Consumer Targeting in Food and Drinks: Lifestyle Brands, Personalized Nutrition and Customized Flavors

DUBLIN, Ireland, Oct 07, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Research and Markets ( http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/c376fa/consumer_targeting) has announced the addition of the "Consumer Targeting in Food and Drinks: Lifestyle Brands, Personalized Nutrition and Customized Flavors" report to their offering.

Personalized nutrition is an emerging trend whereby food and drinks products are more closely matched to consumers' individual nutritional needs, aspirations and preferences. Product development and marketing strategies of manufacturers are beginning to address consumers as discrete populations of individuals, rather than as generic, mass-market consumers with relatively undifferentiated buying practices.

Consumer Targeting in Food and Drinks is a new report by Business Insights that provides insight into marketing strategies that target specific groups of consumers. The report analyzes consumer and manufacturer drivers, looks at leading product categories and ingredients, and NPD in the key markets of Europe, Japan and the US.

Discover which personalization trends have the greatest potential for growth and understand the ways in which marketers are targeting consumer groups within each trend with this new report...

Business Intelligence for the Consumer Goods Industry

Business Insights' portfolio of consumer goods management reports are designed to help you make well informed and timely business decisions. We understand the problems facing today's consumer goods executives when trying to drive your business forward, and appreciate the importance of accurate, up-to-date, incisive product, market and company analysis. We help you to crystallize your business decisions.

The strength of our consumer goods research and analysis is derived from access to unparalleled databases and libraries of information and the use of proprietary analytic techniques. Our reports are authored by independent experts and contain findings garnered from dedicated primary research. Our authors' leading positions secure them access to interview key executives and to establish which issues will be of greatest strategic significance for the industry.

Our consumer goods portfolio of reports can be used across a wide range of business functions to assess market conditions and devise future strategies and cover the food and drinks, ingredients, packaging, health, toiletries and cosmetics categories and key consumer issues including eRetail and marketing.

Key issues examined by this report

-- Individualization of lifestyles and responsibility for health and wellness. Consumers are increasingly aiming to both protect and to project their self-identity and look to food and drink products that are developed for their own individual needs and desires.

-- Nutrigenomics (the science of how nutrition and genetics interact). Manufacturers are interested in nutrigenomics as the technology enables the development of food and drink products with targeted health benefits. These products address growing public concern about lifestyle diseases. Nutrigenomics offers opportunities for different sectors of the food and drinks industry, including food and ingredient manufacturers, and food processing companies.

-- Customization of tastes and flavors. This is an emerging trend whereby food and drinks products are formulated to address consumers' individual tastes and flavor aspirations by enabling them to adapt products according to their own preferences. It especially relates to flavor adaptations which enable consumers to choose novel, exotic, ethnic flavors which are bolder and stronger than established flavor offerings.

This new report will enable you to...

-- Quantify future growth areas in personalized nutrition using epidemiological data of key lifestyle diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and obesity in Europe, the US and Japan.

-- Improve the targeting and effectiveness of your NPD strategies with this report's analysis of Productscan data of over 12,000 food and drink product launches that took place globally between 2005 and 2008 identifying leading trends, categories and regions.

-- Predict future market growth levels based on this report's sales data of OTC pharmaceuticals, the dietary supplements market and organic food and drinks in Europe and the US to 2011.

-- Benchmark industry executives opinions relating to the major trends in personalized nutrition based on detailed analysis of our proprietary industry survey. Understand their views on key consumer groups, innovative companies and marketing issues.

Your questions answered

-- How do personalized food and drinks differ from other food and drinks products?

-- Who are the most important consumer groups within the personalized food and drinks trend, now and in the future?

-- Which are the leading categories in personalized food and drinks products, now and in the future?

-- What will be the major growth trends in personalized food and drinks over the next 5 years? - What marketing strategies are being used to target specific groups of consumers?

-- How significant is the development of nutrigenomics to the future of personalized food and drinks?

Some key findings from this report

-- Sales of OTC pharmaceuticals are expected to reach $41bn in Europe and $69bn in the US by 2011. Sales in both regions will grow at a CAGR of 3.0% between 2007 and 2011.

-- The US has the highest prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and it is expected to increase at a rate of 3.1% to 2009. Japan is expected to experience the highest growth in Alzheimer's disease, of 10.0%.

-- In 2008, heart health was the leading personalized functional trend in terms of new single serve functional products launched (54.9%), followed by diabetes (25.4%) and bone and joint health (19.7%).

-- Young people will become more receptive to food and drinks that can offer them tailored nutritional solutions to their lifestyle concerns in terms of energy, skin health, mental concentration and focus, and ethics, especially in terms of the environment.

