Cast your eye down the pet food aisle at your local grocery store, or wander through the relevent section of a nearby pet store, and two label claims will stand out: “natural” and “super premium.” Pet foods from all brands—and at all price points—will lay claim to those designations, and since neither of those claims… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
I confess: I’m obsessed with tomatoes, particularly in the late summer and fall. Much of my summer has been dedicated to conducting a sustained defensive action against the local squirrels to preserve my plants—a war which, I am happy to report, I am currently winning. I come by this obsession honestly, as the third generation… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
It’s widely recognized that consumers are seeking more “green” options, from organic produce to low-footprint proteins. Retailers are stocking more of these products, making the sector one of the fastest-growing areas of the food business for farmers, distributors, and retailers alike. It’s a good time to be selling anything perceived to be green, and companies… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
As a category, functional foods is among the biggest trends in the food industry, as consumers seek products with added nutrition and food companies attempt to differentiate their offerings. For marketers, these products pose a challenge: talking about benefits which are often couched in confusing (or outright offputting) scientific jargon. Although many nutritional terms have… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
We’re excited to announce our partnership with RiceBran Technologies, a leader in food ingredients produced from rice bran. With its innovative technology, RiceBran converts what would otherwise remain unused during the production of white rice into highly nutritious ingredients. RiceBran’s ingredient line includes everything from rice bran oil, which is flavor-neutral and useful for frying,… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
I have become spam. My family and friends think I was hacked because I sent them an email saying “I lost 10 pounds in just one week!” But I actually did lose ten pounds in a week . . . and here’s how you can, too! I’ve been gluten-free for almost four years. I’m sensitive… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Food Safety Modernization Act Since the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) was signed into law in 2011, the food industry has been faced with the prospect of greatly increased safety and transparency regulations. Today, those changes are still being rolled out—from much more frequent FDA inspections to stricter requirements for produce—and some regulations are still… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
During my teenage years, I worked at a local frozen custard stand. Our uniforms consisted of button downs and bow ties. We punched in with paper time cards. Orders were taken and called out in paperless fashion. It wasn’t quite Mayberry, although it did have a distinctive charm marked by nostalgia. Coupled with delicious frozen… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
At MarketPlace, we’re all about food, and for several of us that includes growing some ourselves. That means we have a more than passing familiarity with the old-fashioned seed catalog. These catalogs go back to the seventeenth century in Europe, with the first American version established in 1784. Since that time, seed companies have expanded,… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Going gluten-free isn’t new to us. As a food branding agency, staying apprised of food industry opportunities and challenges is part of the gig. So, when the chance to attend Gluten and Allergen Free Expo arose, our team was delighted to plan a trip dedicated to partaking in the gluten-free exchange of knowledge (and samples).… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Our client IOI Loders Croklaan recently tasked us with the unveiling of their latest product, a line of colored and flavored shortenings called FuseRite™. Through solid communication and a strategic ingredients marketing plan, we established the following: Primary goals: Stress FuseRite’s versatility; clearly communicate that it makes the job of product development easier; and highlight… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
When it comes to food ingredient labels, consumers are savvier than ever, and those shelf-smarts have, over the last few years, begun extending to ingredient lists for our pets’ food, but all is not yet perfectly clear, even for the shrewdest of label readers. As with human nutrition, pet ingredient lists, due to terminology, don’t… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
For businesses whose clients are other businesses, branding – or rebranding – isn’t often a top priority. There are always other tasks to tackle, other fires to put out. Who has time for branding with sales to make, supply issues to resolve, new products to launch, and marketing initiatives to fulfill? The way we see… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
One of the biggest opportunities to make an impression with current and potential food industry partners is the Institute of Food Technologists Expo. A symposium of 1,191 exhibitors, thousands of attendees, and a million split-second opportunities to get the attention of your audience, companies rely on the IFT Expo to build brands, introduce new ingredients,… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>
Officially launching a website isn’t the exhale that it used to be. We certainly high-fived and enjoyed the moment recently after we hit the “Publish” button on a new social site for our client FURminator, but we sat right back in our seats after the high-five and got back to work creating more content. The… Continue reading <span class="meta-nav">→</span>