Produce for Better Health Foundation

Consumer Affairs Advisory GroupConference Call

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

The Consumer Affairs Advisory Group conference call convened at 3:00pm Eastern. Cindy Silver, Jennifer Egeland, Jennifer Shea, Karen Hawkins, Meredith Mensinger, Paulette Thompson, and Shari Steinbach were in attendance. Meredith Auerbach & Elizabeth Pivonka were on the call. Meredith Auerbach was introduced as a new contractor to PBH who will be assisting with retail outreach.

Status of suggestions from January call

  • PBH is updating pbhfoundation.org so that many of the things that Consumer Affairs (CA) directors need will be easily found there; all will be placed under the “retail” section.
  • PBH has begun following new research releases much more closely; unless otherwise requested, PBH will add all supermarket CA professionals to our press distribution list so that you can see and/or use our responses as appropriate.
  • Staff encouraged CA directors to “re-tweet” items that we tweet aboutas a way of providing content in your social media efforts. Following us on Facebook would also provide ideas.
  • Many other items on the list are “in production” over the rest of 2010, including content for various health months; virtues of various commodities; f/v’s and different diseases; ideas that could be done in-store, etc.
  • Staff clarified that radio scripts (not pre-recorded radio ads) were fine.
  • To help highlight what others are doing that is successful, a combination of an on-line “sharing” site as well as e-mail blasts was most desirable. An e-mail blast that contained a summary of what others are doing or what works that is then also posted on the “sharing” site would be ideal. That way the site offers a “place to go” where this information is stored, but the e-mail serves as a reminder that it’s there. CA directors can also post comments to the sharing site. Ideally PBH sends out a “request for updates/ideas” quarterly, that PBH then summarizes and sends back to CA directors (and posts on the PBHfoundation.org website).
  • PBH will add all CA directors to e-news distribution lists.
  • PBH listed (attached here again) other sources of information and links available for use now.

Brainstorming

  • Additional discussion surrounded Mrs. Obama’s Let’s Move initiative. Most agreed that a Fruits & Veggies—More Matters/Let’s Move promotion in store was not a hard sell, although someone warned that politics may come into play (a conservative company may not want to tie into Let’s Move.) Having core materials than can be customized would be ideal.
  • When asked who should be the point person in a supermarket chain- all agreed that the CA director, the health & wellness person in the store, is the best place to start. It’s their top priority and no one else’s. The Marketing manager is also good, but merchandising is far too busy. Certainly marketing/merchandising are critical, but the CA can help champion it internally.
  • When asked about attending PBH’s annual meeting; most were enthusiastic, especially if travel was paid. Most had a limited number of trips that they could take during the year so it would need to be approved internally, but PBH’s meeting would probably be high on the list (as opposed to individual commodity meetings that they are often invited to.)
  • Continued effort to show ROI... about why it’s important to promote F/V... is critical.

Mom Research

Staff referenced the new Gen X Mom and State of the Plate research found on pbhfoundation.org.

NextConference Call

Sept 8, 2010, 1:00 pm Eastern

The meeting concluded at3:55 pmeastern.

PBH Resources for Supermarket Consumer Affairs Directors

  1. Current Available Content for Use:
  • Current retail materials:
  • 30 Minute Recipes:
  • On A Budget:
  • Daily F/V/Health News feed:
  • Consumer Columns:
  • Insiders Viewpoint:
  • For ideas/content via our social media outreach, follow us on:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Stem and Stalk Mom’s Blog:

  1. Stay informed via our “publications” (PBH has added supermarket consumer affairs directors to these lists as well as our press release distribution list):

PBH Direct – monthly email keeping you up to date on PBH happenings. Email

Fruit & Veggie Voice (consumer e-newsletter) -

Retail Matters – quarterly newsletter which provides information to Retailers. Email

  1. Check our websites

Foundation site for “consumer intermediaries”

Consumer site

Catalog site

Kids site

  1. New PBH Research at:

See 2010 spring board meeting area on this page and look for:

NPD & PBH: State of the Plate (overall national consumption of fruits/veggies)

2010 GenX Mom Research (attitudes/barriers of moms, including Gen Y moms)