Anderson Partners Advertising | Food Ingredients

On August 2, 2010 Ocean Spray filed a lawsuit against Decas Cranberry Products over what the company called an “unlawful and malicious campaign” against its “Choice” sweetened dried cranberry. This is a commercial ingredient product sold to customers in manufacturing and processing. Decas launched the campaign in 2009 which included letters, e-mails, a Facebook and Twitter account, a website, a blog, and a YouTube video. Decas claims that Ocean Spray is misbranding its product with a deceptive food label. It is positioned as healthy and is made from whole cranberries when, in fact, it is made up of 70% sugar and only 30% cranberry.

Decas, a small competitor of Ocean Spray, strongly felt the need to keep this manufacturer honest. It has spent a lot of time and energy on doing so. Its last five Decas blog posts have been about Ocean Spray and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the headline on its website reads “Your Trusted Cranberry Business Partner.”  If anything, the controversy has definitely shed some light on the importance of accurate product labeling, as well as brought cranberries as an ingredient into the mainstream news.

Ocean Spray has reacted to the smear campaign by filing a lawsuit against Decas. Read this article to learn more about Ocean Spray’s response.

How and where you reach your target market has changed dramatically over the past 20 years. In recent years, more and more food ingredient companies have embraced the Internet and social media. One innovative phenomenon is iPhone applications. A successful example of this is Kraft’s new application called the iFood Assistant. iFood offers consumers how-to videos, recipes, a built-in shopping list and much more. Within two weeks of its launch, it was the 25th most purchased application on iTunes in the U.S. And in six months, it generated 85% continued consumer engagement. While the i

Food application is targeted toward consumers, it goes to show that applications are the wave of the future and can help you reach your company’s target market. Explore the iPhone application option, revolve it around what your buyers are interested in, and join Kraft in experiencing a new and successful medium. 

(Kraft iFood stats were provided by Irene Rosenfeld. Watch highlights from her presentation on How Brands and Consumers Have Changed at foodprocessing.com.)

Nestlé is a globally recognized brand, and has achieved this status by continuing to incorporate innovation. In 2009, Nestlé started a collection of Recipe Postcards—downloadable postcards featuring an original Nestlé creation. Every month, Nestlé introduces a featured recipe—main course, side dish, beverage or dessert—partnered with an appetizing, professional-looking photograph of that prepared dish. These postcards can then be printed and mailed directly to a friend. While many companies are providing innovative recipes, Nestlé has found a way to put a unique spin on it. It is a great initiative that not only shares the possibilities of the Nestlé products, but also shows Nestlé’s continued flare for innovation.