Brand Relevance: Making Competitors Irrelevant - always yours

THE FOOD INDUSTRY ADAPTS 129
We start with the fat battle. Many consider fat in food to
be unhealthy. But which types of fat? In turns out the answer
to that question is not simple and has changed over time.
Examining the drivers of change and a few of the responses from
brands such as Nabisco, Dreyer ’ s, and Oestra provides insight
into the diffi culty of harnessing market trends and forces. We
will then move on to look beyond fat to healthy eating more
generally and will explore what two fi rms, General Mills and
ConAgra with its Healthy Choice brand, have done to attempt
to lead or respond to this force.
Fighting the Fat Battle
The fat battle has been at the core of healthy eating for a long
time. Gurus have opined about it and created their own theories
and diets to deal with fat in food. Scientists have studied fat
and developed theories, which more often than not have been
superseded by revised or completely different theories. The government
has been an arbiter over time.
It will be helpful fi rst to examine the roles and impact of
gurus and scientists. Three fat - related theories will help explain
the scope of and differences among ideas. The role of the government
in regulating fat will then be examined. Finally, with
the context in place, this section will detail efforts by three
fi rms, Nabisco, Dreyer ’ s, and P & G, to respond to theories and
consumer trends relevant to fat.
Roles of Scientists and Gurus
Firms in the food industry need to follow the theories of the
day that are getting traction and be prepared to offer responsive
products when the timing is right. One source of such theories
is infl uential scientists and gurus, who over the decades probably
number in the thousands. To provide a fl avor of their efforts and