Marketing Spoonful

When a new product or service hits supermarkets, it doesn’t take long for everyone else to follow suit. That’s the thing about what Clayton Christensen calls “sustaining innovations.” They are easily imitable and difficult to break out of.
It’s the reason so many hard drive manufacturers went out of business. They were sustaining an innovation trend [...]

Tags: blog, Creativity, disruptive innovation, Food, Innovation, Marketing, Supermarket, sustaining innovation

I love Saturdays. There is nothing better than getting my chores done in time to sit down and watch one of my favorite teams play basketball against one of its rivals. Today, as I watched my beloved Jayhawks square off against Okie State at Allen Field House I got to thinking about all the wonderful [...]

Tags: blog, employee engagement, Food, Marketing, product demo, Promotion, Supermarket

The do-it-yourself (DIY) craze may be turning into a trend, especially with a boost from a down economy. It seems like people will be doing more things for themselves for two reasons: 1.) for the satisfaction and 2.) to save money.
This ought to translate into food, right along with home decor and landscaping.
We experienced this [...]

Tags: blog, circular, combo, DIY, do it yourself, Food, food marketing ideas, Marketing, meal suggestion, Supermarket, weekly ad

We were surfing MSNBC to get the latest US medal count when we came across this little dandy:
“Shopping in a lousy mood will cost you.”
You’ve heard how hungry shoppers spend more? Well, a study shows the SADDER you are, the more you spend. Check it out here.
The good news for food marketers is that shopping [...]

Tags: circular, emotion, Food, grocery, Marketing, mood, Promotion, shop when you're hungry, shopping, spending, Supermarket

Three days ’til family vacation blast-off. Meanwhile, the Spoon is taking it to Tulsa for a couple days to visit grocery stores (it’s nice to have family in the business).

Look for a post or two on how a regional chain of stores is having success in the same locations its larger, national predecessor couldn’t make [...]

Tags: effective merchandising, Food, grocery, Oklahoma, regional chain, retail, Supermarket, Tulsa

Now, the cynical traditionalists will scoff, but we think it behooves (love that word) food marketers to find ways to appeal to people’s desire to connect to unique and relevant brands with local flavor.
It’s pretty clear to us when something is completely contrived, like when we walk into ESPN Zone and the hostess has no [...]

Tags: ESPN, Food, garlic, hamburger, local, Restaurant, salad, steak, Stuart Scott, Supermarket

For some, the most wonderful day of the year comes once in the fall, but it’s not a paid holiday or a religious celebration. It’s Family Day, and this year, it falls on September 22.
So why talk about it today of all days? Summer vacation have visions of loud, sweaty nine-hour minivan rides dancing through [...]

Tags: Family, Life, Supermarket, teen drug abuse