Services for Manufacturers
Product Development, Marketing Management, Sales.
Staying abreast of new product development is challenging. Marketing information services from Foodservice Research Institute can assist you with market size and brand share assessment, ideation and flavor trends analysis. Certainly one has to be tuned in to myriad new product opportunities and applications of use. It is a big problem to go beyond a simple acknowledgment of a product in use dynamic and synthesize data into practical information and patterns of use. The most cost efective way to accomplish this is to use primary sources of data development. Concept screening, product use characteristics or brand evaluation measures. Ideally, multiple sources of information should be tapped. In the real world, diversifying sources can be costly and time consuming, that is assuming that options are even available.
Foodservice Catetory Insight Products/Services
MenuMine
MenuMine is a menu information database for use by Marketing and Culinary R&D in the food industry to gain perspectives on new possibilities and gaps in their product line.
- 140k+ Unique menu items cataloged by up to 120 unique characteristics.
- Price trends going back to 1996. The MenuMine Database is unparalleled for data relevance and insight.
- Category Incidence Trending, Market Size Projections, Menu Price Trends, Chain Benchmarking Methods and multiple column Spreadsheets.
Chain Benchmark
Chain Benchmark provides menu developers with planning basics for all chains within their competitive set. Examined are key menu characteristics affecting menu item positioning within the concept and these include:
- Menu Part analysis for Appetizers, Sandwiches, Entrees, Burgers, Salads and Sides
- Influence of Cuisine of Menu Item separate and apart from concept positioning
- Influence of Protein by Type/Cut within each menu part
- Influence of Cooking Method by Protein Type
- Leading Item Analysis by Menu Item Class and Type within each Menu Part
- Menu Price Analysis by Menu Item Class and Type within each Menu Part
The BEST Report
Manufacturers need an objective system for evaluating the market share position of their brands versus each specific competitive brand. Brand Equity Share Trends, is a comprehensive source of information to be used in market planning and tracking. Best Reports® provide information on market size and brand share for all competing brands within specific product categories. Each BEST Report contains market size and brand share information analyzed for thirteen chain, independent and institutional segments and four geographic regions. For eighteen years now (since 1992), the BEST Report® has been the most accurate and cost effective way to monitor market size changes and to determine best trends and patterns of BEST foodservice product categories.
LTO-Trak
Reports on an approximate 40 LTO’s that appeared on chain menus in the previous month. Criteria is strict for consideration as an LTO. Items must be “new” or re-introduced from a previous year (McRib), They cannot simply be an item that has been repriced. Coupons or price promotions that are not new and are not available for a short period of time are not included as LTO’s. With these restrictions the list of monthly LTO’s is unique and more valuable to the product developer.
Download a sample PDF of the LTO report
New Item Database
More than 12,000 new items have been added to menus of the Top 500 chains in the last five years. A slightly smaller 10,000 menu items have been deleted. New items that are to earn a permanent status on the menu must meet various criteria for success. For any given chain concept these criteria become more focused. The MenuMine New Additions Database is available for analysis. Simply tell us what menu part and concept you are concentrating on and we will provide directional insight as well as a complete record of all activity in your concept including new items, LTO's, add backs and deletes.
Menu Opportunity Reports
Custom ordered, wide scope analyses of product development and menuing opportunities.
- Reports may concentrate on a particular menu part (salads or appetizers or other) or they may focus on a particular protein across all menu parts and cuisines and menu item types.
- Reports may be Broad Based reports on All Sandwiches or Micro Analyses of Deli Sandwiches or Burgers or Hot Dogs/Sausages or Meatless.
- Each report includes 20 to 30 pages including charts, statistical tables, menu prices and trends, plus in depth commentary of relevant patterns, differences and recommendations.