Effective Marketing Strategies for School Nutrition Programs
School Nutrition Toolbox provides a comprehensive guide on marketing school meals, emphasizing the importance of marketing to promote student participation and create a positive image of the program. The course covers steps in developing a successful marketing plan, such as establishing measurable goals, identifying the target audience, assessing the current situation, and implementing strategies. By utilizing effective marketing techniques, schools can influence students' food choices and eating behaviors to meet participation goals and enhance the overall perception of school meals.
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Marketing School Meals Begin Course Begin Course Begin Course Begin Course Double-Click Arrow to Begin Double-Click Arrow to Begin Double-Click Arrow to Begin Double-Click Arrow to Begin Home Button Home Button Home Button Found on each page. Selecting the Found on each page. Selecting the Found on each page. Selecting the Home Button Found on each page. Selecting the Home button returns you to this page. Home button returns you to this page. Home button returns you to this page. Home button returns you to this page. Shortcut Buttons These buttons link to major sections of this course. Double-Click to navigate. H H H H Topic 2 Topic 3 Topic 4 Topic 6 Topic 1 Topic 5 Button Button Button Topic 2 Button Button Button Topic 3 Button Button Button Topic 4 Button Button Button Topic 6 Button Button Topic 1 Topic 1 Button Button Button Topic 5
N NAVIGATION AVIGATION School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here Navigation is pretty basic. Back Button, Forward Button, and Home Button. Forward Button Back Button Found on each page. Selecting the Back button returns you to the previous page. Found on each page. Selecting the Forward button advances you to the next page. Home Button Found on each page. Selecting the H H H H Home button returns you to the very beginning page. H H H H
TOPIC 1 | MARKETING SCHOOL MEALS | INTRODUCTION I INTRODUCTION NTRODUCTION School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Students are not required to purchase school meals. You must provide compelling reasons to do so. Therefore, it is essential that you effectively market your program. Marketing the School Nutrition Program (SNP) is also important because it is a way to present the SNP as part of the educational environment and can help to create a positive image of your program in the eyes of stakeholders, and positively influence students dietary habits. One of the biggest challenges facing SNPs today may be providing nutritious foods that students will accept, while meeting your SNP goals. Marketing can be used to influence students food selections and eating behaviors, while helping schools meet participation goals and enhance the positive image of school meals. H H 3
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN Participants will: 1. Describe and explain the steps in a marketing plan. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals THEREARE 10 STEPSINDEVELOPINGAMARKETINGPLAN: Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here Establish measurable objectives/goals. Identify the target audience. Assess the current situation. Research the target audience. Develop strategies and tactics. Develop a budget. Establish timelines. Implement strategies and tactics. Evaluate the results. Follow-up. H H H H H H H H 4
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN 1. ESTABLISHMEASURABLEOBJECTIVES In order to determine whether or not a goal has been met, it must be measurable. Change the image of the School Nutrition Program is a somewhat vague goal and difficult to measure. Increase participation in school breakfast by 10% in the middle school is a specific and measurable goal. School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals 2. IDENTIFYTHETARGETAUDIENCE Consider your target audience. There may be more than one target audience and each may require a different approach. Different target audiences may have different concerns. Consider what is important to your target audience and how you can appeal to their desires. Students are your primary audience, and they want food that tastes good. Find out what types of foods students like and tailor your menu to their preferences to increase buy in. You can do this through a Student Advisory Council, student surveys, or taste-tests. Students also want to have fun. Consider holding age-appropriate contests, tasting events, or theme days in the lunchroom. Some students, especially teenagers, may be interested in being healthy. Show them how the food being offered through school meals fits into a healthy lifestyle that can help them look, feel and perform their best. Continued on next slide. H H 5
