Not Exclusive
article, "Kash n' Karry Goes a Cut Above," in the May 6 issue of Supermarket News. It was a timely topic related to today's retail strategies for the fresh meat case and the synergies between brands in the entire store.
However, I feel it's important to clarify the exclusivity issue on the selling and marketing of black angus beef. As you know, black angus beef refers to the breed of cattle marketed under different brands. Certified Angus Beef, a brand name for just one supplier, was covered in your story and is the brand sold at Kash n' Karry stores. Farmland offers another brand of black angus, Farmland Black Angus Beef, which has been in the Tampa retail market since October 1995, at the B&B United stores.
The "exclusive rights in the market to sell Black Angus beef" noted in the picture caption really refers to the Certified Angus Beef brand, not to black angus beef in general. Again, I feel it's important for your readers to recognize that Farmland Black Angus Beef is available and has been in the Tampa market since October.
-- JOYCE LOFSTROM branded beef marketing manager Farmland Foods Kansas City, Mo.
More Aware
In the May 20 edition of Supermarket News, the article entitled "Awareness of 5 a Day Relatively Low: Survey" gives the impression that consumer awareness and understanding of 5 a Day are less than impressive.
Let's put this into perspective. The National Cancer Institute has been conducting omnibus surveys for the 5 a Day Program to determine exactly what consumers think of 5 a Day. We have been conducting this survey at least annually, and more frequently over the last two years. We have a series of questions asked repeatedly. Our survey is conducted on a nationally representative sample of 1,000 adults, evenly divided between male and female participants. Our margin of error is +/- 3%.
In response to the question, "How many servings of fruits and vegetables do you think a person should eat each day for good health?" the percentage of respondents correctly answering five or more has increased from 8% in 1991 to 38% in early 1996.
Conversely, the number of individuals incorrectly answering that one or fewer servings of fruits and vegetables is needed for good health was 34% in 1991 and 8% in 1996. To us, this indicates that consumer awareness of the need to eat 5 a Day is on the rise.
Given that 5 a Day is not even five years old at the national level, that PBH's annual budget in 1995 was $1.2 million, that NCI spends $1 million nationally on communications and that the industry spends $50 million in "in-kind" advertising/promotional/communications support, these numbers aren't bad.
Compare this with the more than $420 million in media expenditures only annually spent by McDonald's, the $200 million by Burger King or the $475 million spent by Kellogg's cereals.
All things considered, 5 a Day has been far more successful at reaching consumers in less than five years than might be expected with the finances available.
