MARKET ANALYSIS
of sophisticated healthier options, together with a commitment from oper- ators to showcase ethical practices. Health consciousness has become more important to consumers, as 92 per cent state they have or would like to have a healthier lifestyle compared with 88 per cent in 2010. Consumers want to make informed choices when eating out of the home. While eating out is considered a
treat, consumers want to combine this with their healthier eating hab- its and expectations are increasing as they look to operators to innovate with healthier products that taste as good, if not better, than the alternative. Operators succeeding in this field
are actively combining innovation, stealthier approaches to increasing health properties of food (by reducing fat, salt, sugar etc.) and offering calo- rie and nutrition information on menus and websites. Leaders in this field are chains like Harvester, The Real Greek, Leon, Pod and Pizza Express. Starbucks has just announced cal- ories on menus, while YO Sushi!, JD Wetherspoon, Camden Food Co, KFC, McDonald’s, Pizza Hit, Wimpy and Pret a Manger have all signed up to have calorie labeling as part of the govern- ment’s Health Responsibility Deal. Consumers are noticing and wel- coming these changes. In fact, their expectations for ethical practices are now embedded, making transparent and honest ethical communication key for food operators According to 43 per cent of con- sumers, local and regional sourcing remains the most important ethical initiative for operators to engage in. Over half of consumers stated that they prefer to eat out at establish- ments where ingredients are locally or regionally sourced.
LIGHTER MENU AT PIZZA EXPRESS
Pizza Express introduced its lighter pizza range – Leggera – in April 2009, and it now accounts for eight per cent of total pizza sales. Leggera contains less than 5g saturated fat and 30 per cent fewer calories than the main range. Customers can also tailor ingredi- ents to their needs, and there are lighter options for starters, mains, desserts and wine. No trans-fats or GM ingredients are used.
Despite consumer importance placed on local sourcing and ani- mal welfare, both of these initiatives remain low on the industry agenda. However, industry leaders acknowl- edge its importance as a menu trend over the next two to three years. Many consumers are at the start of their ethical journey. Foodservice oper- ators have the opportunity to attract and retain new customers by adopting practices which are important but also simple to communicate, such as local sourcing and animal welfare.
POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA Social media has become a vital source of consumer engagement,
Pizza Express spokesperson, Alex Whitelaw, says the company sees the government’s Responsibility Deal as a continuation of the work they have already been doing towards offering better choices. She says: “We'll support those
areas of it [Health Responsibility Deal] we believe are relevant as we continue to work hard to make our menu as healthy as possible with- out compromising on taste.”
'Co-creation' is the buzzword in social media - and restaurants should get involved 62 Read Leisure Management online
leisuremanagement.co.uk/digital
developing two-way conversations for co-creation, which is a highly effective and relatively low cost marketing tool. Despite the large number of con- sumers actively using social media networks (according to Facebook, 43 per cent of the UK population have an account), only 21 per cent of consum- ers who took part in the Eating Out study claim they ‘follow’ an eating out establishment on social media. They are mostly female, aged 18-44, prefer branded chains, have eaten out more in the last 12 months than those who do not follow brands and are more likely to use discount vouchers. Engaging with brands via social net- working enables customers create a closer relationship with their favour- ite operators. Of the 21 per cent who ‘follow’, 55 per cent say they visit the establishments they ‘follow’ or ‘like’ on social networks more often. By communicating with consumers directly, brands boost customer loyalty. Foodservice operators still have a long way to go to embrace this new forum. There is an opportunity to ben- efit from a new way of communication with their consumers, build stronger
ISSUE 4 2011 © cybertrek 2011
PHOTO:
SHUTTERSTOCK.COM/VARTANOV ANATOLY
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