    Key Topics Covered:

- Executive Summary
- Introduction
- Targeting individual nutritional needs
- Targeting lifestyle aspirations
- Targeting specific consumer groups
- Customization of tastes and flavors
- Survey results and conclusions

Companies Mentioned Include:

- Givaudan
- Nestle
- Danone
- Unilever

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/c376fa/consumer_targeting

Source: Business Insights

SOURCE: Research and Markets Ltd.

Research and Markets
Laura Wood, Senior Manager, press@researchandmarkets.com
U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907
Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

General Mills, Inc.'s Que Rica Vida, Bisquick, Launch Sweepstakes for a Mother's Day Brunch With Univision Star Karla Martinez

Five Winners Will Be Flown to Miami to Share a Sobremesa with the Co-Host of the Network's Popular Morning Show, Despierta America

MINNEAPOLIS, Oct 07, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Five lucky winners and their companions will get to celebrate an early Mother's Day brunch in Miami, Florida, this May, with Karla Martinez, co-host of Univision Network's popular morning show, Despierta America (Wake Up America). Martinez is also the new spokesperson of General Mills Inc.'s highly successful Hispanic marketing platform, Que Rica Vida. Its Spanish-language lifestyle magazine and web site of the same name, along with Bisquick, are sponsoring the sweepstakes, which recently kicked off and runs through March 20, 2009.

The sweepstakes is the result of an innovative partnership with Univision Communications Inc., the nation's leading Spanish-language media company, and General Mills Inc., a leading global manufacturer and marketer of consumer food products. General Mills is working with Univision to significantly increase their Hispanic marketing efforts with numerous brands across their portfolio.

"We are thrilled to partner with General Mills to help them build brand loyalty and drive sales with Hispanic moms," said David Lawenda, president of Advertising Sales & Marketing, Univision Communications Inc. "This agreement reflects Univision's mission to be an integral resource to marketers that have identified the U.S. Hispanic consumer as a key growth engine. We appreciated the opportunity to amplify and scale General Mills' Que Rica Vida platform using the proven power of Univision media and talent."

As part of the partnership, Martinez is starring in a series of 30-second vignettes that will air coast-to-coast over the next 12 months, providing viewers with cooking and nutrition-related tips, each featuring one of 15 participating General Mills brands.

"We thought it would be fun to introduce Karla as our new spokesperson by giving consumers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Miami and share a sobremesa with her around Mother's Day," said Ursula Mejia-Melgar, Editor of Que Rica Vida magazine. "Thanks to Bisquick, the winners will be able to do so, while sharing mothering tips and experiences with Karla, who only last week gave birth to her second beautiful daughter, Michaella. Karla is also mother to one-and-a-half-year-old Antonella."

A sobremesa -- which literally means, "over the table" -- refers to the Hispanic tradition of sharing stories with family and friends around the dinner table, after the meal. To Latinos, sobremesas are similar in tone to the water-cooler conversation that takes place in the general market, in which personal events and stories of the day are exchanged in a chatty way.

Entry forms and rules can be downloaded at www.QueRicaVida.com . To enter by mail, participants should print their name, address, zip code and daytime phone number on a 3" x 5" piece of paper and send to: Mother's Day Brunch with Karla Martinez Sweepstakes, P.O. Box 72970, Rockford, MN 55572. There is no purchase necessary, and all entries must be received by March 20, 2009. Only winners will be notified. A limit of one entry per person or e-mail address, regardless of method of entry, is mandatory.

A unique aspect of this sweepstakes will be the four grassroots registration drives Que Rica Vida and Bisquick will sponsor in community centers throughout the Los Angeles, Northern California, Houston and Chicago areas. Noting that not everyone is computer-literate nor has a computer at home, Mejia-Melgar said "the idea is to give as many people as possible a chance to enter by taking the sweepstakes beyond the typical channels, and directly into the community."

Translated, Que Rica Vida means, "What a Good Life." The magazine, along with its website ( www.QueRicaVida.com ), is the cornerstone of General Mills' two-and-a-half-year-old, multi-brand, Hispanic marketing initiative of the same name. Together, they constitute an important resource both for Hispanic moms, who seek lifestyle tips, culturally relevant recipes, and solutions that preserve their heritage and traditions.

With an overall quarterly circulation of 350,000, Que Rica Vida is distributed free of charge via direct mail, as well as at stores and community-based venues. Starting in 2009, a condensed version will also be distributed to more than 600,000 households as a free-standing insert in various newspapers around the country.

