Goal: The fifth “P” in the sustainable food and beverage marketing mix | Sustainable brands

Let’s start with some promising news: 100 percent of marketers respond
Quantis 2024 Food Report Survey we have observed positive consumer changes in terms of sustainability. More than half say their customers are interested in sustainable products and are willing to spend more to get them, so there is a huge opportunity for food and beverage brands and marketers to bring the products they want to people.

However, raising the next generation of sustainable consumers requires groundwork. Marketers have a significant role to play, from product idea to distribution.

E. Jerome McCarthyclassic division of the marketing mix, the so-called 4 Ps — product,
price, place AND special offer — provide a good framework for exploring where food and beverage marketing teams can bring sustainability into the conversation. We also recommend adding a fifth P, intentionto provide a foundation from which they can make a greater impact. Let’s see how these 5 principles can be applied.

Intention

Mark statement of purpose
defines what matters to the company and how it will behave to achieve its goals. It drives not only individual sales, but also company growth – brands that prioritize environmental values ​​in their marketing perform better on both counts revenue growth
AND
reputation.

Defining (or re-examining) your brand purpose is a valuable opportunity to build sustainability into the foundations of your food and beverage company. Whether you do this work in-house or through an outside agency, input and buy-in from your marketing team is essential.

Brand purpose should come from a deeply authentic place, summarizing the reason for the company’s existence in a short sentence. To get the right stance on sustainability, leverage what’s important to the company itself: for example, a beverage company committed to clean water or a snack that uses recycled ingredients.

Marketers can help assess both what is important to company leadership and what consumers value. This overlap provides a narrower focus and a significant level of detail in the purpose statement. Clean water where? Regional lakes and rivers where ingredients are grown. What kind of recycled ingredients? Protein left over from grain production. Linking your brand’s purpose to real situations and experiences can help consumers build the right arguments for purchase and loyalty.

Product

During product research and development, marketers can share insights into consumer needs and behaviors that go beyond quantitative research. This is useful information from a mainstream source that can encourage ecodesign and inspire new regulations.

Increasingly, big brands are tracking consumer menu hacks, looking for ways their customers are ordering off-menu to satisfy their cravings. Even marketers in smaller organizations can keep an eye on social media trends.

Ask yourself how customer behavior aligns with sustainability aspects of your brand purpose. Do home cooks mix spicy spices with natural yogurt? Share this information with the R&D team so they can explore new product options. If vegan customers love your double bean burrito, that might be your cue to add another one plant proteins. The most natural human desires arise when people modify products to suit their taste.

Product and process education is another point of consumer engagement. More sustainable food is a concept simple enough to grasp in the abstract, but understanding why specific changes make a difference can influence consumer decisions. Content marketing and brand participation in public discussions can position your company as a leader committed to sustainability.

The emergence of new ingredients such as meat produced in a laboratory
and others alternative proteins
provides another opportunity to build the market through education. For example, o
64 percent of US consumers they are unfamiliar with cultured meat, which is a great opportunity to inform and attract a new audience.

Price

Many factors influence price, but the ultimate limiting factor is consumers’ willingness to spend. Marketers, by closely observing customer behavior over time, often have a realistic sense of how much a customer is willing to pay and how much of a price increase they will accept. A clear understanding of price elasticity can help determine not only product changes, but also changes in marketing plans as new messaging becomes necessary.

The data suggests that consumers may be willing to pay more for sustainability, although retailers note that they will not always follow the rules at the point of purchase. Greater acceptance and demand are a sign that sustainability has gone mainstream – from premium benefits to standard expectations. Brands should be careful not to undermine themselves by promoting sustainable goods as premium rather than mainstream; we can no longer afford to view sustainability as a luxury. This poses a particularly serious challenge inflation he is tall. Consumer education on
resistance
and long-term access to affordable ingredients can make costs worthwhile.

As mentioned, a strong brand purpose rooted in sustainability helps build brand trust, which accelerates new product adoption. This highlights how important this foundational work is to facilitate later campaigns. Once your brand has a history and reputation to work with, attributes like sustainability and corporate responsibility come with the territory.

Place

Place is about making a product and bringing it to market. In the case of food and beverage, marketing teams can leverage factors such as the provenance of ingredients, social and environmental responsibility in the region, and sustainable production processes.

The introduction of new products, especially those with innovative composition or preparation, is based on consumers’ curiosity and courage. While consumers may assume that commercially produced foods are safe to eat, there are no such guarantees of satisfaction or value.

In-person sampling is an obvious way to encourage customers to try a new product. Product placement in the media can normalize new products and make them famous. But it is equally important to place the product in a cultural context – reaching consumers where they are looking for recipes, looking for ways to use an ingredient or considering a takeaway purchase.

In-store placement also plays a big role in customer acceptance. Placing sustainable food and drinks at aisle ends and point of sale makes it easier for customers to spontaneously access them. Placing plant-based alternatives alongside conventional animal products increases visibility and drives inventory turnover. It also makes it easier for flexitarians – omnivores who often choose vegetarian options – to choose plant-based options. Clear labeling is also essential when introducing new products and attractive applications: Try our spicy, seasoned tempeh in your next fry-up!

The modern version of “place” should also refer to virtual spaces where buyers look for products – that is why today’s concept of place must take into account a comprehensive SEO strategy. If online shoppers can’t find your product, they can’t try it. Pay attention to changes in sustainability terminology and adjust your keywords accordingly. The overuse and inconsistent definition of terms such as “green” have exposed them to consumer suspicion and diluted their value. Phrases such as “Uses ” and “As it is done?” you can be sure that your campaign – and therefore your product – will be in the right place and can be found.

Special offer

Promotion is the basis of marketing strategies, and there are so many ways to implement it effectively that it is easier to mention just a few what is not allowed in sustainable development marketing.

• NO make assumptions about transparency. Both greenwashing and greenhushing can negatively impact brand reputation and sales. Understand what your audience wants to hear, but NO be silent. 58 percent enterprises they do not sufficiently promote their efforts towards sustainable development
  and risk failing to reach an agreement with consumers and investors.

• NO lead in the field of sustainable development. A food product must appeal to consumers in terms of taste, texture and value before it is even considered.

• NO rely on outdated niche marketing to sell sustainability. It’s valued by a diverse group of people – you can break away from restrictive assumptions about who buys. Marketers can mainstream sustainable development
  crossing previously sacred divisions. Fast food can be vegan. Animal proteins can be cruelty-free. Mushrooms build muscles, and cocoa promotes cooperation.

Sustainable food marketing is a distinct arena where optimism, science and desire come together in an emotionally charged mix. Use these tools and tell a bold story that dares to believe in a better way. Marketers have a lot to offer, and consumers are ready to hear it.

The need for sustainability action has outgrown the sustainability department, opening up more opportunities for marketers to get involved and accelerate progress. The 5 principles listed here are just a few places you can incorporate more sustainability into your marketing mix. Use them as a starting point to encourage the holistic thinking and collaboration your company needs to lead in the food and beverage industry.

For more ideas and strategies for the sustainability of the food and beverage sector, download Quantis Food Report 2024: A recipe for transformation.