Summer inspires food freedom

Families eat lighter and freer in the summer—think grilled foods, salads, fruits and treats. Meals are more spontaneous and time is less of a factor with more daylight hours, fewer rigid schedules, and fun on the brain—all of which sets this seasonal tone for mom. Her more relaxed state of mind allows this free flow to happen.

Food also mixes with outdoor activities such as picnics, cookouts, pool and beach parties that bring friends and neighbors together. Children's play dates give mom a chance to instantly put smiles on many faces —with pudding, popcorn, peanut butter or deli meat sandwiches and other fun foods.

Supermarkets should be at the center of summer activities. Popular promotion themes from ConAgra Foods help ensure the food store's place—and past strong results—make it likely they'll be repeated again in 2011. Two examples:

• A 21 percent incremental volume lift from Shopper Marketing activities for a Summer Fun Event to make picnic dips for chips or vegetables using Wolf® chili, Ro*Tel® tomatoes and Velveeta? cheese. Sales also stayed high for several weeks after the promotion, and household penetration rose too1. • A 24 percent incremental volume lift from Shopper Marketing activities for a two-week event to dress up a plain angel food cake using Reddi-wip® and strawberries1. This light, healthy, refreshing food suits the summer, and this activity can involve kids.

Lessons learned? Summer is when mom is open to try more kinds of foods that go with the family fun.

¹ ConAgra MLC Analysis F11, P1

 

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