About Que Rica Vida

Now in its third year, the Que Rica Vida initiative is an important resource designed to provide Latina moms with culturally relevant lifestyle information and expert advice on Education, Holiday Occasions, Health & Wellness and Family -- issues of great importance to Hispanic families in America. The program was developed by General Mills to help the Hispanic mother succeed in creating a healthier, easier, richer life for her and her family. The cornerstone of the Que Rica Vida initiative is its free quarterly lifestyle magazine and website of the same name, www.QueRicaVida.com .

About General Mills

One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Haagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had FY2008 global net sales of US$ 14.9 billion, including the company's $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales.

About Univision Communications Inc.

Univision Communications Inc. is the premier Spanish-language media company in the United States. Its operations include Univision Network, the most-watched Spanish-language broadcast television network in the U.S. reaching 97% of U.S. Hispanic Households; TeleFutura Network, a general-interest Spanish-language broadcast television network, which was launched in 2002 and now reaches 85% of U.S. Hispanic Households; Galavision, the country's leading Spanish-language cable network; Univision Television Group, which owns and operates 63 television stations in major U.S. Hispanic markets and Puerto Rico; Univision Radio, the leading Spanish-language radio group which owns and/or operates 70 radio stations in 16 of the top 25 U.S. Hispanic markets and 5 stations in Puerto Rico; and Univision Online, the premier Spanish-language Internet destination in the U.S. located at http://www.univision.com . Univision Communications also has a 50% interest in TuTv, a joint venture formed to broadcast Televisa's pay television channels in the U.S. Univision Communications has television network operations in Miami and television and radio stations and sales offices in major cities throughout the United States. For more information, please visit www.univision.net .

According to Cutting Edge Information, Potential of Innovative Treatments Found as Primary Incentive for Patients to Participate in Clinical Trials

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC, Oct 07, 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) -- The prospect of receiving innovative treatment proved to be the number one patient recruitment incentive, according to "Streamlining Clinical Trials," a new study by pharmaceutical business intelligence leader Cutting Edge Information. Following in a close second and third were the related incentives of receiving free medication and the number of physician visits that could be garnered from participation.

With patient recruitment absorbing an average of 23% of a clinical trial's timeline and resources, according to the new study, pharmaceutical companies are searching for the best patient incentives that will separate their clinical trials from the rest. Emphasizing the clinical benefit or lifestyle impact of a new trial hits closer to home for potential patients than monetary compensation or convenience. Both factors ranked in the bottom half of the list.

According to the study, patient recruitment ranked as the top opportunity for clinical trial acceleration. "Patient recruitment has always been a difficult issue for pharmaceutical companies," said David Richardson, lead author of the report. "Most recently, increased stringency in criteria for patient populations mandated by the FDA, poor clinical results and the industry's bad public image have made patient recruitment even more of a problem."

"Streamlining Clinical Trials" ( www.clinicaltrialbenchmarking.com) covers resource allocation, performance measurement, continuous process improvement, patient and investigator recruitment and adaptive trial designs. Data include clinical development budgets, clinical operations team structures and staffing levels, performance measurement and management, clinical operations hurdles and process improvement tools and tactics. The report focuses on three aspects:

Patient Recruitment: Patient recruitment continues to dominate clinical timelines and budgets. The report devotes an entire chapter to this challenge, providing the latest trends and tools in recruitment.

Budgeting and Performance Assessments: Clinical project managers must set clear performance expectations and measure and manage trials. The report provides clinical spending benchmarks to assist in trial budgeting and planning.

Clinical Operations Structure and Work Flow: Clinical trial management team members must know their roles and responsibilities, and communication with vendors and investigators must be seamless. The report outlines major obstacles clinical teams face and presents real-company, proven solutions.

Lifestyle Family Fitness

Get a life!

If all the above is true, then why didn't anyone go to the HR dept? It says numerous times that there is proof. I currently work at LFF at the Henderson road location and have seen some staff go that should have, but I just don't see a bad work environment, etc... If anything the upper management kept these managers in place too long to give them a chance. Again, if you or anyone has proof, then I would encourage you to prove it rather than continue to write negative emails. I just can't believe this as this sounds a little to outrageous to me. It sounds like some of the previous employees need to move on and get a life.

BTW-My mom is a member and works out with a trainer. She has lost 55 pounds and has improved her past health condition a lot. She is a new woman and I owe this to LFF as they have motivated her to improve her health. Its expensive, but whats the cost of health? Did I forget to mention that she is off of all her medication (high blood pressure pills, etc)? My family will continue to be proud members and I am a proud employee. I would suggest that someone give LFF a chance before believing some crazy past employee. They probably got fired for a reason!

