Top stories from March 

Food retail/manufacturing:

P&G strengthens market lead with core brand focus (Consumer Brands)

Kinder Bueno debuts Bueno Buckets for March Madness (Consumer Brands)

Why your team needs a "Couth Code" and how to create it (NextUp)

Food/agriculture industry seen as 'backbone of US economy' (Consumer Brands)

How companies innovate to manage high coffee prices (Consumer Brands)

Foodservice:

Student's ramen recipe wins school contest (SNA)

Schools struggle with USDA funding cuts to food programs (SNA)

Proposed US budget cuts could affect school meals (SNA)

Community Eligibility Provision faces changes under budget cuts (SNA)

SNA urges Congress to protect school meals (SNA)

Top 3 non-SNA foodservice stories:
Costco, Target take different DEI paths. Customers respond (MFHA)

Michelin chef creates $362 dessert with old book essence (CIA)

White asparagus bavoise at Pied à Terre in London (Flavor Forward)

Dominique Ansel unveils Dipped Whisk ice cream creation (CIA)
Brands pull back on DEI marketing for heritage months (MFHA)

Top trend

Food retail/manufacturing:

Overall, popular stories this month highlight a mix of the following trends that suggest the food retail and manufacturing sectors are focused on strengthening core brands, leveraging strategic partnerships, fostering innovation to overcome economic pressures and emphasizing organizational culture to drive success.

• Brand strength and focus: Procter & Gamble's success with a core brand strategy (e.g., Tide and Pampers) emphasizes the importance of focusing on high-performing brands and product efficacy to navigate economic challenges. This aligns with a broader trend of companies strengthening their brand portfolios to maintain resilience in competitive markets.
• Collaborations and promotions: Ferrero's partnership with college basketball star Dylan Harper for the "Bueno Buckets" program underscores the growing trend of brands leveraging partnerships and promotions, particularly around major events like March Madness, to engage customers and build brand loyalty.
• Team building and organizational culture: While not directly food-related, the emphasis on a "Couth Code" highlights the importance of organizational culture and team cohesion, which is increasingly relevant in industries like food manufacturing, where cross-departmental collaboration is critical to innovation and efficiency.
• Economic significance of food and ag: The report from the Consumer Brands Association reinforces the foundational role of the food and agriculture industries in the US economy, indicating that economic reports and sector importance continue to be a central focus for industry stakeholders.
• Innovation in response to market pressures: The article about high coffee prices reflects a broader trend of innovation in response to rising production costs, showing that food and beverage companies are increasingly focused on creative solutions to manage supply chain disruptions and price volatility, including partnerships and product diversification.

Foodservice:

• School meal programs remain at the center of policy debates, and the top story continues to highlight the importance of student engagement.
• DEI stories were highly engaged with as two MFHA stories made this month’s top non-SNA stories. This is likely due to the political climate and readers wanting to know more about what large companies are doing in regards to DEI and how it is affecting marketing and consumer perception.

Culinary innovation is highlighted in the other top foodservice stories, with unique, out-of-the-box creations by high-achieving chefs catching readers’ attention. This doesn’t necessarily signal anything new – chefs are consistently looking for ways to differentiate themselves in a competitive space and are interested in what other well-known chefs are coming up with.