Many food brands and commodity boards understandably want consumers to identify their product as a superfood. It’s a fantastic buzzword beloved by media, influencers and marketers that packs a punch. Superfood headlines get clicks and imply super sales in-store.
The question is: does the term “superfood” have the power to drive your business? Or, is there a better way? We believe it’s the latter.
It’s understandable why consumers respond so favorably to ”superfood”—this compound word’s syntax follows a pattern embedded in the psyche of consumers (especially consumers in the United States). Think about other similar words such as “superstar,” “superhero” or “supermodel,” which immediately connote an above-and-beyond quality. “Superfood” is remarkably simple and embodies the above-and-beyond healthy ethos many consumers want from their food. The word needs no explanation in order for consumers to instantly “get it.”
And while that may sound like the recipe for consumer food marketing brilliance, the short-lived benefits of a buzzword don’t compare to the long-lasting power of deep positioning to power creative campaigns.
Instead of calling your product a superfood (like a comedian calling themselves funny), we recommend letting your audience — journalists, influencers, even consumers — give your product that moniker as a result of the reputation you’ve built for it. Designing credible, strategic health-benefit positioning for your product will generate real impact far longer and more credibly than a super buzzword. Leave “superfood” language to others. The reputation of your company or organization will thank you later.
Be the “Superstrategist”
When we see brands use the term “superfood” in their marketing copy, we usually cringe a little bit. Why? Its ubiquity has lost its power. We think food marketers can be a little more clever.
More importantly, we believe it’s critical for food marketers to focus on building a portfolio of sound scientific evidence and then sharing that with credible third-party experts who can make it meaningful to consumers. In other words, leave the term “superfood” to the information gatekeepers (health professionals, influencers, journalists, friends and family) consumers trust more than you.
Achieving superfood status can still be one of your business goals — superfoods certainly supersell! Just remember that developing an intelligent marketing strategy to achieve the business goal of superfood status does not happen overnight. It requires investment in and commitment to a thoughtful approach marrying marketing insights with nutrition science evidence and to find the sweet spot.
Here’s how.
Prioritize High-Quality Consumer and Nutrition Science Research
Your insights are only as good as your data—this goes for both consumer insights as well as nutrition science insights. In order to develop the marketing strategy needed to achieve the business goal of “superfood” status, you must start with a disciplined approach to consumer marketing and nutrition science research to ensure your strategy is grounded in high-quality evidence.
For both consumer marketing and nutrition science research, this means working with experts who understand the type of insights needed to develop a nutrition, health and wellness positioning strategy for your product. Then, they can work backward from there to develop a research strategy to generate those insights. For consumer research, this might be a combination of thoughtfully designed primary research (such as consumer surveys and focus groups) with secondary research. For nutrition science research, this may lead to a multi-year plan supporting studies at top-tier academic institutions.
The most critical part is developing the consumer research strategy hand-in-hand with the nutrition science research strategy—you want to investigate the potential health benefits that interest and motivate your target audience. This will help ensure the highest likelihood of achieving the business goal of “superfood” status. It will also ensure that insights gathered from your research will help inform future nutrition science studies to build a robust evidence base.
Stand Up a Surround-Sound Food Marketing Campaign
Once you’ve gathered consumer insights and generated a portfolio of high-quality nutrition science data, it’s time to develop an evidence-based integrated marketing campaign. The consumer insights help ensure you’re focusing on the benefits and attributes your target audience cares about. The nutrition science data helps ensure you’re communicating credible, science-based information.
We recommend a surround-sound approach that hits multiple audiences—consumers as well as the information gatekeepers who influence their decision making. Take our client the California Prune Board as an example. By analyzing high-quality nutrition research, we learned that prunes’ vitamin K content along with their ability to aid in calcium absorption may support bone health.
To disseminate this message, we:
- Created downloadable materials for health professionals to equip them with the nutrition science data and research findings they need to understand the scientific evidence base for prunes’ potential bone health benefits.
- Fostered a credible partnership with a dietitian to host a webinar about the benefits of prunes.
- Crafted SEO-framed web content about prunes’ health benefits to capture internet searchers seeking health solutions prunes offer.
A Note on FDA Food Labeling & Nutrition Requirements
All claims related to nutrition and health are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), making it critical to work with a partner who understands the different types of claims and their requirements. We’re intimately familiar with what you can and cannot say from a marketing perspective to adhere to FDA’s requirements and will guide you in the right direction.
Wild Hive is Your Partner in All Things Consumer and Nutrition Science Research, Strategy and Marketing Execution
The most powerful claim to make about your product is the one backed by rigorous research that resonates with your target audience — whether that means your product is a superfood or otherwise.
We can help develop your approach to consumer and nutrition science research, implement the entire research program, utilize the insights generated to build and execute an intelligent marketing strategy . It would be our pleasure to have a hand in both building the evidence base for your story and bringing it to life through creative and thoughtful campaigns.