Lifestyle reaps as venture capital investing drops in Florida

Of the $115.5 million invested by venture capitalists in the first quarter of 2008 in Florida, just $6.5 million of it landed in the Tampa Bay area.

According to numbers released by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the National Venture Capital Association and Thomson Reuters, Lifestyle Family Fitness in St. Petersburg received the region's largest investment, a $3.8 million later stage investment from Ballast Point Venture Partners, Quantum Capital Partners and an undisclosed investor.

Skyway Software Inc. in Tampa picked up $2 million in expansion capital from Armada Venture Group LLC, Imlay Investments and an undisclosed investor. Also in Tampa, Acclaris Inc. grabbed $750,000 in later stage investment from Derwent London plc and Updata Partners.

Lifestyle operates a fitness chain with 34 locations in Florida and 56 total locations. Skyway develops software and deployment for business. Acclaris develops business process services.

Florida's investment market is down 29 percent from the first quarter of 2007 when $162 million was invested in 14 companies, representing an average investment of $11.6 million. The $115.5 million in the first quarter of 2008 was distributed among eight companies, marking an average investment of $14.4 million.

Nationwide, more than $7.1 billion was invested in 922 deals in the first quarter, the fifth highest since 2001.

"Venture capitalists still have large amounts of money in their coffers, therefore it's no surprise to see a solid level of investing continue," said Tracy Lefteroff, global managing partner of the venture capital practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers, in a release. "VCs have weathered numerous economic cycles and will continue to fund companies with innovative ideas and solid business models while they also stand behind their portfolio companies for the long term."

Florida still trails the nation's top five states that receive venture funding. California accounted for more than half of the nation's total at $3.5 billion, or $8.5 million per deal. Massachusetts picked up $697.9 million in funding, representing nearly $7 million per deal.

New York had 51 deals worth $406.9 million, averaging just under $8 million per deal. Texas and Colorado rounded out the top five with $361.4 million and $297.7 million, respectively.

Exercise - Heart Study Casts Doubt on 'Fit But Fat' Theory

CHICAGO - New research challenges the notion that you can be fat and fit, finding that being active can lower but not eliminate heart risks faced by heavy women. "It doesn't take away the risk entirely. Weight still matters," said Dr. Martha Gulati, a heart specialist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Previous research has gone back and forth on whether exercise or weight has a greater influence on heart disease risks.

The new study involving nearly 39,000 women helps sort out the combined effects of physical activity and body mass on women's chances of developing heart disease, said Gulati, who wasn't involved in the research.

The study by Harvard-affiliated researchers appears in Monday's Archives of Internal Medicine.

Participants were women aged 54 on average who filled out a questionnaire at the study's start detailing their height, weight and amount of weekly physical activity in the past year, including walking, jogging, bicycling and swimming. They were then tracked for about 11 years. Overall 948 women developed heart disease.

Women were considered active if they followed government-recommended guidelines and got at least 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week, including brisk walking or jogging. Women who got less exercise than that were considered inactive.

Weight was evaluated by body mass index: A BMI between 25 and 29 is considered overweight, while obese is 30 and higher.

Compared with normal-weight active women, the risk for developing heart disease was 54 percent higher in overweight active women and 87 percent higher in obese active women. By contrast, it was 88 percent higher in overweight inactive women; and 2 1/2 times greater in obese inactive women.

About two in five U.S. women at age 50 will eventually develop heart attacks or other cardiovascular problems. Excess weight can raise those odds in many ways, including by increasing blood pressure and risks for diabetes, and by worsening cholesterol. Exercise counteracts all three.

"It is reassuring to see that physical activity really does make an impact," said lead author Dr. Amy Weinstein of Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. However, she added, "If you're overweight or obese, you can't really get back to that lower risk entirely with just physical activity alone."

University of South Carolina obesity expert Steven Blair, a leading proponent of the "fit and fat" theory, said the study is limited by relying on women's self-reporting their activity levels. That method is not as reliable as a more objective Fitness evaluation including exercise treadmill tests, Blair said. These tests include heart-rate measures to see how the heart responds to and tolerates exercise.

In Blair's research, overweight people deemed 'fit' by treadmill tests did not face increased risks of dying from heart disease.

Dr. Laura Concannon, who specializes in treating overweight patients at Chicago's Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, said the study's message that exercise can help reduce Health risks isn't new, but it's important.

"Anything that can motivate the public is useful because heart disease is becoming a bigger and bigger problem as levels of obesity increase," Concannon said.

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