At Starbucks' Sustainability Means from ‘Me to We’

  

Starbucks is an industry leader because they understand the importance of edifying consumer relevant touchpoints. Starbucks is taking a leadership role in what Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® identified as the restaurant sectors 2021 call to arms the “from me to we” where restaurants will focus on sustainability driving the message that we are here and we are getting better for you.”

Starbucks has been preparing for 2021 and the ‘me to we’ as they trialed new lightweight, recyclable strawless lids in select markets across the U.S. and Canada. Due to the success of this test, the company is rolling out strawless lids to company-operated and licensed stores, marking a significant milestone in Starbucks effort to eliminate a billion plastic straws globally per year. Starbucks will continue to shift away from single-use packaging and plastics as part of its resource positive commitment announced in January.

Michael Kobori, chief sustainability officer at Starbucks stated “Recyclable, strawless lids for customers across the U.S. and Canada is another step in our journey to reduce our environmental footprint,” … “As we move closer toward our 2030 target of a 50 percent reduction in waste sent to landfills, the long-standing history of innovation within Starbucks, partnership across the industry and changing consumer behavior remain fundamental to our purpose and our prosperity as an organization.” 

So, Starbucks designed, developed, and manufactured its strawless lid, which will now be the standard for all iced coffee, tea, espresso, and Starbucks Refreshers beverages. The lid was modeled after the lid customers recognize from Starbucks hot drinks and has approximately nine percent less plastic than the flat lid and straw historically used for iced beverages. Unlike straws that cannot be recycled because of their size, the strawless lid made from polypropylene, meets the Association of Plastic Recyclers design guidelines for recyclability and can be recycled in many markets in the U.S. and Canada.

Starbucks Andy Corlett, director of global packaging solutions and innovations stated, “We developed and trialed several prototypes to arrive at this milestone,” …, whose team at Starbucks helped design the lid. “A recyclable, strawless lid becoming the standard for iced drinks is one small way we can give more than we take from the planet. This is a significant moment for Starbucks as we work to reduce waste and safeguard the environment.”

So, Corlett’s team developed variations in lid design to match the variety of beverages Starbucks offers. For example, the distinct lid for Nitro beverages, which began rolling out in 2018, has a slightly wider, tear-drop shaped opening, designed for the perfect drinking experience of Starbucks velvety-smooth Nitro Cold Brew and beverages with Cold Foam. Similarly, Frappuccino® blended beverages and other drinks with whipped cream will continue to have a domed lid made from recyclable plastic and be accompanied by a straw, except where prohibited by local law. Straws will also remain available in stores for customers upon request.

Doug Cress, Vice President of Conservation at Ocean Conservancy stated, “Last year alone, volunteers with Ocean Conservancy’s International Coastal Cleanup removed nearly one million straws from beaches and waterways around the world, and that’s one million too many polluting our environment,” … “Starbucks strawless lid is a prime example of how innovation will help us move closer to a healthy ocean free of trash, and we are committed to working with Starbucks through our International Coastal Cleanup and our Trash Free Seas Alliance to drive positive change. Our hope is that other companies follow suit, and that these innovations are met with greater investment from both the public and private sectors in recycling infrastructure and markets to keep the momentum alive.” What is your brand going to do in 2021 to join the ‘me to we’ movement?

For international corporate presentations, regional chain presentations, local educational forums, or keynotes contact: Steven Johnson Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions.  His extensive experience as a multi-unit restaurant operator, consultant, brand / product positioning expert and public speaking will leave success clues for all.

In a Battle for Share of Stomach

"Better-for-You' Matters"

Dickey's Extends Omnichannel Approach

 

Driving brand awareness in 2020 requires at minimum an omnichannel approach according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®. Regular readers of this blog know that an omnichannel approach is simply not enough to drive new electricity into a brand.

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, cereal, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?  So, just what is Dickey’s doing now.  Let’s look.

So, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is giving fans unfettered access to restaurant-quality cuts of meat, premium pre-cooked sides and desserts with the launch of their newest line of retail products. With nearly 80 years of restaurant experience Dickey’s unveiled an entire new line-up of retail products on their At Home site including ready-to-heat sides and dips such as queso blanco, buffalo chicken dip, scalloped potatoes and broccoli casserole.

