Is Whole Foods Fumbling Its Marketing Play for Millennial Health & Nutrition Dollars?

Whole Foods

After losing 20 percent of their value in the last year, Whole Foods is hoping to tap into the buying power of the “thrifty” Millennial generation by opening a less expensive chain of stores in 2016.

Unfortunately, the famously overpriced health food store brand that is referred to nationwide as “Whole Paycheck” may be facing an uphill climb. Here’s why:

Millennials Shop Differently
In my last post 5 Ways Millennials Shop (and How It Affects Health and Nutrition Marketing) I explained that Millennials are less brand and channel loyal than other generations of shoppers. This is true whether they are buying household goods or organic produce. They want convenience and quality at a fair price, and they don’t care where they find it. Continue reading

5 Ways Millennials Shop (and How It Affects Health and Nutrition Marketing)

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Out with the old, in with the new is the mantra when branding today’s Health and Nutrition products. That’s because a whole new generation of shoppers are changing the rules.

There was a time when the Baby Boomer generation dictated what was on store shelves, but today, the biggest influencers in the food markets seem to be the Millennials. I happen to be one of the nearly 80 million Millennials (also known as Gen Y) born between the early 1980s and the early 2000s. I definitely agree that there is a difference between how we shop and the more traditional way Baby Boomers shop.

Here are 5 things Health and Nutrition Marketers should know about the buying habits of Millennials: 

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Creating AdWords Campaigns for Your Health Nutrition Brand

SEO, Internet Marketing, AdWords

6 simple ways to improve your Google marketing ROI

I recently took a Google Marketing class to learn more about Search Engine Marketing (SEM) campaigns. I wasn’t there to learn how to create a campaign—though the refresher on best practices was nice. My main goal was to make sure I was spending my clients’ dollars wisely. Some brands have large budgets and others have very small budgets, but they all want the best return on investment. So, I wondered, how much money does it take to run a really effective Google AdWords campaign?

The answer: You don’t have to spend a lot of money on Google pay-per-click advertising, but you do have to invest the time to make sure you have the right strategy.

Here are 6 ways to create a more successful AdWords campaign:

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Marketing Your Health Nutrition Product as Non-GMO

Can using an industry buzzword help boost your sales?

Everywhere I go these days, it seems someone is talking about GMO’s. Consumers are concerned that scientists have genetically altered their food and for good reason. Although genetically modified foods are based on the natural model of breeding out unfavorable characteristics, the process is complicated and slightly mysterious. Health-conscious people want assurances that the foods they buy are made the way nature intended, and GMO’s are anything but that.

“Non-GMO” is a word that seems to put consumer fears at ease. Using it on your product label could be the key to driving more sales. Here’s why:

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Marketing Sports Nutrition Products to Everyday People

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Is broadening the scope of your health nutrition brand a good idea?

The majority of sports nutrition companies that market products like energy bars, powdered supplements and sports drinks have traditionally, and almost exclusively, targeted professional athletes. That trend seems to be changing.

According to an article by Stephen Daniells of nutraingredients-usa-com, leading OTC company, Swisse Wellness is now focusing on what they term  “a premium quality sports nutrition range designed for everyday men and women who lead busy, active lifestyles.”

The article also cited a 2013  report by Packaged Facts that suggested sports brands could improve profits by focusing on casual athletes such as fitness walkers and yoga buffs.

I  can appreciate the need for companies to expand their offering to keep growing. However, as a professional athlete and a veteran marketer, I can’t help but wonder
if some of the brands that follow suit will run the risk of diluting their marketing messages. And will the added sales be worth that cost?

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Guerilla Trade Show Marketing for Health Nutrition Brands

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3 ways to create a stir and drive more traffic to your booth

Participating in trade shows is a great way to create a buzz around your brand, but it can also be expensive and time-consuming. If you’ve ever prepared for a trade show, you know how many man-hours go into making your booth “just right”. That’s why it is especially disappointing when you don’t garner the traffic you expected.

I have been attending the annual Arnold Sports Festival (www.arnoldsportsfestival.com) in Columbus, OH for 10 years now. Every year, I am struck more and more by how difficult it is for trade show booths to grab attention. The sports supplement category is highly competitive, as is the health and wellness industry in general, so it is critical to find unique ways to set brands apart. At the Arnold Sports Festival, the booths that get the most traffic aren’t just hanging better banners—they are creating an experience.

If you are participating in a trade show like the Arnold Sports Festival, you can’t stand around giving out fliers with your URL and hoping to see results online. It’s time to focus on winning your customer in the real world with these no-hold-barred guerrilla marketing tactics:

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Health Nutrition Brands Can Spend Less on Paid Media Marketing

4 reasons why earned media is a cost-effective alternative

Earned Media may not be a term that you’re familiar with, but if your health nutrition brand has generated social media followers or positive social mentions, then it is already working for you. Unlike Owned Media, such as your website or blog, or Paid Media, such as Facebook ads, Earned Media is an organic, constantly evolving discussion between customers about their experience with your brand. In short, earned media reflects the reputation you have earned in your market.

Here are 4 reasons why earned media deserves more of your attention:

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Building Brand Trust with Health Nutrition Marketing

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4 ways to gain the confidence of nutritional supplement customers

Recent surveys report that nearly half of American adults regularly use dietary supplements to support or improve their health or to maximize their athletic performances. Supplements can be made from plants, algae, seafood, yeasts, fungus, and many other food substances or extracts, which may explain why consumers rarely know exactly what they are getting.

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Social Media Marketing Strategies for Your Health Nutrition Brand

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6 tips for staying ahead of the competition

The effectiveness of advertising on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn is no longer in question. From small startups to large corporations, businesses use social media to increase visitors to their website, bring in new business and improve brand awareness and visibility among their target markets.

Unfortunately, as businesses become comfortable with using social media, they often use the same old approaches over and over again. This is natural, but it is your job to create a buzz. Keeping your social media strategy fresh will help separate you from the competition and keep whatever momentum you’ve already built up going. Here are some ways to push your strategy: Continue reading

Leading Children To Good Habits With Health Nutrition Marketing

4 ways to make healthy foods and beverages appealing to children

Type-2 Diabetes is more common in children than ever before thanks to a society that serves up a steady diet of fast food and junk food advertising. According to the Institute of Medicine (IOM), “Food marketing intentionally targets children who are too young to distinguish advertising from truth and induces them to eat high-calorie, low-nutrient (but highly profitable) “junk” foods; companies succeed so well in this effort that business-as-usual cannot be allowed to continue.”

As a fitness expert, I’m acutely aware of how nutrition fuels the mind, body and spirit, and I feel that Health Nutrition Marketers are doing children a service by combating these messages with a healthy alternative. Traditional advertising can be manipulative and inappropriate for young children, but I think healthy food and beverage marketing is responsible marketing when education is the main goal.

With that said, here are some ways that your Health Nutrition brand can reach out and help educate a younger market by speaking their language:

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