“They also went to Keystone Foods, one of our chicken processing facilities, to learn about menu items like McNuggets, a favorite of kids,” Starmann says, adding that the moms will share their personal experiences through downloadable videos and online journal entries at www.mcdonaldsmom.com.
The site also invites visitors to join the McDonald’s quality community, allowing one to interact with moms by submitting questions as well as keeping track of the correspondents through periodic e-mail updates.
“The goal is to tell a story and make people feel better about our food,” Starmann says. “Food is a very prevalent subject. People are talking about it more and more.”
Jim Adams, executive director of public relations for Chipotle Mexican, agrees, saying, “Food does have a story, and it’s important that customers know that story.”
Chipotle started writing its own product life stories when it began serving naturally raised chicken, pork, and beef from suppliers like Niman Ranch.
“When it comes to how [meat] is raised, it raises consumer awareness about what is good and what is not good,” Adams says. “When we turned to naturally raised pork in 2000, it wasn’t that we were marketing it, it was a story that was worth sharing. Because it was raised differently, it tasted better. It was better, marbled pork. When you see and understand the pride that farmers take in raising their pork … we thought that was compelling.”
Through advertising and a public relations campaign, Chipotle continues to communicate its goal of serving naturally raised meats in its 730 restaurants nationwide.
“The interest in this is building and the food culture in this country is shifting. It’s shifting because of efforts like ours and other restaurants and farms,” Adams says. “Consumers are seeking out the places that will provide the better quality food, and they are willing to pay a little bit more.”
Telling Your Story
The decision to publicize quality products and their origins through the product life story concept is a big decision, Adams says, and one that should only be made if there are upshots for the franchise, customers, environment, and the local and world economies.
“A lot of companies have been just jumping into this and sometimes the definition can get watered down,” Adams says. “You have to do this for the right reasons.”
Mike Capizzi, founding partner of consulting firm Marketing Strategists, LLC in Greendale, Indiana, says that product life stories make sense at a time when carbon foot printing, energy prices, pollution, and renewable energy sources are battling for center stage.
“There are multiple factors driving this, and when the wave hits the shore, marketers better be paying attention,” Capizzi says.
Colloquy’s Ferguson cautions, however, that philanthropic product life stories, while an effective marketing tool, might only appeal to customers who appreciate altruistic endeavors.
“Most consumers are looking for value for themselves, something that appeals to them personally. You have to offer them a choice,” he says, adding that in order to know what patrons want, quick-serves must get to know their customers.
“What are they ordering? When are they there? What about their lifestyle and income? Once you know more about them, you can determine who will respond to what,” Ferguson says. “There will be customers who will not find your offers appealing, so you might have to come with different offers to get more bang for your marketing dollar.”
Educating your staff is equally important, says Crop to Cup’s Mork. “The last thing you want to happen is a customer to say, ‘This is really great and I want to know more,’ but the employee can’t answer their questions,” he says.
Once your product life story is drafted, Mork recommends training the staff so employees are knowledgeable about menu origins. He also recommends POS marketing materials like posters of farmers, information on products and the regions where ingredients come from, as well as a Web site that directs customers to more information.
“Our customers like seeing photos and videos of farms and farmers. You have to make the story interactive,” he says. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t tell your story. If you have marketing materials and a knowledgeable staff, you can attract more customers because you are sourcing legit product from legit sources.