Wholesome. Fresh. Natural. Local. Premium. Those aren’t the words foodies are using to describe the latest offerings from a hot new chef, those are the food-marketing buzzwords used by fast food chains instead of phrases like low-fat, low-carb and low-calorie. They imply healthy without making a claim, and they imply flavor instead of less taste like traditional healthy language might. Consumers are voting with their wallet for brands that stand for authenticity and take a direct and honest approach, so it should be interesting to see how long chains will be able to take this tact if they don’t deliver the goods. They have to remember that consumers have higher expectations than ever before, so if restaurants are promising more, consumer will be expecting even more. The bottom line: B.S. doesn’t work anymore.
Advertising Age, 3/7/2011
