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four photographs of block-like figurines in solid grey, black, blue, teal, green, yellow, orange, and red in groups of two, three, and four appear interspersed throughout the text on a white background. the four groups make up four different demographics: children ages ten to sixteen, small children, senior citizens, and adults, they are mostly white with one African-American child and appear mostly smiling aside from one child who is frowning.
[transcription]
Nutritional approaches to age segmentation. Age has traditionally been a primary delineator of markets. Have you also thought of approaching these segments nutritionally? For example, many adolescents between the ages of 10 and 16 are known to have poor eating habits. Proper vitamin and mineral intake is critical during this period of puberty. And where food and nutrition are concerned, the mothers of these adolescents are a major buying influence. What about small children? They, too, have been found to be poor eaters. So mothers are especially conscious of the nutritional needs of this age group. Think about senior citizens. Although their caloric requirements drop in the golden years, their vitamin needs remain constant. That means they may not be getting all the vitamins they need because they’re eating less.
Eating habits. A new segment. Surprisingly, there is a great deal of commonality in the eating habits of different groups of consumers. Breakfast eaters, non-breakfast eaters, snackers and dieters, for example, are categories as distinct as “lower middle income” or “head of household with two children.” This opens up a whole new segmentation strategy: present selectively fortified foods, nutritionally positioned to appeal outside their traditional meal roles. One example: Fortify apple sauce with vitamin C and promote it as a companion breakfast food. Dry beverage mixes and some fruit drinks, among other products, have been successfully positioned in this manner. Vitamin fortification might also help get non-traditional foods served at meals as substitutes for traditional staples. The key is to ensure that they contribute nutritionally to a balanced meal. Convenience foods, dietetic foods or analogs that offer the same nutritive value as the standard foods can be positioned to play important roles in the menu.
Good nutrition can be good business. Let us help. Many consumers are not getting the nutrition they need and they know it. So do government and health professionals, many of whom look to the food industry for solutions. We have developed a fortification rationale for nutritional segmentation. For a copy of our position paper, just call (201) 235-4115. Or write, Chemdex Information Services, Roche Chemical Division, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., Nutley, N.J. 07110.
ROCHE
Good nutrition is good business.
[additional notes]
(Marjan Stuckart)
the use of toy figurines as representatives of different groups within the American population is intriguing.
the photographs interspersion with the text and the wrap-around-spacing is also of interest.
labeling children as of “poor eating habits” and “poor eaters” is also critical. in what ways did this kind of terminology affect children and society and in what ways was it a reflection of the societal expectations and understanding around food at the time?
