December 21, 2011, New York, NY – Looking for the hot new diet trends to follow in 2012? Who better to ask for help than the nation’s top nutrition experts? In a survey by Pollock Communications, a full-service public relations agency with long-standing relationships in the food and wellness industry, responses from more than 200 RDs in their network were tallied to identify the top 2012 nutrition trends for consumers and food companies. The survey revealed five nutrition trends that will make news and affect your choices in the coming year:

1. Go Green & Add Some Spice!
Unprocessed, natural foods will be the biggest consumer nutrition trend in 2012
Most RDs (72%) predict that consumers will continue to demand more local, organic, sustainable, fresh, minimally processed foods. With consumers returning to the table and cooking at home, they will become more aware of where their food is coming from and what it contains. RDs also agree (46%) that simplifying the ingredient list, (39%) sodium reduction and (37%) eliminating high fructose corn syrup, will play key roles in dietary modifications in the coming year. In addition, consumers will look to spice things up with exotic and ethnically diverse flavors and cuisines.

2. Diet Trifecta: Vitamins, Minerals
Eat more antioxidants and phytonutrients…and get more fiber
Of the 204 responses, almost all RDs (96%) emphasize more antioxidants and phytonutrients in the diet, and many (59%) say consumers need more vitamins and minerals. While most agree that consumers are already consuming enough protein, carbohydrates and fats, RDs say Americans are lacking sufficient amounts of fiber from whole grains and fruits and vegetables.

3. ‘Tis the Season!
Seasonal and local fruits and vegetables rise to the top
Almost all RDs (94%) agree that in the coming year there will be a bigger push for Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables. Eating seasonal and local plant based foods that are organically grown will be a big trend in the coming year, as well.

4. How Low Can You Go?
Go low with trans and saturated fat, sugar and sodium
The majority of RDs (78%) name trans fats as the most harmful nutrient in the diet, followed by added sugars (68%), saturated fat (58%) and sodium (52%). In 2012, we will see a greater emphasis on reducing these harmful dietary hazards.

5. Make Your Plate Look Like MyPlate!
Use USDA’s MyPlate as your guide
Many (69%) RDs are using MyPlate to counsel patients and it will continue to play a role in diet recommendations through 2012. MyPlate recommends half the plate consist of vegetables and fruit, with the other half made up mostly of whole grains and a small portion of lean protein.

“As RDs, we are at the forefront of nutrition issues, consumers’ perceptions and diet and lifestyle behaviors,” says Julie Upton, MS, RD. “It’s our goal to help provide our expertise to debunk the common myths and misperceptions and provide our insights with consumers and food and beverage manufacturers.”
When it comes to diet and nutrition, RDs know best. Louise Pollock, founder and President of Pollock Communications, adds, “As key influencers in food and nutrition, RDs shape consumer food shopping decisions, affect health policy, impact nutrition trends in the media and promote evidence-based recommendations. At Pollock, we always seek their expertise when advising our food clients.”

About Pollock Communications

Pollock Communications is an independent, full-service health and wellness New York City-based communications firm launched in 1991. They create innovative partnerships that link brands to health and wellness platforms, and have experience in communicating the taste, health and lifestyle benefits of brands and commodities to consumer, retail and business audiences.
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Leading supermarkets across the country are giving shoppers apps that provide tools for shopping and information specific to their local store. Hy-Vee launched their mobile app last month to provide shoppers access to weekly ads, coupons, shopping list functions, recipes and even find items while in the store. Winn-Dixie’s app could replace the hand-written shopping list and helps consumers locate the closest Winn-Dixie store, view advertisements and learn about local sales promotions. Giant Eagle’s app lets shoppers enjoy similar tools for shopping and also check fuel discount balances.

Food companies are adding supermarket functions to their apps as well. With a sponsorship from ConAgra, Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru, launched a smart phone app for consumers called “Smarter Shopping with Phil Lempert”. The app includes Lempert’s Tip of the Week to give consumers ideas for shopping and saving money. The app’s Smart Substitutes function offers tips for making food substitutions in recipes for general health, allergies or weight control.

Be sure to check your local grocery retailer’s website to see if they have a smart phone app that may help make shopping easier – or at least more high-tech!

