Dive Brief:
- California-based Raley’s has launched a new video series,”Minute with Mike Teel,” featuring owner and chairman Michael Teel designed to help consumers better understand complicated nutrition issues and make better decisions about food purchases and personal wellness.
- The series aligns with the company’s ongoing efforts to move consumers toward transparency and healthier products, including the Raley’s Shelf Guide, “better for you” checkout lanes and the elimination of tobacco sales in grocery stores.
- In the first installment of the weekly series, Teel will address sugar content in packaged foods. Going forward, Teel plans to use the platform to discuss what the company calls "hotly debated" issues. "Our aisles are the point of decision-making that can have a huge impact on health, with customers making thousands of decisions about what they put into their bodies each day,” Teel said in a statement.
Dive Insight:
Raley’s has been focusing on nutrition education for some time now and continues to develop and implement programs designed to guide consumers towards healthier choices. In recent months, the chain opened its first wellness-focused Market 5-ONE-5 has opened, hired a full-time dietitian and last week announced a new website that combines the company’s nutrition and personalization strategies.
Positioning the company’s chairman as the face of the education campaign demonstrates that the strategy is not just about the bottom line, but also about building community. Teel’s earnest delivery and obvious personal interest in good health make him a relatable and authentic spokesperson.
This is on trend with moves other food retailers have made. According to the Food Marketing Institute, 81% of food retailers see health and wellness as having a positive impact on sales and 53% of retailers are using health and wellness as a way to distinguish themselves from the competition. Nearly half anticipate allocating additional resources towards consumer wellness programs in the next two years. At the same time, consumers see their primary store as an advocate for their wellness goals. These new videos aim to check the education box by providing useful information in a friendly, digestible format.
Raley’s use of video is a savvy way to reach its consumers as marketing via video platforms is growing every day. According to Forbes, consumers watch more than 500 million hours of videos on YouTube each day and almost 50% look for videos related to a product or service before visiting a store. There’s no doubt that video content is an effective way to connect with consumers and potentially affect purchasing decisions.
The question remains, will consumers watch and connect with Teel’s message? These issues are clearly important to him personally and, once viewers get to know him, eventually these three-minute clips may inspire a real conversation among consumers that could drive further change at Raley's.