Remember that this is only a product line extension.  That in and of itself will not drive new electricity.  The extension consists of hand-selected cuts of beef, poultry, pork and fish including wild caught mahi mahi, Atlantic salmon, filet mignon, boneless ribeye and a variety of other hand-trimmed, premium-grade proteins available for delivery exclusively on athome.dickeys.com.

says Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey’s Barbecue Restaurants, Inc stated “As a 79-year-old family restaurant we’ve taken our industry knowledge and curated a selection of proteins, southern-style dips and sides to give folks direct access to premium restaurant-grade products. When grocery shopping, it can be overwhelming trying to decide on the right cut of meat or if you’re getting a quality product at a fair price, but our selection is hand-picked to eliminate that stress by bringing only the finest cuts of proteins directly to one’s doorstep,”.

Dickey’s selection of fine meats offer peace of mind to consumers at home as every product is 100% natural, USDA inspected and must pass the brand’s rigorous test of quality, which means all products must be sustainably raised and include no added hormones, antibiotics or preservatives. Each cut is hand-trimmed by master butchers and is immediately sealed and flash frozen to ensure every product is delivered at its peak freshness. So, what is missing here elevated customer relevance.  So, there is our viewpoint on customer relevance.

Do your food marketing ideations look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Interested in learning how Foodservice Solutions® can edify your retail food brand while creating a platform for consumer convenient meal participation, differentiation and individualization?  Email us at: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or visit us on our social media sites by clicking the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Subway Big Picture Marketing Kick’s Off with Deion Sanders

If you’re a large chain and you want to be an industry leader, you have to have marketing messaging that edifies leadership.  Subway’s new big picture marketing is a prime example on how industry leaders lead according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Today the battle for share of stomach, share of food dollars has never been more intense Subway stepped-up and they are an Official Sandwich Sponsor of the National Football League.

They will be bringing players and fans together through a friendly competition to get them dancing on-the-field and on social to raise money for a worthy cause. With choreography led by NFL legend and notorious high-stepper, Deion “Primetime” Sanders, Subway dubbed his iconic two-step the “Footlong Shuffle” to benefit the NFL PLAY 60 youth health and wellness programs which brings the ‘halo’ of better for you that is core to Subways brand front and center.  

Recently, Sanders demonstrated the official moves of the Footlong Shuffle on his Twitter and Instagram pages @DeionSanders), and then, Sanders and Subway are challenging select players to celebrate big game moments with an on-the-field Footlong Shuffle. For every on-the-field Footlong Shuffle performed by an NFL player this football season, Subway will donate $50,000 to NFL PLAY 60 programs, up to $1 million.   

Sanders stated, “When I was headed to the endzone, I would break out my signature high step,”… “Big time plays deserve a celebration and even more so when they benefit a good cause like NFL PLAY 60 programs. I’m excited to help teach the new cats a little something about smooth moves with the Footlong Shuffle and see them try to recreate it on the field.”

Regular reader of this blog knows that food marketing that is interactive and participatory drive sales and long-term brand engagement. The Footlong Shuffle is the latest example of engaging ways fans can turn football season into Footlong Season. In October, Subway will encourage football and sandwich fans to share their own version of the Footlong Shuffle on social and will make an additional donation on behalf of each participant*. 

Battle for Share of Stomach

Carrie Walsh, Chief Marketing Officer of Subway stated, “Our guests and athletes of all ages come to Subway when they want to make better choices to fuel their days and their play. Expanding our long-term partnership with the NFL by supporting the NFL PLAY 60 commitment fits perfectly with what Subway represents as a brand that offers better-for-you choices,” … “We are excited to see the players and fans do the Footlong Shuffle to celebrate their big moments, and to join PLAY 60 to help create active and healthier generations for years to come.”

So, all funds raised through the Footlong Shuffle will support NFL PLAY 60 programs. NFL PLAY 60 is the NFL’s national youth health and wellness program that encourages kids to get physically active for at least 60 minutes a day.

