The grocery freezer case, once a modern-age marvel of food preservation, has become a dinosaur to a growing number of consumers, it seems. According to a 2007 Mintel report, frozen meal sales have declined by 11 percent since 2002, and will continue to decline if the category doesn’t see new innovations. But don’t put the freezer case on the extinct list yet. Just because the consumer isn’t buying as much from the freezer section doesn’t mean they won’t. They just need a reason to!
In case you haven’t noticed, The Food Scout likes to talk about food trend-trumping the way the fashion industry one-ups its own trends: “Brown is the new black” or “Size 2 is the new size 6.” Recent Food Scout trend trumps have included “Smart: The New Deluxe,” “Free Food: The New 99-cent Menu,” and “Portion Control: The New Fat Free.” Now I’m wondering if 64 calories will become the new 100-calorie bar to beat, or just how low this calorie-limbo game will go before it fizzles out.
Back on March 9, I wrote a blog on the perky Rachel Ray and how she was stretching her “brand” too far, too fast, to ANYTHING. Well, I think Homer Simpson et al. have crossed over to the Dark Side of marketing as well, becoming the latest uber-licensed brand to be stamped ruthlessly on any product or promotion that is interested in shelling out some cash. The Simpsons’ presence in marketing vehicles of late has quickly passed by my “clever” and “ubiquitous” checkpoints, and is now sprinting beyond “tasteless” to achieve the “cram it down their throats” milestone.
Okay, Smartfood popcorn has been around awhile. Then we got Smart Start cereal from Kellogg. After that was Glaceau’s Smartwater sub brand. Then Eat Smart salad kits. And Weight Watchers Smart Ones frozen entrees. There are Smart Balance spreads. LightLife foods has a whole bunch of sub-brands including Smart Stuffers, Smart Meals, Smart Menu, Smart Strips and Smart Bacon. And now Unilever is jumping in with its Breyer’s Smart! yogurt, with DHA added to it. I doubt this is the last of the Smart introductions.
Just as I am a sucker for all-you-can-eat buffets, I can’t resist free food giveaways. I’m not talking about those club-store smorgasbords where people make a meal out of sampling little cups of cocktail weenies, energy bars, and processed cheese. I’m talking about
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