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN 2. IDENTIFYTHETARGETAUDIENCE (continued) Parents and guardians are another target audience. Nutrition and health may be important to parents. Take the opportunity to communicate with families at Back to School nights, PTO/PTA meetings, or through published menus and newsletters about the nutritional quality and standards of school meals. The value and convenience of a school breakfast or lunch, compared to packing food from home, may also appeal to busy parents and guardians. School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Teachers and administrators are also target audiences. Their attitudes about school meal programs can influence how students view the programs, so it s important to have them on your side. Besides being role models, teachers and administrators are potential customers. The role that school meals can play in providing healthy choices may be appealing to these audiences. In particular, highlight the link between participation in school breakfast and improved academic achievement and student behavior. Educate teachers and administrators about the nutrition standards in school meals and the research showing links between breakfast participation and positive academic and behavioral outcomes. Continued on next slide. H H 6
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN 3. ASSESSTHECURRENTSITUATION Examine the situation and identify both strengths and weaknesses. Decide what change is needed. Perhaps you have two middle schools using the same menu. Participation at one middle school is 65%. Participation at the other is 40%. Perhaps the difference is related to the quality of the meal when it is served, or perhaps the friendliness of the lunch staff is attracting or deterring participation. Change is needed to increase participation at the middle school with the lower participation level. Evaluate changes that could improve participation with student input. School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals 4. RESEARCHTHETARGETAUDIENCE Examine the situation and identify both strengths and weaknesses. Decide what change is needed. Perhaps you have two middle schools using the same menu. Participation at one middle school is 65%. Participation at the other is 40%. Perhaps the difference is related to the quality of the meal when it is served, or perhaps the friendliness of the lunch staff is attracting or deterring participation. Change is needed to increase participation at the middle school with the lower participation level. Evaluate changes that could improve participation with student input. Continued on next slide. H H 7
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN 5. DEVELOPSTRATEGIESANDTACTICS Strategies or tactics are the activities used to accomplish the objective(s). Consider the four P s of marketing when developing the strategies and tactics. Product What is the product or service that is being offered and what benefits are being offered? In the case of school meals, healthy menu options are being offered in addition to a wide variety of choices. School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Price What is the cost for the school meal? This refers not only to the price of the meal but the cost to the student in time and effort. Does participation in school breakfast or lunch limit the time they have to socialize with friends? Do they have to wait in line too long? If so, this is a cost. Place Where is the product acquired? Meals need to be easily accessible and fit seamlessly into students schedules including their social schedules. Promotion Promotions are the activities used to sell the product. (See Topic 3 | Marketing Strategies and Tactics for additional information and ideas about marketing strategies and promotions.) Continued on next slide. H H 8
T TOPIC OPIC 2 | S 2 | STEPS TEPSIN INA A M MARKETING ARKETING P PLAN LAN 6. DEVELOPABUDGET Develop a budget that covers all aspects of the marketing plan. Costs associated with market research might include printing costs for surveys and incentives for participation. Other costs might include food, supplies, staff time, and materials related to the promotion. School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals 7. ESTABLISHTIMELINES Establish realistic timelines. Consider what time of year would be best to implement the activities. 8. IMPLEMENTSTRATEGIESANDTACTICS Assign responsibilities and implement the plan. 9. EVALUATETHERESULTS Was the implementation of your plan successful in meeting your goals and objectives? If your objective was to increase school lunch participation, compare participation levels before and after implementation, or compare participation levels after the promotion to the same month the previous school year. 10. FOLLOW-UP Continue to develop marketing objectives and strategies as part of ongoing promotions. H H 9
