Telling Ourselves Stories

In a story today on CBS This Morning, they review a recent Wall Street Journal report about the changing food industry.

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/how-we-eat-wsj-digs-into-the-changing-food-industry/

Remember a few years ago they came out with 100 calorie packs of cookies and other items? It was supposed to help with portion control. But people ended up eating two, three, or more packs. Sales are down for 100 calorie packs.

The report showed what we say we want, and what we REALLY want are different. Perhaps not surprisingly, we say we want to eat healthy food and we “feel good when we buy things that are healthy.” But at the same time, we want good taste.

That’s why food manufacturers are in a constant state of tweaking their recipes, trying to make them more healthy but keeping the good taste. Boston Market reduced the sodium in their Mac and Cheese, but took more than a year to get the right dose.

Gluten Free

This is interesting: There is no research to show that gluten free food has any benefit other than the small percentage of people who are allergic to it. Yet 1/3 of Americans say they their goal is to eat less gluten.

As the reporter on the story said, “It’s about telling our selves stories that make us feel better.”

One of the anchors said she heard a comedian say, “The best thing about being gluten-free is being able to tell peole you are eating gluten-free.”

As marketers, we need to keep in mind what people say is not always what they do.