You may have heard the increasing buzz around Microsoft Tag, Data Matrix and other QR (Quick Read) technologies. But, what exactly is it? Simply put, it’s yet another direct connection to the consumer!!

Snap it and see!

Get the free app at http://gettag.mobi

Specifically, a Tag is a customized barcode that links real world objects (using the free Tag Reader mobile phone application) to more information like videos, websites, addresses and phone numbers. People no longer have to type in a long URL or wait to sit down at a PC. With a PDA or smartphone, they have everything they need right in the palm of their hand.

Tags can be ANYWHERE: ads, product packages, business cards, websites, clothing, skin…you name it! That means marketing opportunities abound for you and your company! You can even customize the look of your tag to complement the surface upon which it is placed.

How can you use a Tag to market your business? The possibilities with 2-D barcodes are endless but here are a few real world applications to inspire you:

• You’re at the grocery store and you have a screaming 3 year old in the front of your cart. You notice a Tag on a box of fruit snacks; you scan it and suddenly your screaming tot is being entertained by a promo cartoon featuring the characters on the box of fruit snacks. When the video is done, a coupon for the product is automatically sent to your inbox. Cha-ching!

• Place Tags on menus or table-top tents to provide everything from nutritional information to chef specials. You can also feature coupons, special promotions or happy hour pricing.

• Use Tags at tradeshow events to engage expo attendees. Nothing says tradeshow like free giveaways and promotional material but nothing says you can’t make your giveaways work a little harder for you. Print a Tag on your giveaway or collateral that brings people to your website or a special landing page giving them more info about your company.

• People love free stuff so why not give it to them? Tie promotional content to your Tag and people will scan it all day long. Offer free ringtones, wallpaper or even tasty recipes. So cool if you bought tomatoes and on the packaging there was a Tag with a recipe for bruschetta. Imagine the possibilities!

• And all of the real world examples above not only provide exposure to the companies using them – Tags captures useful analytics, as well! Companies can track the number of scans, click-throughs and resulting responses from a specific tag. See how companies are already using this tool!

So What?: 2-D barcodes can bring new life to your current marketing strategies – as exemplified by Harvest Mark’s use of this technology across multiple product lines. We’re marketing to an ever growing population of ‘always-on’ consumers and Tag technology is a great way to reach them. The web is always in the palm of their hands and now your story can be too. So whether you put it on your packaging, business card or a billboard, this innovation can expand your reach and engage your audience – now that’s real world marketing!

Posted by: Kelly Pritchett & Heidi Haaven

When I was growing up outside of Philadelphia, my family had season tickets to the Phillies. I never thought it possible, but my passion for sports has only increased since then and along with it, so has my passion for fresh produce and a healthy lifestyle. Having experienced firsthand how eating fresh produce has made such a personal difference in my health and well being, I am more conscious than ever before about nutritious food options being available to everyone, everywhere.

While I would rather reach for baby carrots and hummus versus nachos and cheese dip, the food options at sports stadiums and arenas haven’t progressed much since my childhood. With many stadiums not allowing fans to bring in outside food (my hometown being the exception), avid sports fans who are also avid healthy eaters have had trouble finding meal options that fit their diets and tastes.

I’m not the only person that’s concerned about the nutritional aspects of stadium food . In this recent CNNSI.com article, a fan remarks, “I appreciate people wanting to have healthier options. [But] this is a ballpark. It’s about hot dogs, and it’s about peanuts.” We’ve all heard the same arguments against healthier options at sporting events. “It’s too expensive.” “It doesn’t work for mass catering.” “People don’t want healthy food while watching sports.” But I can’t be the only sports fan out there that can enjoy both a great goal line stand AND a salad? No longer are stadiums packed with only the stereotypical “beer and hot dog guys/gals” – and these venues should start catering to the sports fans seeking nutritious options as well.

Fortunately, I did discover that there are sporting venues stepping up to the proverbial plate to provide healthier food options! The Cincinnati Reds experimented with a “Grab-N-Go” stand that featured fresh fruit, sandwiches, salad and sushi and did $17,000 worth of business on opening day. And several MLB teams partnered with the California Table Grape Commission for “Grapes from California Day” , where grapes were available for sale at concession areas throughout the ballparks.