T TOPIC OPIC 3 | M 3 | MARKETING ARKETING S STRATEGIES TRATEGIESAND AND T TACTICS ACTICS Participants will: 1. Describe a variety of marketing strategies and tactics. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals TASTE TESTS When creating new recipes or deciding which menu items to add to the menu, hold taste tests to get input from students. Serve small, sample-sized portions and encourage students to try the items. Feedback can be gathered informally, through a survey, or through a voting system. Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCILS Student Advisory Councils can be useful in a variety of ways. Council members can be asked to test new menu items and give input about menu offerings and suggestions to improve school meals. These students can also help in the marketing of the programs, assisting in the design of fliers, public service announcements, and other marketing strategies. CELEBRITY DAY Invite local celebrities to act as role models and join students for breakfast or lunch. Celebrities might include sports figures, the mayor, police officers, firefighters, and local news personalities. For young students, older students might have some celebrity status. Invite a high school sports team, well- known club, or class officers to join the younger students. In addition to just making an appearance and eating with the students, celebrities can assist with taste testing events. Consider asking the principal, the superintendent, or a favorite teacher or coach to help. H H H H H H H H 10
T TOPIC OPIC 3 | M 3 | MARKETING ARKETING S STRATEGIES TRATEGIESAND AND T TACTICS ACTICS CONTESTS Contests can build awareness about the school meal programs and generate excitement among the student body. Draw upon students creativity by holding a poster or video contest or a contest to come up with a name for the cafeteria. Challenge students to come up with new recipes using an ingredient you re trying to promote (e.g. whole grain item, legume, vegetables) and have students vote on their favorites. Organize a contest in which homerooms or grades compete for the highest participation in school breakfast or lunch over a designated period of time. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here APPEARANCEOF LUNCH LINEAND CAFETERIA Think about when you enter a restaurant and how its appearance makes you feel about the place and your desire to return. The same is true of students entering a lunch line and cafeteria. Decorate both with signage, posters, and student artwork. Include a menu board so students know exactly what s on the menu. Look at the lunch line from a student s perspective. Are foods positioned in such a way that the younger students are able to see what s available? Use attractive serving containers and colors that contrast with the colors of the food that is offered to make them stand out. Make sure all areas are clutter-free and well-lit. THEME DAYS Theme days create an opportunity to generate excitement and interest and introduce new menu items. Theme days might coordinate with holidays (e.g. Valentine s Day, St. Patrick s Day) or be stand-alone celebrations such as a Beach Day in January, a Harvest Festival, or a Milk Mustache event. Celebrate National School Breakfast Week (first full week in March), National School Lunch Week (second week in October), and National Farm to School Month (October). H H H H H H H H 11
T TOPIC OPIC 3 | M 3 | MARKETING ARKETING S STRATEGIES TRATEGIESAND AND T TACTICS ACTICS SOCIAL MEDIAAND TECHNOLOGY Use social media such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to post information about promotions and new menu items. Create a website for the school meal program to share the menu and other information you want to share. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here POSITIVE STAFF INTERACTION Train your staff to practice positive customer service. Make sure that they are interacting with students in a friendly and inviting manner and are encouraging them to select reimbursable meals. DISPLAYA SAMPLE LUNCH Put together a sample school lunch on a tray and display it on the lunch line. As an alternative, post photos of a complete meal. When photographing food, do so in adequate indoor lighting or natural light. Use a light-colored backdrop to improve the photo quality. Take the photo soon after the food preparation is complete before the appearance begins to deteriorate. H H H H H H H H 12
T TOPIC OPIC 4 | S 4 | SMARTER MARTER L LUNCHROOMS UNCHROOMS Participants will: 1. List Smarter Lunchrooms techniques to nudge students to make healthier choices. 2. Describe the research results that document the effects of Smarter Lunchrooms changes. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here The Smarter Lunchrooms Movement is a national initiative that originated at the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Programs (the B.E.N. Center). Smarter Lunchrooms offers no-cost or low-cost strategies that can result in less waste, higher meal participation, more satisfied students, and increased consumption of nutritious foods. H H H H H H H H 13
