Gluten-Free Hot Pockets

Today, Glutenfreeda tweeted a photo of their newest product, which looks like a Hot Pocket! The product line is called Pizza Wraps, and they will be revealing it at Expo West in March. This photo shows the new Italian Sausage Pizza Wrap. I can't wait to try it! 

Are Blog Giveaways a Good Strategy for All Companies?

Positive blog reviews are great cheap marketing for companies. The only cost involved is the shipping of free products. Of course, a negative blog review on a popular blog can be problematic. Often, bloggers will also do giveaways, but are they a good strategy for your company?

If your company is considering a blog giveaway, ask one very important question. Can most of the blog readers buy our products in stores? If the answer is yes, then do the giveaway. However, if your product can only be ordered online and there are shipping charges, it may not be your best option. It could be better to offer the blog readers a coupon code for ordering online.

As a company, you want potential customers to read a review and then immediately click to buy your products. When you do a giveaway, people will enter the giveaway instead of buying immediately. Will the interested people who don’t win the giveaway remember to come back and order your products later, especially after thinking more about the shipping costs? Probably not.

You may be missing out on selling to your target audience, the blog subscribers. However, in the future, new readers will find the review through search engines and social networking sites. They may be impressed by the number of comments on the review, so it may still result in sales. What do you think?

How much is your label and packaging worth?

Each week, Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru, reviews five new products, which often include gluten-free ones. This week he had some praise as well as harsh words for Shabtai Gourmet in his review of their Swiss Chocolate Roll.

"Forget about this ugly package – the cake itself has a terrific chocolate coating and the inside is great, although a mite dry."

"Change the package, change the label and this could become one of the best selling gluten free products on the market."

We all know not to judge a book by its cover, but that statement doesn't apply to grocery store consumers!

Watch the entire video. It really is a must-see with unique comments to kick off the new year. It starts with the lowest scoring product ever. The last product, Crofter's South America Superfruit Spread, received a near perfect score and Phil wants the bear on the package to have a name.

Video: Gluten-Free Chef of the Year

Watch this great video of a competition that was held recently in the UK to crown the Gluten-Free Chef of the Year. Celebrity chef Phil Vickery was a judge. For more information about the competition, read this article. Here is an excerpt.

"Michael McCamley from Northern Ireland was chosen as the Gluten-free Chef of the Year and, for the second year in a row, student Shanice Parris as the Up and Coming Gluten-free Chef of the Year.  

McCamley, head chef at Venue Catering in Newry, Northern Ireland, wins a one week placement at Gleneagles with twice Michelin star chef, Andrew Fairlie and will also spend the day working with Sodexo executive development chefs to produce a signature dish suitable for people with coeliac disease. 

And Parris, who is in her second year studying catering at Westminster Kingsway College, wins a one week placement at Pennyhill Park working under Michelin star chef Michael Wignall."

Who will be organizing a Gluten-Free Chef of the Year competition in the United States? Who would you like to see compete in it?

Is This What Gluten-Free Consumers Want?

Natural Products Insider just posted an interesting article, "Special Needs of the Gluten-Free Consumer".  They identify eight things that gluten-free consumers want.  Some are accurate and identify key needs, like cheaper products, clear labels, and certified gluten-free products.  However, based on things I encounter in the gluten-free social media world, some statements seem inaccurate.

"Surprisingly, nutrient awareness was not strong among gluten-free consumers. Some concede a need for more fiber, but most are largely unconcerned about the need for more whole grains in their gluten-free diet."

It seems that gluten-free consumers are indeed very concerned about nutrition.  The article mentions that consumers are looking for convenience items, but what I seem to encounter the most is the request for healthy convenience.

The below statement seems outdated. Perhaps when the interviews began one year ago, this was the case. I think the response would be different today, especially if they utilized social media to conduct the interviews.

"But consumers still want higher quality products. Consumers would love to have moister, more flavorful, softer baked goods. Some gluten-free breads are beginning to satisfy these needs. But consumers concede they would rather not eat bread than eat most gluten-free breads."

Thanks to Udi's and Rudi's, there are now good gluten-free breads in addition to the ones that many bake themselves.  Joan's and Udi's make great bagels. I could continue to name good products. One thing is clear - there are many yummy soft-baked goods.  I would say that gluten-free consumers are looking for nutritious and unique products. Combine that with convenience, great taste, safe manufacturing, and a cheap price, and you may have a hit!

Are Gluten-Free Consumers Deprived of Good Tasting Products?

Fortunately, there are so many great gluten-free products and gluten-free replacements for almost every gluten food. There are breads, pasta, waffles, and many more foods that taste like gluten. Some are also free of many allergens. So why do companies making new gluten-free products still feel the need to put in press releases or on their website something about gluten-free consumers being deprived of products and that finally they have something to make life better? With gluten-free bakeries across the country, clearly gluten-free consumers aren’t deprived!

Now, I am not talking about one company in particular. I see this often. Even the companies that don’t do this, have slogans about their products being delicious or tasting good. Is that still original? Does that set their products apart from others? Does General Mills need to put on the front of a box below a product that is newly labeled gluten-free that it has the “same great taste”? How do we get rid of this old concept that gluten-free tastes bad?

I think in this market for a gluten-free product to survive it needs to be unique, great-tasting, and affordable. Tell me why I should buy your product. Is it made from healthy ingredients? Is it free of other allergens? How is it different from your competitors? Read some gluten-free blogs, tweets, and Facebook updates to find out what gluten-free consumers want. Don’t market your product by telling me that I am deprived or that my diet is a burden!

Video: Gluten-Free Bisquick

Here is a great interview with a General Mills marketing manager, DyShaun Muhammad, discussing the new gluten-free Bisquick. It was filmed at the Celiac Disease Foundation conference recently held in Los Angeles by iamgf, who has posted several video interviews with gluten-free bakery owners.

Live Gluten Freely lists over 250 gluten-free products. Nearly 40,000 people now like their Facebook page, which is shocking considering on May 17 (only ten days ago), I tweeted that they had 19,000 people that like it.

Video: Mac and Cheese Taste Test on the Today Show

Phil Lempert, the Supermarket Guru and Food Trends Editor at the Today Show, mentioned celiac disease and included a gluten-free and dairy-free macaroni and cheese in a segment with many mainstream gluten products. Amy's new gluten-free and non-dairy rice macaroni and cheese is featured at the end of this Today Show video.

Watch Phil's Hit and Misses weekly on ABC and on his website. Last week, he rated Orgran Mini Outback Animals Vanilla highly. From General Mills to major television networks, gluten-free products are going mainstream!

"If you would like Phil to consider your new product for review, please send 4 samples of each flavor you to submit for review, with the suggested retail price and other product information. We regret that we can not review all products submitted. Please send to:

New Product Review
SupermarketGuru.com
3015 Main Street, Suite 320
Santa Monica, CA 90405

Product reviews are conducted by randomly selecting one flavor of a product and taking into consideration the information available on the package itself as it would appear in the retail environment. Information contained in advertisements or on websites is not taken into account for evaluation or ratings.

Email danielle@supermarketguru.com with any questions and whenever possible please be environmentally friendly when packaging your products."

Video: Inside the Gluten-Free Bakehouse

This slide show is narrated by Lee Tobin and provides an inside look at the Gluten-Free Bakehouse (Whole Foods Market) in Morrisville, North Carolina. Gluten-free consumers like to see an inside look at companies and products, so this is great free marketing for the Gluten-Free Bakehouse. The video was added to You Tube only three weeks ago, yet it has already been viewed 1,886 times.