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Wine Has Never Been So Sweet Moscato is finally getting recognition as a good sweet wine and more and more people are flocking to it. One wine analyst says this boom has become one of the stronger trends and is propelled by affordable California varieties.

Image: tjstaab on flickr Source: jamaicaobserver.com

2012 Social Media Strategies Over the past few years, marketing has integrated with social media, a combination that’s a must-have for any brand that wants to be successful. Restaurants are now making big plans for 2012’s social-media strategies.

Pita Pit has found a successful way to develop their brand on Facebook. They have not tried to sell anything, but rather have had contests and focused on continuing their interaction from the stores and have found Facebook is the best way to stay connected.

Other brands are still trying to figure out which social media site works best with their specific needs. Checkers Drive In is already utilizing Facebook and Foursquare to reach and advertise to their customers. Their goal for 2012 is to bring more leverage to Twitter because of usage by their customers.

2012 will bring brands more expertise and understanding of how to thrive in our society, which is practically controlled by social media. Understanding why social media is important and using it to its full potential should be the goal of every restaurant and food marketer. Relationships with consumers via social media have proven to be a great foundation for building loyal customers and a powerful way to amplify your message across the social network. Source: nrn.com Image: Rosaura Ochoa on flickr

Caffeine Addicts, Unite With our addiction to coffee, it’s no wonder that the hot beverage market is one of the few markets that has seen continued growth over the past four years. Even though more than two-thirds of coffee consumption is out of home, quick-service restaurants are trying hard to get in on the hot beverage action by upgrading selections. McDonald’s is one example, with their wide variety of McCafé choices.

Statistics show that there has been a steady increase in consumption of hot beverages that will keep rising, no matter the state of the economy. Apparently, caffeine and a steaming cup are something we cannot seem to part from.

Image: Lara604 on flickr Source: chd-expert.com

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Sparkling wine has gained momentum against champagne for various celebrations. Due to the economy and other factors, there has been a large demand for value wines as well. Value wines do not mean cheap, but affordable and an excellent value for their price. Regions from Chile, Australia and Spain offer this value versus the higher priced regions of Italy and even California.

Moscato used to be considered an obscure product, but not anymore considering sales were up 73% in 2011. Moscato looks to be one of the most promising wines of 2012. It basically sells itself; it is a good wine, usually at a great value price, which is something in today’s economy you can’t beat. Wine labels will want to explore how to market and sell for the Moscato boom. Discovering the best way to capitalize on this trend will assist it in continuing.

By 2015, the global hot beverage market is forecast to reach $69.77 billion in value. There is only room for future growth in this market. Three main factors for hot beverage demand are quality, health and convenience. Despite the economy, gourmet coffee continues to be a significant portion of total coffee consumed. There is a solid customer base for growth due to the younger drinkers’ strong category loyalty. Hot tea, with its health benefits, is driving the popularity of the product right up there with coffee.

Bargain Hunting America is now used to searching for the best deals and bargain shopping for absolutely everything. We have found inventive ways to shave off a few dollars and have even gone to extreme couponing to make sure we get enough bang for our buck. Some consumers have decreased the amount of expensive meats and seafood they buy and are using non meat proteins in their recipes instead.

This next year will bring shoppers many new ways to save and with the advancement of social media, better ways to get those messages of savings out. Supermarkets should target the smart phone population and come up with easy, creative ways to save. Offering more options than clipping coupons is going to be a must for the emerging generations of grocery shoppers. Image: sgrace on flickr Source: consumergoods.edgl.com

Social networking has also impacted how people are shopping and saving. Searching for coupons and deals online has become almost an art form. Calculating and keeping track of spending is a way of life to many shoppers. They go in with a budget and calculate on their phones as shop.

consumers they are the place to shop for great deals, in 2012, look for supermarkets to do the same. Be on the look out for “lay-away” plans for holiday meals and other larger purchase and even bringing a bargain bin similar to those in department stores. Although there are no promises of food prices going down anytime soon, there will be more ways to save a few bucks and better knowledge of how to smart shop.

Pay What You Can? About a year and a half ago, Panera came up with an idea to help feed the needy and raise money for charity work. This idea, a “pay-what-you-want” or “pay-what-you-can” non profit restaurant, allows customers to pay what they want for anything on the menu. Located in Clayton, Mo., the restaurant’s menu lists “suggested funding levels”, not prices. Patrons put payments in a donation box, and cashiers handle change and credit card transactions. But how in the world does this kind of place stay open? Community support. Some who cannot afford a meal will donate a small amount of money and also time and work at the restaurant.

Image: Samantha Celera on flickr Source: usatoday.com

Rough statistics show that about 60% of customers pay the suggested amount, 20% leave less and 20% leave more. However, you have the rare customer who will pay $500 for a meal. The cafe brings in a revenue of about $100,000 a month, which leaves around $3,000-$4,000 to be used for a job training program for at-risk youth. Some graduates of this program have already begun jobs at other Panera locations. The success of the pay-what-you-can Panera cafes has led to openings of two other locations in Michigan and Oregon, and the plan is to open a new location every three months. This type of program may not work for every restaurant, but Panera has used the right tools to make it happen.

Whopper Delivery Burger King is now trying to make its way into the realm of home delivery. Pizza and some sandwiches are obviously common delivery items in our society. Will fast-food burgers soon be too? Burger King is testing the service at four of its restaurants in the Washington, D.C. area. Special packaging technology is being used to ensure food is delivered hot, fresh and crispy. There are quite a few stipulations with the delivery process however: a $2 delivery fee, minimum order, 10-minute-drive rule, soft drinks in bottles, no breakfast items and delivery hours of 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. This addition of convenience could prove to be great or a little too much for a fast-food chain to handle. The small experimentation is a good way to see if fast food could be delivery-ready. Domino’s spokesman said, “We wish them luck. There is a reason that not all pizza places deliver: It isn’t easy.” It will be very interesting to see whether Burger King is starting a trend that will soon catch on or if they are jumping ahead of their time.

Image: J. Stephen Conn on flickr Source: usatoday.com

As more and more retailers and brands are adjusting their sales to show

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Luckie and Company is a full-service fully-integrate advertising agency offering all the capabilities a marketer needs to succeed in today’s dynamic marketplace. Luckie is one of the top independent advertising agencies in the US with a diverse client portfolio: AT&T, Little Debbie, Chick-fil-A, McAlister's Deli, Regions Bank, Schick, Mercedes Benz, to name just a few. What makes us different is our ability to tell a great brand story that sells. We use the science of data and the art of marketing to fuel the magic of storytelling. And we do it with a diligent eye on marketing and financial performance. We create and share stories in surprising and innovative ways across all media traditional, digital, social, mobile, owned, paid and earned, with the power to increase sales, improve ROMI and grow loyal fans. Stories that engage. Stories that entertain. Stories that share. Stories that build brands. For more information contact: John Heenan CMO 205-879-2121 john.heenan@luckie.com