Starting in October, Subway will be supporting Fuel Up to Play 60, a leading national in-school health and wellness program co-created by the NFL and National Dairy Council, to support two local initiatives. How are you making your marketing messaging memorable?

Foodservice Solutions® team is here to help you drive top line sales and bottom-line profits. Are you looking a customer ahead? Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may the clue you need to propel your continued success. 

Trifecta Drives Growth at Choice Market

 

Mix and match meal component bundling is one of the hallmarks driving customer adoption of grocerant niche Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared food according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Johnson stated “Choice Market hit the trifecta when they focused on mix and match bunding of groceries, prepared foods, and beverages including beer and wine. Winning in the food space today is not brain surgery.  It requires focusing on the three consumer touchpoints with the most relevance. That is exactly what Choice Market is doing.”

So, in case you are not a regular reader of this blog, Choice Market, is an omnichannel convenience store operator based in Denver, has recently secured growth financing to help fuel its next phase of growth throughout the U.S.

Choice Market was founded in 2017, they are currently operating several convenience stores in the Denver metro area with an additional location opening by the end of the year. This round of financing is a portion of the overall capitalization and will fund the opening of additional locations, build out of the organization and deployment of Choice’s proprietary digital customer experience across new channels and formats.

With consumer touchpoints top of mind, Choice, whose mission is to make good food accessible and convenient for all, will be launching a new mobile app, e-commerce website, native delivery and loyalty program. As of Sept. 18, customers will be able to order any item from Choice’s diverse selection for contactless pickup or for “e-delivery” which leverages a fleet of electric vehicles and e-bikes. That is incremental customer relevance according to Johnson.

This new digital experience empowers customers, so they can shop for groceries, prepared foods, and alcohol by dietary lifestyle, local suppliers or recipe and will receive personalized offers based on their shopping history. Starting with its fourth location, Choice will offer a frictionless experience in which customers can use their mobile app to pre-order prepared food, scan a QR code upon arrival, grab their groceries and leave without ever checking out. What are you focusing on to drive top line sales and bottom-line profits?

Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced business development. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities or a new menu product segment and brand and menu integration strategy.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Foodservice Packaging is Safe, Sanitary, and Sustainable

 

Regular readers of this blog know that packaging is one of The FIVE P’s of Food Marketing identified, quantified, and qualified by Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

Today, single-use foodservice packaging is proving a safe, sanitary and sustainable option that is helping c-stores offer food options to customers amid the pandemic and much more. Recently, Natha Dempsey who is the president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute wrote following and I wanted to share it with you today. I want restaurants, service deli’s, and all food retailers to think about your sector while reading this as 2020 is the year when foodservice focuses shifts from “the me to the we” according to Johnson.

Convenience store operations across the country have come to depend on single-use foodservice packaging to keep their businesses operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are everyday staples, like soda cups, take-out food containers and cutlery that have become ubiquitous in our lives.

That’s why, in a busy world where providing fresh, healthy and fun food options — plus a great customer experience — is a must, single-use foodservice packaging has become the best choice. 

Single-use foodservice packaging not only allows your on-the-go customers to enjoy healthy meals and snacks anywhere, it provides the flexibility to serve thousands of customers daily. Plus, the ability to print on the outside of foodservice packaging can be a top-flight branding opportunity, not to mention a convenient communications tool to convey important messaging to customers, such as “Don’t litter” or “Please recycle or compost.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, single-use foodservice packaging has proven itself sanitary for customers, which — along with social distancing and other methods — makes your location a safe place to do business. Foodservice packaging is manufactured, packed and shipped so it arrives clean at your location. That means it greatly reduces the likelihood of foodborne illnesses and the spread of infectious diseases like the coronavirus.

What’s more, single-use foodservice packaging is supported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which mandates its use in certain circumstances. Foodservice packaging materials are evaluated by regulatory agencies such as the FDA and Health Canada to ensure materials meet stringent safety standards.