T TOPIC OPIC 4 | S 4 | SMARTER MARTER L LUNCHROOMS UNCHROOMS SMARTER LUNCHROOMS STRATEGIES: The B.E.N. Center has developed a Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard listing the 60 strategies that you can use to assess your school lunchroom environment. Some of the recommended strategies include the following: School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here Make fruit more convenient and easy for students to eat by serving it sliced or cut up. Offer fruit in at least two locations on all service lines. Always place it near the register. Offer a variety of colorful fruit in attractive bowls or baskets in well lighted locations. Some students prefer cooked vegetables while others prefer raw, so offer both. Provide self-serve spices and seasonings for students to add flavor to vegetables. Identify at least one vegetable as the featured vegetable-of-the-day and label it with a creative, descriptive name at the point of selection. Make pre-packaged salads or a salad bar available to all students. Locate them in high-traffic areas. Make sure that self-serve tongs, scoops, and containers are larger for vegetables and smaller for croutons, dressing, and other non-produce items. To promote white milk over flavored options, offer white milk in front of other beverages in all coolers and make sure it represents at least 1/3 of all milk in each cooler. Offer a reimbursable combo meal as a grab-and-go meal. Continued on next slide. H H H H H H H H 14
T TOPIC OPIC 4 | S 4 | SMARTER MARTER L LUNCHROOMS UNCHROOMS SMARTER LUNCHROOMS STRATEGIES: (continued) Identify one entr e as the featured entr e-of-the-day, label it with a creative name next to the point of selection, and offer it first. Brand the lunchroom and decorate it in a way that reflects the student body. Make sure there is a clear traffic pattern. Use signs, floor decals, or rope lines when appropriate. Involve students in the development of creative and descriptive names for menu items. Offer students the opportunity to volunteer in the lunchroom. Post a monthly menu in the main office. Provide information about the benefits of school meals to teachers and administrators at least annually. Offer recess before lunch in elementary schools. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here H H H H H H H H 15
T TOPIC OPIC 4 | S 4 | SMARTER MARTER L LUNCHROOMS UNCHROOMS SMARTER LUNCHROOMS RESEARCH The Smarter Lunchrooms strategies are based on research results. Below are some examples of the research findings that support the recommendations. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Focus on the Fruit In one school district, fresh fruit was barely visible and was kept in dull metal chafing dishes. Fresh fruit sales were poor. Smarter Lunchroom Movement researchers moved the fruit into a colorful bowl and placed it in a well-lighted area near the register. Fruit sales rose 103%.1 Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here Vary the Vegetables Giving foods catchy, descriptive names increases interest in the foods. In a lunchroom study, giving vegetables names such as X-ray Vision Carrots, Power Punch Broccoli, and Turbo Tomatoes almost doubled vegetable sales.2 Highlight the Salad In one Smarter Lunchrooms study, simply moving the salad bar into a higher-traffic area tripled salad sales.3 1Hanks, A. S., Just, D. R., & Wansink, B. (2013). Smarter lunchrooms can address new school lunchroom guidelines and childhood obesity. The Journal of Pediatrics, 162(4), 867-9. 2Wansink, B., Just, D. R., Payne, C. R., & Klinger, M. (2012). Names sustain increased vegetable intake in schools. Preventative Medicine, 55(4): 330-2. 3Smith L., Just D., & Wansink, B. (2010). Convenience Drives Choice in School Lunch Rooms: A Salad Bar Success Story. The FASEB Journal, 24(1) Supplement. Continued on next slide. H H H H H H H H 16
T TOPIC OPIC 4 | S 4 | SMARTER MARTER L LUNCHROOMS UNCHROOMS SMARTER LUNCHROOMS RESEARCH The Smarter Lunchrooms strategies are based on research results. Below are some examples of the research findings that support the recommendations. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Move More White Milk Smarter Lunchrooms researchers had test schools stock 50% white milk and place it in front of the chocolate milk. This change resulted in a 46% increase in the number of students choosing white milk instead of chocolate milk.4 Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here School Community Involvement Smarter Lunchrooms researchers found that moving recess from after lunch to before lunch resulted in a 54% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption by students.5 Display a Sample Lunch Put together a sample school lunch on a tray and display in on the lunch line. As an alternative, post photos of a complete meal. When photographing food, do so in adequate indoor lighting or natural light. Use a light- colored backdrop to improve the photo quality. Take the photo soon after the food preparation is complete before the appearance begins to deteriorate. 4Goto, K., Waite, A., Wolff, C., Chan, K., & Giovanni, M. (2013). Do environmental interventions impact elementary school students lunchtime milk selection? Journal of Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 35(2): 360-76. 5Price, J., & Just, D. R. (2015). Lunch, recess and nutrition: responding to time incentives in the cafeteria. Preventive medicine, 71, 27-30. H H H H H H H H 17