Out of curiosity, I looked at my hometown team’s baseball park, expecting it to be all about Cheesesteaks. Instead, I learned that Citizen’s Bank Park has been voted the “No. 1 Vegetarian Ballpark” for four straight years running. Who knew? Now, when I go home to my beloved Phillies, I know I’ll have some healthy produce options to choose from!

While baseball season is winding down, football season is only weeks away. Can football follow the lead of baseball and add some healthy variety to its concessions? I sure think so! The NFL has long promoted a healthy lifestyle in its Play 60 Campaign. Play 60 calls for more fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains in school meals. Wouldn’t it be terrific if the NFL took this nutritional approach to the concession stands at its stadiums?

So what?: Professional sports venues are starting to provide healthier eating options and their partnerships with fresh produce companies will continue to expand. Here are a few suggestions for encouraging fans to take advantage of their new fresh choices:

• Sneak it in when fans aren’t looking. Ok, so fans may not be willing to jump directly from nachos to a veggie plate. But stadiums can incorporate fresh produce components into popular items – think fresh veggie condiments on burgers, fresh fruit on ice cream sundaes, etc. As fans get used to seeing produce in their ballpark meals, they might be open to trying even more produce-centric items!

• Make it Part of the Game Experience. If you’ve been to a professional sports game, you’ll know that really rabid fans will do crazy things in the name of team loyalty. We paint our faces green, turn our caps inside out, you name it. If the Philadelphia Eagles announcer told me it would bring my team luck to eat an orange in the third quarter, I would probably do it. I am that crazy!

• Make the Players the Example. This will especially work well with young fans, whose eating habits are still being shaped. Let’s get professional athletes on board promoting fruit and vegetable consumption both inside and outside the stadium. Fans see players as role models, and if their role models are saying they should eat fresh produce, perhaps they will!

Posted by: Guest Contributor, Miriam S. Miller, Senior Director of Membership, United Fresh Produce Association

We get up to a lot of shenanigans here in the DMA office, but being fresh produce marketers, ideally we aim for our teambuilding exercises to also teach us something about our industry, marketing or consumer behavior. Being the lone bachelor in the office, I couldn’t participate in the “Feed Your Family a Fresh Meal for $10” Challenge with Marci and Megan. However, as The Health Nut, I, too, want to provide my family (ok, me) with the freshest food possible. And, not just fresh – I am always on a quest for fresh, healthy AND affordable ways to stuff my face. But, above all, I’m looking for a convenient way to do it.

You can pretty easily find a meal solution that meets a couple of those criteria, but it’s close to impossible to find all four. However, one day as I was driving home from work, Heaven’s light shone down upon what was to become my new favorite dining establishment. Sure, that might sound a little dramatic, but My Fit Foods has solved so many of my daily “dilemmas” that it really does feel heaven-sent.

Picture this:
• Pre-packaged FRESH meals
• Over 40 varieties – divided into Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Snack categories
• Prepared with the precisely measured amounts and types of proteins, carbs, and healthy fats
• Nutritional labels on every packaged meal so you know exactly what and how much you’re ingesting
• Microwave safe containers (AND, they’re environmentally friendly to boot! If you return your used/washed containers to them, they’ll recycle!)

It’s basically like having your own personal chef without paying personal chef prices. Prices average about $7.50, so you can’t feed a family at My Fit Foods for under $10, BUT the convenience, in this bachelor’s opinion, is more than worth it.

The chain is expanding, with almost 20 locations throughout Dallas, Austin and Houston. I am currently lobbying for one in my very own backyard – that’s really the only way they could up their convenience!

So What?: People are clamoring for FRESH (notice how many companies and products are latching on to this super marketable word). And companies like My Fit Foods are stepping up to the plate – lucky for those who either don’t have the time to prepare fresh meals at home or choose not to. And, as an industry that provides the bulk of these fresh ingredients to our communities, it’s time we take notice of and target these new potential customers (and even new opportunities within existing ones)!

Posted by The Health Nut (Brock Nemecek)

At DMA, we can’t imagine a summer without guacamole in it. It is our staple. Our go-to. Our craving…with or without chips. Recently I was excited to find Frontera Produce’s avocados from Mexico perched in a pretty basket at my local grocery store. I immediately grabbed four of the voluptuous fruits, called my girlfriends, broke out a new Mojito recipe and voila – it was a party!