A Historical Perspective

Foodservice packaging has been an unsung hero in many atypical situations and is the reason it came into existence. More than a century ago, Dr. Samuel Crumbine, a Kansas doctor and public health officer and reformer, started a campaign to end the use of the “Common Cup.” After witnessing a healthy child drink from this public-use metal cup immediately after a patient suffering from tuberculosis, he led the crusade to have this public drinking cup banned.

His campaign caught on to end their use, and the “Health Kup,” the first paper cup, aptly named for its purpose of preventing the spread of disease, was invented. Since then, single-use foodservice packaging has held the same sanitary benefits for foodservice operators and their customers. 

In addition to the world’s current coronavirus crisis, foodservice packaging has played a critical role in past events. When the Spanish flu hit Kansas in 1918, Crumbine advised the public not to spit on sidewalks or drink from common drinking cups, which would spread germs. 

Safe, Sustainable Choices

More recent studies confirm the sanitary benefits of single-use packaging. Conducted by winners of the Samuel J. Crumbine Consumer Protection Award, health departments in Sacramento County, Calif., and Maricopa County, Ariz., further proved this after finding evidence of coliform bacteria and significantly higher microbial levels on the reusable items tested, compared to their single-use counterparts.

Consider also that single-use foodservice packaging is an environmentally sound choice. It reduces consumption of water and energy resources because it doesn’t have to be washed and dried, and when recycled, materials found in foodservice packaging can be turned into new products. According to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, paper and plastic packaging items make up only 1.4% of municipal solid waste.

The benefits of single-use items are undeniable. Convenience stores, whether chain-operated or independent, are realizing that these go-to products are minimizing the threat of foodborne illnesses and infectious diseases, like COVID-19, and ensuring the safe and sanitary delivery of foods and beverages to their customers. CSD

Looking for success clues of your own? Foodservice Solutions® specializes in outsourced food marketing and business development ideations. We can help you identify, quantify and qualify additional food retail segment opportunities, technology, or a new menu product segment.  Foodservice Solutions® of Tacoma WA is the global leader in the Grocerant niche visit us on our social media sites by clicking one of the following links: Facebook,  LinkedIn, or Twitter

Restaurants, C-Stores, and Entrepreneurs Biz-Dev Sustainability is Electric

 

The team at Foodservice Solutions® has dubbed 2021 the year that the food industry turns ‘from me to we’ as retailers from every sector of foodservice including grocery, restaurants, convenience stores, dollar stores and entrepreneurs announce plans to turn to electric powered vehicles for a sustainable future.  

Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions® identified, quantified, and qualified the grocerant niche and stated ‘with elevated awareness focused on climate change food retailers will be first, focused, and forthright why the retail food industry most evolve with electric vehicles for sustainability.

So, Gallery, a leading innovator of mobile carts for food, beverage and retail businesses, has announced a unique partnership with AYRO, Inc. and Club Car to launch a new line of electric vehicles to help bring food, beverage, and retail merchandising safely to consumers this fall.

Get this the custom-designed E Vehicles are designed and built by Gallery using AYRO’s Lithium-Powered Vendor Box on the Club Car 411 Vehicle to support mobile power for a range of on-board food service. The new electric vehicles feature convenient hot and cold storage and dispensing to ensure food and beverage items are safely stored, transported and delivered. Operating on at least 50 percent of fuel costs, the zero-emissions vehicles require far less energy than full-sized, gas-powered food trucks and do not require any special charging infrastructure.

Dan Gallery V, President, Gallery, stated “As colleges open their campuses and businesses prepare workplaces for the return of employees and guests, traditional dining experiences are not possible. Companies are looking for creative new ways to provide food & beverages,". "Instead of bringing people to the food, we are bringing food to the people and now, more than ever before, consumers need convenient grab-and-go options that are safe, reliable, and efficient.”

The Battle for Share of Stomach 

Is Getting Better for You

Understanding the halo of better for you, Gallery E Vehicles help food, beverage and merchandising operators bring their products directly to consumers. The environmentally friendly, cost-effective, fully customizable light duty vehicles are the latest in Gallery’s line-up of innovative products being used in venues across the country, from major NFL stadiums to colleges and universities, conference centers, airports and malls.

