The idea of healthy eating habits and healthy foods is becoming entrenched in all inventions by food producers, nutritionists, and consumers’ decision-making. It is vital to the world and crucial for developing beverage and food industry enterprises. This consumer awareness of the impact of food on health has led to changing preferences in eating habits. The focus of the public has shifted, and this shows what food companies need to change regarding their marketing strategies, foods production, and how to sell them to the public(Laskowski et al., 2019).

            One of the food industry’s main challenges is what to sell and how to sell it to the consumers. Health experts have all agreed on cereals being the best choice for better health. Cereals are nutritionally significant sources of vitamin B complex, carbohydrates, iron, dietary protein, niacin, thiamine, fiber, riboflavin, and traces of minerals essential for both animals and humans (Sozer et al., 2017). Cereals help in preventing constipation, cancer, and high blood sugar.

Market Opportunity

            Food industries have felt the impact of customers’ change in food preferences due to nutritional demand, and thus new changes in food production and marketing strategies are required. Since cereals are the best type of healthy foods, I recommend increasing its cereals production. Customers are struggling to meet their need for healthy foods in the market. The need for cereals foods as a nutritional food by the consumers is continually increasing and needs to be completed. The consumers of cereal products are the greater public ranging from the young to the old.

The company needs to have different types of these products since we deal with many customers depending on their health level. There is a need to process beginner, intermediate and expert level products to justify the increase in prices for our products(Mukonza & Swarts, 2020). Since we are dealing with the greater public demand for healthy food products, high-level marketing solutions will be needed to market and advertise the company’s product.      

Different marketing strategies must compete with our competitors and get the upper hand. These different strategies might include using social media through social media influencers, email marketing, customer involvement methods, discounts codes, and mobile marketing. We can also market our cereal products outside the cereal aisle, outside grocery stores, fitness and gym workouts sections, and get contracts near supermarkets.

Having cereal products for our consumers is of great advantage since these products may be interchangeably used as substitutes by our consumers(Caporizzi et al., 2019). For example, Sorghum and millet products can be used interchangeably, while wheat and barley products can substitute each other. As most of our products are based on breakfast foods, adding another product with different varieties could satisfy everyone’s taste buds regardless of age or gender.

Recommendations

Regarding the change of customers’ preferences on the types of food due to awareness of the impact of nutrition on health, I would recommend that the company engage the customers to create awareness about the processing of cereal products. I also recommend using social media influencers as a marketing strategy to reach consumers. In addition, just word of mouth to interact face to face with the consumers and educate them on the newly available cereal products.

Appendix

Product Ideation and Screening Form

1. Unmet/underserved want: (describe in a brief paragraph)

H1: Consumers are willing to spend more money on higher quality and healthier food   

Enhanced consumer awareness of the impact of food on health has led to changed preferences. However, these claims remain unsubstantiated. A focus group discussion involving customers from different demographic backgrounds could provide much needed information about this trend.  

1. List of (at least) 20 ideas:

1. Market the cereals outside the cereal isle. If cereals are considered healthier and a better health choice put them in a different location. Try the fitness or workout sections. Get contracts to sell your product outside the grocery store market.
2. Have they discounted for the time being? Companies may have to cut their prices to match those of those more popular known brands. Once you draw in that audience and loyal customers start to gradually increase prices to the norms.
3. Provide a different variety. Make flavors that would satisfy everyone’s taste buds regardless of age, gender etc.
4. High quality ingredients and products.
5. Increase your social media presents. Get people involved celebrities and loyal customers. People like to be and feel a part of something.
6. Email marketing. I know everyone hates spam but maybe it your partnered with a workout and fitness company then it might be eye catching.
7. Ties in with the email marketing, but make that marketing attractive and eye catching; Colors ,relatability, show  results and benefits.
8. Feedback and yelp reviews. I like to know and read reviews about taste and performance etc.
9. Make it unique and different
10. Involve the seasons to market your product.
11. Client feedback.
12. Workout themed cereal. Ingredients that promote gains, shred, lean, bulk etc. More protein less protein things like that.
13. Have types for beginner, intermediate, expert depending on your health level. Depending on you level might justify the increase in prices.
14. Higher prices promote healthier/longer lifestyle. Provide facts and results the show paying an high price will save money in the long run.
15. High prices not only pay for the cereal but can get you other incentives. Maybe future discounts other products, workout gear, trips, stocks the incentives would be endless.
16. Just word of mouth. For example, what if a cereal is being sold for a ridiculous amount of money. People are going to talk about it and wonder why its being sold for this price. What’s so special about it? Is it worth the try? This marketing may make people want to try it.
17. In the age of social media GET INFLUENCERS to sell you product.
18. Incorporate the healthier brands with the popular selling brands. Maybe re-arrange the isle.
19. Bring back old nostalgia from the past. Might make parents what to get their children involved with how things were in the past. Have families connect on a deeper level.
20. Customer involvement. Scavenger hunts, interactive games, prizes etc. One of the best memories I have as a kid was eating cereal and looking at the back of the box and getting prizes from inside the box.

1. List of (at last) 3 screening criteria

1.Whats you target age market? Younger kids don’t really care or desire to eat healthy. Is this a more fitness orientated cereal?

2. Do adults or those considered to me older market individuals even have kids?

3. If its does market those who wanted to be healthy, fitness focused etc. would kids even want to try and eat this cereal?

1. Three best ideas

1. Provide a different variety. Make flavors that would satisfy everyone’s taste buds regardless of age, gender etc.

2. In the age of social media GET INFLUENCERS to sell you product.

3. High prices not only pay for the cereal but can get you other incentives. Maybe future discounts other products, workout gear, trips, stocks the incentives would be endless.

4. Have types for beginner, intermediate, expert depending on your health level.

• Best idea

1.Have types for beginner, intermediate, expert depending on your health level. Depending on you level might justify the increase in prices. Beginner could be equal or a bit more then popular brands and if you want to move up levels the price will increase.