1. Go Green & Add Some Spice!
Unprocessed, natural foods will be the biggest consumer nutrition trend in 2012
Most RDs (72%) predict that consumers will continue to demand more local, organic, sustainable, fresh, minimally processed foods. With consumers returning to the table and cooking at home, they will become more aware of where their food is coming from and what it contains. RDs also agree (46%) that simplifying the ingredient list, (39%) sodium reduction and (37%) eliminating high fructose corn syrup, will play key roles in dietary modifications in the coming year. In addition, consumers will look to spice things up with exotic and ethnically diverse flavors and cuisines.

2. Diet Trifecta: Vitamins, Minerals & Fiber!
Eat more antioxidants and phytonutrients…and get more fiber
Of the 204 responses, almost all RDs (96%) emphasize more antioxidants and phytonutrients in the diet, and many (59%) say consumers need more vitamins and minerals. While most agree that consumers are already consuming enough protein, carbohydrates and fats, RDs say Americans are lacking sufficient amounts of fiber from whole grains and fruits and vegetables.

3. ‘Tis the Season!
Seasonal and local fruits and vegetables rise to the top
Almost all RDs (94%) agree that in the coming year there will be a bigger push for Americans to consume more fruits and vegetables. Eating seasonal and local plant based foods that are organically grown will be a big trend in the coming year, as well.

4. How Low Can You Go?
Go low with trans and saturated fat, sugar and sodium
The majority of RDs (78%) name trans fats as the most harmful nutrient in the diet, followed by added sugars (68%), saturated fat (58%) and sodium (52%). In 2012, we will see a greater emphasis on reducing these food ingredients.

5. Make Your Plate Look Like MyPlate!
Use USDA’s MyPlate as your guide
Many (69%) RDs are using MyPlate to counsel patients and it will continue to play a role in diet recommendations through 2012. MyPlate recommends half the plate consist of vegetables and fruit, with the other half made up mostly of whole grains and a small portion of lean protein.

When it comes to diet and nutrition, RDs know best. So go green and spice it up with exotic flavors for a fun and healthful 2012.

With celebrity endorsements getting harder to come by and more expensive, and traditional media difficult for established brands to secure, smart marketers are maximizing existing content, events and traditional fodder online.

But, many of the newbies doing this work came up in a social media world; they aren’t often grounded in the need for a long term strategy that fits their client brands’ personality and heritage. It’s important to make sure that a stunt – as cool and viral as it seems – is based on the clients’ core business objectives. And , it needs to be integrated into the full marketing campaign to give it a longer shelf life.

A recent Wall Street Journal story, “PR Stunts in a Digital Era,” features a young PR firm that promoted a retail account by wearing prom dresses around New York City for a month…culminating with a fake prom at a hip NYC hotel. Very clever. Wouldn’t it be cool to keep the momentum going with ongoing contests to find the coolest holiday dress, best nightclub dress, most romantic Valentine’s Day outfit…you get the idea. That way, the retailer’s name stays current and top-of-mind with its target audience all year long.

Snapple has done it right. Its stunts always reflect its hip, young and offbeat personality…they’re true to the brand. And the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island has become a classic PR stunt that has actually morphed into a long term brand campaign.

As we approach 2012, its’ a very exciting time to be in PR. We can and should learn from the great marketers and PR folks of yore. But, the question we need to ask ourselves as we brainstorm for the next big thing in Times Square or Grand Central Station is, “How do we make this one-off stunt work hard for the brand all year long?”

We’ll be initiating a very cool campaign for our Purdue Products laxative client in 2012…one that’s sure to help bring the constipation conversation out into the open and online. But, you can be sure it will make sense for the brand and its overall digestive health story. You’ll just have to come back to the site to check it out!

Not only do shoppers know what they want in advance, they report that they are more confident in their shopping habits than they were a year ago. The results show that:
• 75% of survey respondents assert that that they are smarter shoppers than they were a year ago
• 86% believe they are getting more precise in what they buy
• 80% say they have become more efficient at getting in and out of the store

“Shoppers today expect to get a deal on the products they purchase. With this mindset, it is critical that consumer products companies take measures to enhance brand loyalty by connecting early and often with key audiences in environments outside of the store,” says Pat Conroy, Vice Chairman, Deloitte LLP and consumer products sector leader in a post on the Deloitte website. Brands can take heed by communicating with shoppers through channels outside of the store in addition to their traditional shopper marketing tactics.