AYRO CEO Rod Keller, stated “At AYRO, we pride ourselves in being able to quickly deploy purpose-built electric vehicles in order to enable sustainable fleets. We serve a wide range of industries that each experience unique challenges, but by collaborating with our customers and partners like Gallery, we can custom engineer solutions that fulfill specific needs –  such as bringing food and other resources safely to the point of demand, reducing noise and emissions, and providing cost savings,”.

“Whether you’re running to class, on your way into the office, or heading to catch a flight, we all need convenient on-the-go food and beverage choices right now, and we need to know they are safe,” says Gallery.

For more than 40 years, Gallery has supplied thousands of mobile food kiosks and portables for many of the country’s top sports venues and household brands including Pepsico, YUM Brands, Starbucks and many more. This summer, Gallery also launched a set of UV light solutions and products to help venues and other public spaces in their reopening efforts during the pandemic.

Are you looking for a new partnership to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.

Taco Bell Renews Partnership Give Away Xbox Series X Bundles

 

If success leaves clues and it does. Then the Taco Bell X Box promotion is a real hit driving new electricity, messaging, awareness for both brands according to Steven Johnson, Grocerant Guru® at Tacoma, WA based Foodservice Solutions®.

You have all heard the old adage ‘if its not broke don’t fix it’.  Well, that’s about half right.  If the business development ideations worked in 2019 then, in 2020 you need to elevate it and take it to the next level, and that is exactly what Taco Bell is trying to do with this year’s promotion.  Consumers are dynamic not static and brands need to push each other forward with customer relevance according to Johnson.  

So, Taco Bell and Xbox are joining forces for the fourth year in a row to give away Xbox Series X bundles before the next-gen console launches nationwide, and this year, winning is as easy as sipping on a Taco Bell beverage. Starting September 24, customers who purchase any medium or large drink via the Taco Bell app or in-person will receive a code on their cup for a chance to win the new bundle. With up to three entries per day and a winner approximately every 15 minutes, there are more chances to win and enjoy the fastest, most powerful Xbox ever.

Get ready, while the national beverage promotion goes live on September 24, Taco Bell is sharing another way to win an Xbox Series X even earlier via its new digital rewards program. All fans need to do is download the Taco Bell app and join the Taco Bell Rewards Beta program by September 13. Those that have opted-in to receive emails will be able to register and gain exclusive access to be included in daily drawings from September 15 to September 21.

Nikki Lawson, Taco Bell’s Chief Global Brand Officer, stated “For four years now, Taco Bell and Xbox have continued to break the mold to create experiences consumers crave,” .. “Our goal has always been to meet our fans where they are culturally, and the gaming world is no exception. With digital gaming and entertainment serving as a connector for so many people these days, we’re excited to be the first to offer consumers the ultimate gaming console before it launches nationwide.”

So, what do you get? The bundle includes the new Xbox Series X, one new Xbox Wireless Controller and six-months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, giving fans all the benefits of Xbox Live Gold, including online multiplayer and access to more than 100 high-quality games on console and PC, as well as cloud gaming on Android mobile devices, exclusive member deals and discounts, and more as soon as they turn on their console. How are you building new electricity?  Are you looking outside your four walls? Outside the Box?

Johnson stated “that in my minds-eye the new electricity must be very efficient for the supply chain and includes such things as fresh foods, online ordering, delivery, plant based foods, sampling, toy’s, cereal, developing brands,  grocerant positioning, fresh food messaging, autonomous delivery, cashier-less retail, plates, glasses, cash-less payments, digital hand-held marketing.

All food and beverage retailers to survive the next generation of retail must embrace the artificial intelligence revolution while simultaneously embracing fresh food and beverages that are portable, fresh, with differentiation that is familiar not different.  Does your retail path forward look more like yesterday than tomorrow? Why?

Are you looking for a new electricity to drive sales? Are you ready for some fresh ideations? Do your food marketing tactics look more like yesterday that tomorrow?  Visit GrocerantGuru.com for more information or contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us Remember success does leave clues and we just may have the clue you need to propel your continued success.