This inspired the DMA Guac-Off where team members Marci, Brock and I prepared our very own guacamole recipes in only 10 minutes, using “super secret” ingredients. The final products, “The Green Monster”, “Guacalicious” and “The Classic” were placed in our office break room where our 3rd floor cohorts sampled and voted for their favorite version.

Lucky for you, we’re sharing our recipes here and want you to weigh in with your opinion.

The Classic – Megan Zweig
2 ripe avocados
1 lime, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and diced
½ cup tomatoes, diced
½ cup red onion, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mash/stir to combine.

The Green Monster – Brock Nemecek
2 ripe avocados
½ small can of diced green chilis
½ cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Garlic salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mash/stir to combine. Devour.

Guacalicious – Marci Allen
2 ripe Avocadoes
1/4 lime, juiced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, deseeded and finely diced
3/4 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
Season salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl and mash/stir to combine.

In the end, “The Green Monster” was victorious in our office building. Try these out yourselves at home and let us know which one is your winner!

Posted by: The Optimist (Megan Zweig)

You’re familiar with the setting. It takes place at business conventions, industry conferences and even reunions. Hors de oeuvres’ and free drinks decorate a large ball room while attendees congregate in their circle of acquaintances and, before you know it, there are a million different conversations taking place. Business cards make their way from hand to hand with a potential email, phone call or meeting to follow up in a more personal (and quiet) setting.

Take this scene and digitalize it via the World Wide Web and you get Twitter. There are literally millions of conversations taking place among tweeters of all types and they congregate around their own “circle of acquaintances” determined by whom they follow and who follows them. Business website links and contact information make their way from post to post with a potential follow up in an email, phone call or… tweet chat, a Twitter-based, online chat room.

These virtual chat rooms use hash tags (for example, #tweetchat) to keep track of all posts about a specific subject matter. With hordes of information being exchanged in social media, it’s great to be able to put on some blinders to the Twitter-sphere and focus on one topic with people who are concentrating on/interested in the same thing. Plus, you never have to worry about that one person in every meeting who is long-winded and takes up too much time because a) you’re not actually speaking and b)you only have 140 characters to use each time you make a post. And, to make things as simple as possible, Tweet Chat employs user friendly features like smart-pausing, real- time updates and automatic hash tags. The process takes three easy steps.

1. Navigate to www.tweetchat.com.
2. Sign in with your Twitter credentials at the designated time.
3. Type in the hash tag of your choice and follow the live stream of conversation.

Most tweet chats take place at a designated time and are moderated by a lead tweeter who sends out questions for discussion and keeps track of time. For example, one of my favorite tweet chats, AgChat, whose mission is to “empower farmers and ranchers to connect communities through social media platforms” takes place every Tuesday evening from 8 -10 pm ET. The first 15 minutes is reserved for networking where all chatters introduce themselves by real names, rather than Twitter handles, and get settled next to their computers with a snack (and maybe a glass of wine.) Following the intros are questions about the topic of the week that have been submitted to the moderator in advance. The last five minutes of the conversation are reserved for “pitching” where participants can promote their blogs, websites or businesses. With topics like food and health, family-run businesses, agricultural organizations and sustainability, Agchat is definitely appropriate for growers, shippers, packers, and fresh produce lovers alike.

A few other tweet chats we have discovered are
• #foodchat – in conjunction with #agchat, every 3rd Tuesday from 8-10pm EDT
• #smchat – on social media, every Wednesday from 12-1 pm CST
• #blogchat – on blogging, every Sunday from 8-9 pm CST

For a list of other tweet chats to join, take a look at this central public Google Document.

JOIN US on Thursday, August 26th, at 1 PM Central time for #freshproducechat! Direct message @TheCoreBlog with your questions or topics you would like to discuss.

So What?: Tweet Chat is an easy-to-use tool that allows participants to meet in a Twitter-based, online chat room and have a moderated discussion about one area of interest. This kind of resource is a perfect way for the fresh produce industry to highlight current issues and stay connected with each other, as well as with consumers.

