Marketing to Dollar Conscious Consumers

November saw the release of a report by Symphony IRI Group in the USA that showed over half of consumers are now eating out less and cooking more at home. Clearly this is an opportunity for some retailers and a challenge for others. Some of you will be old enough to remember the original Betty Crocker cookbook and recipes plus the Pillsbury man that came from the General Mills stable. It is interesting to look at how they are marketing in the new consumer’s world and they provide a lesson for us all. When their CEO, Geoff Johnson, was interviewed recently, he said” We’re trying to play where these new generations of consumers are”. In practice, what does that mean? They have a new website and 1.4 million followers on their Facebook page. They are actively involved with Twitter and YoutTube and there are hundreds of thousands of interactions a month through smart phones. This is for Betty Crocker baking products. They have kept the nostalgia going by relaunching the 1971 cookbook and providing the consumer with ideas. This marketing campaign is a clear indicator on how we all need to be thinking. It has given the company a 5% lift in sales in a difficult trading period for most companies.