Food marketing

Food marketing brings together the food producer and the consumer through a chain of marketing activities. Food marketing brings together the food producer and the consumer through a chain of marketing activities. The marketing of even a single food product can be a complicated process involving many producers and companies. The food marketing system is the largest direct and indirect nongovernment employer in the United States. Pomeranz & Adler, 2015, define food marketing is defined as a chain of marketing activities that take place within the food system between a food organisation and the consumer. This has the potential to be a complicated procedure, as there are many processes that are used prior to the sale the food product. These include food processing, wholesaling, retailing, food service and transport. Due to these many processes, a multitude of organisations have to be involved in the sale of one food product. For example, approximately fifty-six organisations are involved in the making of one can of chicken noodle soup. These organisations not only include the processors who make the ingredients for the product, but also involve the companies who manufacture the cans, print the labels and transport the product. Therefore, on a global scale, the food marketing industry is one of the largest direct and indirect employers. For Schaffner & Schroder, 1998, food marketing is the act of communicating to the consumer through a range of marketing techniques in order to add value to a food product and persuade the consumer to purchase. This includes all activities that occur in between the completion of a product through to the purchasing process of consumers. Food marketing systems differ worldwide due to the level of development in the particular country, economically and technologically (Kaynak, 1999). Understanding and interpreting a particular countries food marketing techniques also requires taking into account the socio-economic, cultural, legal-political and technological environment of that country (Kaynak, 1999). There are three historical phases of food marketing: the fragmentation phase (before 1870–1880), the unification phase (1880–1950), and the segmentation phase (1950 and later). In the fragmentation phase, the United States was divided into numerous geographic fragments because transporting food was expensive, leaving most production, distribution, and selling locally based. In the unification phase, distribution was made possible by railroads, coordination of sales forces was made possible by the telegraph and telephone, and product consistency was made possible by advances in manufacturing. This new distribution system was led by meat processors such as Armour and Swift in midwestern cities and by companies such as Heinz, Quaker Oats, Campbell Soup, and Coca-Cola, which sold their brands nationally. Advertising in print media and direct marketing through demonstrations at stores and public venues were among the prime marketing tools. The initial Crisco campaign, in 1911, was an example. In the segmentation phase (1950 and later) radio, television and internet advertising made it possible for a wider range of competing products to focus on different benefits and images and thus appeal to different demographic and psychographic markets. Distribution via the new national road system strengthened national brands. The four components of food marketing are often called the 'four Ps' of the marketing mix because they relate to product, price, promotion, and place. One reason food manufacturers receive the largest percentage of the retail food dollar is that they provide the most differentiating, value-added service. The money that manufacturers invest in developing, pricing, promotion, and placing their products helps differentiate a food product on the basis of both quality and brand-name recognition. Overall, the marketing mix can add value to a food organisation's product.