Posted by: Kelly Pritchett, The Visualizer

As a voice of my generation, post-college employment no longer seems to be simply defined as 9 to 5 in a cube.  Many of my fellow Gen Y’ers are taking an alternative route, veering away from the wrath of the “real world” – a route that makes a difference in people’s lives while providing lifelong skills and and meeting critical demands in the community. With the 1.6 million increase of Americans volunteering in the past year, a total of 63.4 million volunteers are now demonstrating the generosity of America’s spirit at its finest.  And a lot of these new volunteers are my peers. 

Thanks to the biggest national community service corporation in the country, AmeriCorps, college grads are actively incorporating service into their jobs and lives for at least one year.   As a U.S. federal government program, AmeriCorps provides services ranging from public education to environmental restoration.  It offers 75,000 opportunities to serve through an association of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups.

So, what happens when a twenty-something, idealistic do-gooder meets food? Do they buy from a big grocery chain without thinking of the food’s industrial journey to the store? Or do they buy from their local markets, feeling connected to their local roots, literally?  The food industry is on the edge of tapping into a new marketing frontier: College grads that promote local service and want their food choices to match.

Many of these young volunteers strive to eat with the same good conscience as they use on the job.  However, they work on a tight budget.  Organic groceries are too expensive, so what about serving communities not only by helping, but by eating locally? The Northwest Service Academy is one of the largest AmeriCorps programs in the nation.  Their mission is to address local environmental demands while “promoting a cultural and civic responsibility.”  This group not only buys their fresh produce and meats locally, benefiting the surrounding areas, but teaches the volunteers about food production, food buying, food preparation, and waste food disposal.

For five days I volunteered with an AmeriCorps crew of the Northwest Service Academy.  I trekked along the Pacific Crest Trail restoring hazardous hiking routes and living as simply as possible.  Surprisingly, much of my work that week linked back to food.  We cooked everything from scratch and composted as much of our scraps as possible. The crew only eats seasonal produce and buys local meats and eggs from local farmers.     Many of the volunteers told me they have never eaten so healthily or so eco-friendly in their lives.  This was their first step to live a health conscious lifestyle outside the fast foods of college.  This new marketing frontier is beginning to face a generation of humanitarians who want to “get to know their food” without spending an arm and a leg.

Because I’ve had the opportunity to intern with a company that works with and for the fresh produce industry, I understand now that “getting to know our food” doesn’t and can’t always mean getting it from local sources.  This can also mean that, when the winter months arrive and locally grown fruits and vegetables are harder to find; we have the tools to make educated decisions about what’s available and at peak of season so that we’re always making the freshest possible decisions.

So What?: My charitable generation is not only going the “service” route, we are also rediscovering the food market of fresh, local products. Food marketers are on the verge of facing a new consumer group that may shift their marketing strategies and tactics forever. By marketing effectively to our generation/demographic, we will keep eating fresh and locally grown produce when it’s available, AND be educated about the origins of fresh produce and how that incorporates into our local/humanitarian stories.

Posted by: Katy Billups, The Intern

We are bombarded with hundreds of advertisements each day. In fact, there are so many ads all around us that we’ve become immune and don’t even notice most of them. So, imagine my surprise when I saw an ad on an airline barf bag. Genius! Not that I completely understand how a creative team could sit in a meeting and say, “Yes! That’s it – the aroma of regurgitated pretzel sticks and flat soda will launch our product to the next level.” But they did manage to break through the clutter of daily life and made me stop, stare and really notice their ad.

So that got me thinking about how many other unconventional advertising opportunities might be right under my nose (in a less literal sense, of course). We shouldn’t let traditional advertising media dictate how we spend our marketing dollars. Instead, as you can see from the following list, the sky is the limit and we should challenge ourselves to create these unique and sometimes completely off the wall marketing ideas.

1. The best part of waking up
Well, I didn’t see this one coming. Nothing says ‘good morning’ like a steaming cup of sewer gas. I have to give Folgers credit for turning an unattractive manhole cover into an advertising opportunity but I’m not convinced it makes their coffee more appealing. Clever – yes. Effective – not so much.

