ‘Ten Top Trends for 2007 Tip Sheet’, please register at http://www.foodanddrinktowers.co.uk/registration.php before 5pm on January 9, 2007.

Helen Lewis is a freelance journalist with more than six years experience in the food and drink publishing business. To contact Helen directly please e-mail helen@foodanddrinktowers.co.uk.

food&drink towers works with a number of talented freelancers and offers a range of services including copywriting, press release writing and photography.