Look Who's Talking! Food companies continually strive to discern the minds of consumers in their search to get ahead of trend curves and be the first to market with products that will meet consumer needs. In this column, Best discusses what narratives can tell us about what is resonating with consumers in the cereal foods marketplace, shaping views on diets, foods, beverages, and nutrition. To examine narratives and evaluate the market, the first question is, “What are people talking about?” Monitoring Internet activity through search engine patterns can reveal where the action is, where it isn't, and where attention needs to be focused. The nutrition, food science, and cereal science communities must monitor whether consumers are getting the messages they are sending and be prepared to confront counter-messages from other sources, such as popular books and diet trends. An Internet background-chatter analysis should be step one in any marketing research or strategic planning program. Inexpensive and readily available, it provides a real-time indicator of what people are talking about. |