T TOPIC OPIC 5 | M 5 | MARKETING ARKETING S SCHOOL CHOOL M MEALS EALSIN IN P PENNSYLVANIA ENNSYLVANIA S SCHOOLS CHOOLS Participants will: 1. Recognize how marketing efforts have been used successfully in Pennsylvania schools. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Schools throughout Pennsylvania are using marketing techniques to successfully promote school meals and healthy options. Below are some examples: Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here H H H H H H H H 18
T TOPIC OPIC 5 | M 5 | MARKETING ARKETING S SCHOOL CHOOL M MEALS EALSIN IN P PENNSYLVANIA ENNSYLVANIA S SCHOOLS CHOOLS Schools throughout Pennsylvania are using marketing techniques to successfully promote school meals and healthy options. Below are some examples: School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here H H H H H H H H 19
T TOPIC OPIC 5 | M 5 | MARKETING ARKETING S SCHOOL CHOOL M MEALS EALSIN IN P PENNSYLVANIA ENNSYLVANIA S SCHOOLS CHOOLS Schools throughout Pennsylvania are using marketing techniques to successfully promote school meals and healthy options. Below are some examples: School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here H H H H H H H H 20
T TOPIC OPIC 6 | M 6 | MARKETING ARKETING R RESOURCES ESOURCES Participants will: 1. Identify a variety of resources for marketing school meals. School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Fruit and Vegetables Galore: Helping Kids to Eat More! is a tool for school food service professionals packed with tips on planning, purchasing, protecting, preparing, presenting, and promoting fruits and vegetables. Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/fruits-vegetables-galore-helping-kids-eat-more The Lunch Box site from the Chef Ann Foundation includes ideas for marketing school meals. http://www.thelunchbox.org/ This Marketing Healthy Foods Tool Kit was developed by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education s Child Nutrition Outreach Program to help school food service departments promote healthy meals.. http://meals4kids.org/sites/default/files/MKT_toolkit%20final.pdf H H H H H H H H 21
T TOPIC OPIC 6 | M 6 | MARKETING ARKETING R RESOURCES ESOURCES This Marketing School Breakfast guidance from USDA provides information about creating a marketing strategy, marketing ideas, and marketing resources. https://www.fns.usda.gov/sbp/marketing School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here No Time to Train is a collection of scripted Smarter Lunchrooms lessons, planning advice, and teaching aids (slide presentation, worksheets, role play scripts) that can be used to provide professional development workshops for school food service staff. Resources are provided to deliver workshops customizable in length (15-60 minutes) once a month for the entire school year. https://www.smarterlunchrooms.org/trainings/no-time-train The Smarter Lunchrooms Scorecard lists 60 strategies that you can use to assess your school lunchroom environment. https://www.smarterlunchrooms.org/sites/default/files/documents/SLM-Scorecard2.0_5.pdf Vermont Feed has developed this handout on Taste Testing New Foods in the Classroom and Cafeteria. http://okfarmtoschool.com/wp-content/uploads/Taste-testing-new-foods.pdf H H H H H H H H 22
T TOPIC OPIC 6 | M 6 | MARKETING ARKETING R RESOURCES ESOURCES Use graphics from this Team Nutrition Graphics library to jazz up your elementary school menus and encourage healthy choices. https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/graphics-library School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox School Nutrition Toolbox Marketing School Meals Marketing School Meals Put Course Name Here Put Course Name Here Use these Team Nutrition Middle School posters to encourage middle school children to make healthy food choices. https://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/team-nutrition-middle-school-posters The Team Nutrition Popular Events Idea Booklet offers ideas for fun ways to promote nutrition and physical activity in elementary and middle schools. https://www.fns.usda.gov/team-nutrition-popular-events-idea-booklet This Texas Department of Agriculture website provides tips for marketing and promoting school meals. http://squaremeals.org/FandNResources/BoostMealAppeal/MarketingPromotion.aspx H H H H H H H H 23