2. Unfriendly door system finds new purpose
This is one way to get people to use those annoying revolving doors. I’ve never understood why businesses utilize such an unfriendly, and frankly dangerous (I’ve watched a little kid get trapped in one and it was disturbing to say the least), entrance but at least now they can use it to generate revenue. This is sure to get noticed and customers will really appreciate the clever messaging, especially if they’re trapped inside.

3. Forehead for Rent
I wish I was kidding, but sadly this is real…and permanent. You can actually market your company on people’s bodies. A woman went on eBay and auctioned off the space on her forehead for a real tattoo. The going rate for this facial billboard: $10,000.

4. New ad space takes off
Now that airlines don’t serve meals anymore they had to come up with a new use for those tray tables. And because airlines like to make money on every little thing, tray table advertising is the perfect revenue generator for them and a great advertising medium for companies such as Verizon, Microsoft and Bose.

5. Fresh Idea
Because fresh produce is super sexy, it’s no surprise that I love this idea. A tree lined sidewalk becomes a living ad for a local farmers market. Imagine slapping your logo on a tree and making it work – AMAZING!

6. It’s in the bag
Tired, old bags with just a company logo are so last season. Grab the attention of a potential customer by displaying your creative flair. You have to admit these bags are going to get more than their fair share of attention.

7. Straight Shooter
This is nothing new but it still boggles my mind. Letting men pee on your logo is actually an effective (?) marketing strategy. Imagine yourself at a tradeshow lost among a sea of business cards and signage and you find yourself whizzing on a clever company’s booth number. Bulls-eye!

8. I see hidden people
JobsInTown has this game figured out. These clever “hidden people” grab your attention and create an oh-so memorable visual experience. Which makes me think that life’s too short for boring marketing.

So What?: It’s ideas like these that remind me why I love marketing so much. With all the clutter that consumers are faced with each day it’s no wonder you need to make your message stand out. Maybe barf bags and urinal cakes aren’t the right media for your company but they certainly get you thinking about potential ways to set yourself apart from the competition. What can you do for your next promotion that will grab the attention of your audience?

Posted by: Heidi Haaven

Have you ever tried cooking a fresh meal for your family of four for under $10? At DMA, we define a “fresh meal” as one that does not include processed ingredients. Lately, as we’ve been experimenting with the “Fresh” discussion online through social media outlets, there’s a clear misconception amongst consumers that “fresh is more expensive.” This got us to thinking…as mothers and heads of the culinary art in our homes, can we cook a fresh meal for our hungry families for under $10? In all fairness, we were able to use staple items that could be found in the pantry or in the refrigerator as accent ingredients to our meals.

Here is what we came up with:

The Optimist – Megan

Spent: $9.92
Purchased:
1 pound of fresh Chicken breast strips
3 ears of sweet corn
1.36 pounds of fresh green beans
1 Russet potato
1 Sweet Texas Onion
1 Cucumber

With a hungry husband and growing little boy, it’s all about meat and potatoes at our house. We cook just about every night and always work to find that sweet spot that marries flavor with nutrition. The $10 meal challenge was great fun and something that we will continue to do in order to keep an eye on our wallets and our fresh intake! When we do splurge on processed foods, even at our favorite fast food restaurant, we spend $20 in the blink of an eye for three meals.

Here’s what we devoured for dinner under $10: Grilled chicken strips marinated in a splash of EVOO, reduced sodium soy sauce and freshly ground pepper. Fresh green beans, snapped and cooked with sautéed onion and a strip of bacon (it was in the fridge!). Grilled, sweet corn on the cob, kernels shaved and sautéed in butter with diced onion. Mashed potatoes and cucumber and onion salad doused with EVOO and red wine vinegar. So easy and fresh!

The Analyst – Marci

Spent: $8.25
Purchased:
3 chicken breasts
1 pound of fresh broccoli
4 ears of sweet corn

Admittedly, cooking is more of a chore for me than a creative outlet at the end of my busy work day. And most of my week days are filled with evening activities that prevent eating at home, so unfortunately I don’t have the control over my family’s diet that I would like to. But on the days I can cook, we stick to simple meals that are quick to fix, that I’m sure my kids will eat and are full of fresh, healthy produce. Luckily, my kids love most of the fruits and veggies that I put in front of them and often times eat them before finishing the protein. Can’t complain about that!

