How to make your brand a resource

According to a story in Supermarket News, Supervalu’s executive Chairman of the Board told attendees of and International Supermarket Trade Seminar and Expo that his research showed that Gen X & Y shoppers would like to cook from scratch more, but they don’t know how. His idea was that supermarkets could cash in on the trend by becoming their go-to resource for cooking skills and culinary advice. Some of them have created in house cooking schools to cash in on the trend. The smart ones also rely on their favorite brands to help out, posting recipes from their favorites in-store, on their websites and through social media channels. That said, it’s a good time to be the cooking authority in your category. Here are 3 ways to go about it.

Create a library of recipes that makes sense. Make sure your recipes are as strategic as any of your marketing materials. Recipes create concrete uses that consumers will come back to time and time again if they are satisfied with the results. In other words, a naturally raised antibiotic free poultry company like FreeBird is wise to feature recipes that are a little healthier than conventional counterparts.

Generate a foolproof method of cooking your product. Making a turkey sandwich is easy, roasting a whole turkey for Thanksgiving can be as stressful as a houseful of family. So when we created simple holiday cooking videos for Plainville Farms, , this little farm became a popular destination. Consider creating materials, from recipe cards to videos, with step-by-step methods of cooking that supermarkets can circulate. You’re probably extremely familiar with your products’ attributes, but it’s safest to assume there are key consumers who are waiting for your advice.

Brand everything you write. Make sure you get credit for doing your homework. Have a brand that consistently stands out visually on everything you circulate so consumers know where to go when they’re hungry for more.