Consumers have come to expect sales and discounts before they enter the supermarket. Modern day technology has enhanced consumer’s ability to plan shopping trips in advance. Supermarkets build customer loyalty by sending sales information and coupons via e-mail, smart phone apps and websites like Living Social and Groupon. Consumers are smarter because of the many tools at their disposal. Gone are the days when the daily Sunday newspaper was the only source for coupons outside of the store!

A great help in the task is social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube all provide fantastic options for getting the message across to your target consumers. The most important part of this is choosing the right channel where your customers are spending their time.

With more than 800 million users, Facebook is the largest social community online right now. The average user is 38 years old, which means that social media is no longer just for college kids! Many of them are linked to more than 80 pages, groups or events to help stay connected with the world around them. Facebook Pages provide an easy way for customers to get to build a relationship with your brand or product and get to know it a little better through asking questions or commenting on your posts.

The 100 million active users around the world on Twitter demand the latest information and are constantly inundated with new, updated information in 140 characters or less. With this group it pays to engage in the conversation and find out what people are really interested in and what they think about your product. The knowledge gained from listening and asking questions can prove to be invaluable.

On YouTube, over 3 billion videos are viewed a day by people ranging from 18-54 years old. Of those users, 17 million have connected their YouTube account to at least one other social media service helping to make videos become viral and reach a larger audience. If you have something that is funny, unique or interesting try creating a video to showcase everything your product has to offer.

What all this means is simple… research your customers, find out what they are talking about and where then join the conversation! It all boils down to that word-of-mouth recommendation, which social media can help provide.

And, be sure to follow Pollock PR on Twitter and Facebook!

• A&P Family of Supermarkets dietitian Jacqueline Gomes, RD, MBA, provided an autumn inspired Thanksgiving feast with five recipes that use popular fall foods. Check out her meal by clicking here.
• Giant Eagle is providing consumers with a glimpse inside a dietitian’s Thanksgiving created with the new MyPlate guidelines. Click here for the complete menu, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.
• ShopRite’s Culinary Workshop chefs are providing expert advice to home cooks this Thanksgiving, which was started in 2008, as a resource for customers seeking help, recipes and home-cooking tips. To talk live with a ShopRite Culinary Workshop Chef Instructor, customers can call the grocer’s Customer Care Center at 1-800-ShopRite (746-7748) and request the “Chef on Call.”

There are also many articles on the best ways to include cranberries as more than just a side. This article posted on the Bellingham Herald’s website has some great tips for preparing cranberries this season: Cranberry season is here: Fresh is best so stock up on bags of the ruby-red jewels.

Check out the PCI Health Buzz for Check Out with Lara Flanagan!

• Cranberry and Human Health Research Reviews
• Urinary Tract Health and Antibacterial Benefits
• Cardiovascular Health and Anti-Inflammatory Benefits
• Glycemic Response and Type II Diabetes
• Drug Interactions
• Oncology/Anti-Cancer

Click here to visit the Cranberry Health Research Library

It’s good news that consumers are listening to RDs for health and wellness guidance, but it isn’t in the dietitian’s office that consumers form their eating habits.  Consumers are now looking to the RD in the supermarket to help guide them through the aisles at their local grocery store and to help them make their purchase decisions!

According to the 2009 Grocery Manufacturers Association consumer survey, 62% of shoppers listed nutritional and other health information as a key purchase decision.  A National Grocers’ Association survey also found that 77% of shoppers would like for their store to offer in-store dietitian services.  Supermarkets have taken note, and are hiring RDs to conduct supermarket tours, cooking demos, and develop monthly health newsletters and FSI’s to reach customers.

According to the article Dietitians in Supermarkets: The New Age of Nutrition, written by Hy-Vee Dietitian Greta Farley, “Supermarkets started to hire dietitians about ten years ago when they realized there is a connection between consumer supermarket shopping and healthy food choices. Many customers do not know what to look for in a healthy food item when they go grocery shopping. Customers need someone credible who can answer these questions when they are in the store.”

Supermarket RDs are an excellent way to reach consumers when they make their purchase decisions, to guide them to making healthier choices for themselves and their families.  So next time you head to the market, see if you can find tips and services by the Supermarket RD to help you have a healthier grocery experience!

PCI Health Buzz for Check Out with Lara Flanagan!