As a mom who purchases her fair share of drive-thru and take-out fare, there is no doubt that only $8.25 is a fantastic price for a four person meal. Here’s what I came up with: Baked chicken breasts marinated in a lemon peppercorn marinade. Steamed broccoli seasoned with Lawry’s Vegetable and Pork blend and corn on the cob slathered (that’s right – slathered) in butter with a little bit of seasoned salt. Voila! They cleaned their plates.

So What?: We’ve taken a challenge to squash the notion that cooking with fresh ingredients is too expensive. While we realize that canned and frozen alternatives may, at certain times of the year, be a strong competitor on price alone, one cannot argue that our experiment proves that a family of four can have a FRESH and flavorful meal very inexpensively. Adding an additional perspective, the Department of Agriculture, reports that Americans are spending 48.9 percent of their food dollars away from home. Who can argue that these prepared meals are not generally at least double the cost of our home cooked FRESH meals? Expensive shmensive, we say.

Posted by: The Optimist (Megan Zweig) and The Analyst (Marci Allen)

It’s not easy to compete for attention with all the breathtaking views, the pounding surf and drop-dead delicious meals that are found throughout the Monterey/Carmel region. But as the fresh produce industry descended on this city by the sea, PMA Foodservice participants did more than compete!

It was clear to us that months of prep work, as well as high wattage brainpower went into the displays, sessions and sample menus at this past weekend’s event and we, along with the other fortunate attendees, reaped the benefits. And although there was certainly a vast amount of GREAT, there were still some standouts.

Here’s what blew us away:

Best Sweet Treat

Nature’s Reward strawberries from Steinbeck Country Produce were mixed with a buttercream icing and, apparently, a touch of heaven, and then perfectly dolloped on top of mini vanilla cupcakes. These small-in-size-but-not-in-taste treats were the perfect grab and go tradeshow sample because they were as memorable as they were delicious.

Most Engaging Booth Personnel

And our first repeat winner! Renee Brooks of Prime Time Produce didn’t let even one of our walk-by’s go unnoticed as she, without fail, greeted, engaged with or offered a giveaway to us each and every time we passed. This kind of welcoming attitude surely served Prime Time well at this and all other events!

Most Creative Produce Display

Ahhh… something that we’ve always appreciated is the unique presentation and amazing artistry that can be seen with intricately carved fruits and vegetables. So often produce displays at trade shows are simply whole pieces of produce that are rarely showcased in an interesting way. Babe Farms hit it out of the park with a display that was cool, vibrantly beautiful and reminded our foodservice audience how diverse our amazing products can really be. Not to mention how presentation can really add that extra WOW factor to skillfully prepared dishes.

Best Savory Sample

Ok, so we admit that hot dogs do not usually make a “favorites” list for most of us. But Gills Onions proved that if paired with deliciously seasoned grilled onions (and there were four flavors to choose from), they are pretty dang good. I don’t care who you are. And what an “outside of the box” way to present a commodity that can easily be overlooked by some of its more exciting and exotic counterparts! Kudos to Gills Onions for a great tradeshow sample idea!!!

Best Non-traditional Product Use

So when you think of fresh herbs and a creative way to showcase them, what comes to mind? Maybe a beautifully garnished plate or an aromatic cooking demonstration? Think again! Eureka Specialties came up with their own one-of-a-kind Herb Infused Lemonade to show just how diverse their products can be – not to mention how delicious! We gave it a try – albeit warily – and were quite amazed at how delicious and beautiful their drink concoction turned out to be. We highly recommend adding a little mint, thyme, basil and dill to your favorite lemonade recipe for your next warm weather festivity.

Most Avant Garde Exhibition

Webster says something that’s avant garde “develops new or experimental concepts especially in the arts.” We say that’s exactly what the Duda Farm Fresh Foods’ booth accomplished at PMA Foodservice. Half art, half tradeshow booth, Duda subtly, yet beautifully communicated their message via a vivid and colorful scene straight out of the famous French Laundry restaurant in Napa. They may have placed second in the Best of Show competition, but the buzz this booth created was undeniable!

