Heat Up Your Rice Sales
Opportunities lie in rice/ancient grain blends and flavored rice products.
As a side or in a main course, rice is a beloved food staple. It's a rather versatile comfort food, and it doesn't cost much money.
It also plays an important role in maintaining a healthful diet. According to the November/December 2010 issue of Nutrition Today, one serving of rice per day improves a person's overall diet quality and reduces the risk of many chronic conditions.
Trends with traction
Even with the unique offerings popping up in the rice category, it's safe to say demand for plain rice products will remain strong for quite awhile. Brian Wendelschaefer, manager, retail sales and marketing for of Sage V (pronounced "Sage Five") Foods, Los Angeles, says plain rice products are his company's volume leaders.
However, Wendelschaefer also says he sees a growing interest in rice medleys (with or without vegetables) and flavored rice products.
"There also seems to be some interest in rice items including ancient grains," he points out.
"Category Insights — Side Dishes," an April 2012 report from global market researcher Mintel, also points to increasing interest in rice mixes that incorporate other grains, noting that such content is an "important influencer" of consumers' purchasing behavior. And when incorporating various health-based grains — from whole-grain quinoa to millet — many brands are communicating the product's high health profile on packaging.
Wendelschaefer also points to the industry's increasing focus on food safety as a trend with traction. His company uses advanced production technology and focuses on exceeding the highest food safety standards in its productions facilities.
"This positions us well in conjunction with the increased product safety demands and scrutiny customers are placing on food safety," he explains. "This food safety trend will continue."
As for marketing, the industry could see more and more brands positioning their rice products as excellent alternatives to gluten-containing grains. On its website, the USA Rice Federation notes that a growing number of consumers are interested in gluten-free diets. And with rice being gluten-free and the least allergenic of all grains, gluten-sensitive consumers could make the grain an "important staple" in their diets.
Trends on the horizon
Several recent happenings in the Western Hemisphere suggest that rice products and marketing campaigns geared toward children could become pretty commonplace — and perhaps a logical future area of focus for marketers of store brand products. For example, Essex, England-based rice manufacturer Tilda launched the UK's — and possibly the world's — first range of microwavable meals designed especially for kids, Mintel reported on its Global New Products Database (GNPD). The company worked with children's poet Tony Mitton to create the cartoon animals that appear on packaging.
And in the United States, Mars' Uncle Ben's brand ran a contest that brought parents and their children together through cooking rice dishes, Mintel explained on GNPD. To enter the contest, parents with children ages 5-12 submitted videos of them cooking a rice dish with their children and discussing the cooking experience afterward. Consumers voted for their favorite video online, and the grand-prize winner received a cash prize, a school donation and an appearance on The Rachel Ray Show.
Mintel noted that though the campaign, Uncle Ben's brought children into the kitchen and encouraged them to create new rice dishes without specifically targeting them in advertising. By including children in the cooking process, the brand made it more likely for the kids to remember the dishes they created and request them in the future.