As a “golfaholic,” I have come to admire the Ladies Professional Golfers Association tour (LPGA), but I don’t like the way it is promoted. The marketing is blatantly superficial, based solely on the images of few players, the cutest ones and the fashionistas. How much better it would be for all concerned if promotional efforts were concentrated where they belong…on the best golfers.The LPGA tour features a lot of fantastic players whose technique merits study by anyone hoping to LEARN how to improve his or her game. In fact, in the opinion of most golf teachers, the ladies’ technique, stance, and swing are easier for the average golfer to copy than that of Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson.
But, what has all this got to do with food? In my opinion the LPGA and the food industry share the same skewed approach to marketing. The food industry focuses too heavily on the behavior of a small segment of impulse consumers and fails to see the big picture. That “big picture” entails EDUCATING consumers. In the same way that, as a golfer, I can learn from watching the LPGA players, as a consumer I am looking to be EDUCATED by the food industry into making well informed choices. One small example: I would want to know the difference between an olive oil made with 100% Italian olives and an olive oil packed in Italy with olives from Turkey, Tunisia, Greece and Spain. Another example: I would want to receive storage advice information from the industry, to reduce the food waste.
Bottom line: Education is the key to attracting better and more loyal customers. Let’s all get behind a more focused marketing approach!
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