Best Booth Demonstration

In May 2010 we featured HarvestMark in our post show “What Blew Us Away” list from Las Vegas for their clean and sleek booth design. In Monterey, we found ourselves enlightened by Founder and CMO, Elliott Grant’s educational and super techy demonstration on the company’s traceability platform. This blast from the future educates the consumer about the product, where it came from, what to do with it, what people are saying about it in social media and how to get it with a coupon. Super cool stuff.

Best New Product for Culinary Convenience

The New Product Showcase is a fun place for fanatics like us to hang out and scope out the cool and inventive new products being featured on the show floor. This year in Monterey, one in particular stood out. We love Spice World’s latest in culinary convenience featuring a squeeze bottle of minced garlic.

Best New Product for Consumer Convenience

Ready Pac’s newest products were also a featured great in the New Product Showcase at PMA Foodservice. We absolutely love Ready Pac’s take on pre-packaged consumer snacks and salads. Their Ready Snax and Ready Pac Bistro Salads are truly the perfect blend of fresh ingredients and accompaniments for the busy consumer.

Best Cooking Demonstration

If you missed the conference portion of the event, it’s a big bummer because Rick Bayless was cooking up culinary genius in the ballroom of the Marriott at 9:35 a.m. on Sunday. Featuring the session’s sponsor’s products, Bayless and other featured chefs showcased how to make inventive yet deliciously simple recipes with humor and expertise!

So What?: When exhibiting at or participating in tradeshows, it’s always important to put your best foot forward. Our experiences at PMA Foodservice 2010 inspired us to continue thinking about how to keep our (and our client’s) events presence one step ahead and two steps better. What steps will you take to improve on your next tradeshow experience? How will you blow them away?

Posted by: The DMA Team

There’s a growing and legitimate movement, known by multiple names, that, purely by its mission, has created a double standard among consumers when they dine out or purchase food to prepare and/or consume at home.

We’ve all heard about the local, slow food, or food patriotism movement and many are even participating on one level or another. The arguments “for” are many and are rooted in admirable and good-for-the-Earth goals. And the passion is certainly there. Some local vs. “transported” food, er, discussions have actually resulted in fist-fights. But, please no fighting folks! We can ALL agree that a common goal for all chefs, restaurants, retail stores and diners alike is that the fresh produce we serve/eat tastes good. Or, better yet, GREAT. And, often times locally grown and sourced produce fits that bill. And when it does, we say go for it!

And here’s where that double standard kicks in. A chef demanding only locally sourced produce (and then marketing that fact) for use in her trendy restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, will also gladly and proudly serve wines from Napa, cheese from Humboldt County, and coffee from the South American Andes. Why? Because those regions are known for producing HIGH QUALITY products. Sure, wine, cheese and coffee are certainly less perishable than fresh fruits and vegetables; but the fact is that somehow distance, in relation to fresh produce, has become a scarlet letter to some. On top of that, optimum growing conditions and the best farmland available (not mention people willing to risk A LOT year after year gambling on Mother Nature to cooperate) has become a rare discussion with or marketing message to consumers. Somehow, fresh AND best-tasting isn’t a differentiator worthy of promoting by those with the loudest voices (such as influential chefs, Jamie Oliver, or even Michelle Obama).

While we applaud and support much of the local movement and its passionate members, we also ask that they consider becoming “BESTavores” – our word for a group of consumers who makes purchasing decisions based on the BEST source – local when available and in season and from other locales when they’re exporting (even domestically) the BEST stuff (think pineapples from Veracruz or Clementines from Florida or California). Basically, we’re saying there’s room for both local and imported fresh produce on our restaurants’ or homes’ menus. And the biggest winners in all of this are the consumers who choose to feature the BEST on their plates/tables.

So What?: Complaining and arguing the validity of “local” is most likely not the best use of our time, but discovering ways to connect, empower and motivate consumers, without a doubt, IS. “Local” caters and matters to many influential consumers and buyers and the local story is great for fresh produce. However, we need to invest more energy on communicating with consumers why they should purchase our clementines or our raspberries when they have an opportunity to do so, local or not. TASTE is timeless and is best exemplified in peak-of-season products harvested from areas with prime growing conditions for that particular product. Which is something our industry offers every day. We should be telling, no SHOUTING, all of our amazing stories!

Posted by The Health Nut (Brock Nemecek)