Home : Resources : Monthly Shipping Reports : 2008 September

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September 2008 Industry News

SHIPMENT SUMMARY

Mushroom Council First Handler Reports (millions of pounds; totals may not match due to rounding).
Current Charts

COUNCIL UPDATE

• Thanks to all who came to the Mushroom Council industry presentations/discussions in August. At the Council meeting in Washington, DC on September 11, the plan you saw was recommended for submission to USDA for approval, leaving the assessment rate at the current level of $0.005 per fresh pound shipped. Note, one additional foodservice distributor/chef outreach program element suggested at the industry meeting in California was added. Your input is important and receives due consideration by your Council representatives.

• Weight Watchers labels must be phased out by September 30th and BestLife labels by December 31^st.

   

• New brochures are here! If you have not had a chance to see the brochures; click here to see them. Click here to download an order form for all of the brochures and collateral pieces currently available. The new brochures include:
  • Portabellas Nature’s Hidden Treasure
  • Mushroom Sandwiches Nature’s Hidden Treasure
  • Specialty Mushrooms Nature’s Hidden Treasure
  • A Guide to Mushroom Nutrition
  • Fresh Mushrooms Nature’s Hidden Treasure recipes

  • Easy Recipes for Everyday Meals – 2007 collection

• New postings to www.mushroomcouncil.org include:
  • Consumer E-newsletter

MARKETING SUMMARY

TOTAL IMPRESSIONS/PLACEMENTS TO DATE: 

 August impressions overview:

• In August, Mushroom Council placements represented an average of 68 percent of total mushroom news, which is within the norm of 33 to 75 percent during a period of proactive outreach.

• Earlier this year, the Mushroom Council met with magazine editors in New York to preview Cheskin’s research, among other nutritional topics. As a result, Cheskin’s research is featured in the October issue of Good Housekeeping, which is on newsstands now.

• USA Today featured an article on vitamin D, calling vitamin D deficiency “an epidemic that's starting to gain the notice of pediatricians and bone doctors across the country.” To view the entire story, click here.

• The Mushroom Council promoted the 23rd Annual Mushroom Festival to editors across the nation to generate attention for the event. The pre-event Mushroom Festival media coverage included 14 placements with more than 9.5 million impressions. Placements included the Washington Post, RealSimple.com and Philadelphia Inquirer’s Web site, philly.com.

• The Weight Watchers “Pick of the Season” partnership continues through the end of September. On September 6-7, Weight Watchers representatives hosted a booth in front of the “MushRoom” at the 23rd Mushroom Festival to educate attendees about mushrooms and Weight Watchers. In addition to local Weight Watchers information, visitors received the official “Pick of the Season” mushroom recipe cards and Mushroom Council brochures. The news of mushrooms as Weight Watchers “Pick of the Season” has been highlighted in more than 90 media placements and nearly 70 million impressions in publications, such as The Philadelphia Sun, City Line News, Denver Post’s Web site and NBC6.com. 

• Throughout the month of September, the Mushroom Council is sponsoring online advertising on three food and nutrition-focused Web sites: www.MyRecipes.com, a Web site featuring recipes from top consumer magazines, including Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset and Health; www.WeightWatchers.com; and www.eGullet.org, a food-focused Web site that reaches media influencers, including editors from The New York Times and Gourmet. The sponsorships include banner ads that highlight mushrooms’ 0 fat, 20 calories, versatility, taste and natural vitamin D. Advertising on WeightWatchers.com focuses on the Pick of the Season partnership. In addition to banner ads, mushrooms will be woven throughout the MyRecipes.com editorial sections.

• The Mario Batali mushroom color food page has been ordered by 61 papers in 27 states, resulting in more than 14 million impressions.

• In August, the Council distributed a press release highlighting the Mushroom Council-funded research on mushrooms and weight loss by Dr. Cheskin. The release was posted on a scientific newswire reaching more than 5,500 science, medical and nutrition-focused editors. To date, the research has been covered in 37 news placements generating more than 85.4 million media impressions in August. Placements include Los Angeles Times, Science Daily and Medical News Today.

• Web traffic update: In July, there was an increase in web traffic. Mushroominfo.com experienced an 8 percent increase and mushroomcouncil.org saw a 1 percent increase in visitors. This increase could be attributed to the new recipes and media outreach for the July-September push as well as new banner ads on MyRecipes.com. Mushroom Council placements represented an average of 78 percent, of total mushroom news in July, which was comprised of 89 placements, such as in Forbes, Reuters, The Houston Chronicle and the Denver Post, highlighting mushrooms as Weight Watchers “Pick of the Season.” To see a detailed review of the Council’s comprehensive web traffic report click here.

On the Foodservice front: 

• The Mushroom Council convened the first Chef Advisory Panel Summit in New York City on August 13-15. During the Summit, a select group of influential chefs engaged in lively discussion about mushrooms and the menu and participated in a hands-on cooking exercise. Key learnings from the group included:

1. Educating foodservice operators about mushrooms’ bundle of benefits, from nutrition and health to flavor, available varieties and culinary applications is extremely important. Even this group of mushroom enthusiasts had a lot to learn, and were hungry for more.
2. The message that mushrooms could act as a protein extender resonated well with the panelists, as all were dealing with the challenge of rising food costs and slow consumer spending.
3. To view the recap report of the chef summit, click here.

• The latest data on mushroom menuing in top 200 chains from the Chain Account Menu Survey (CAMS), which is now known as FoodBeat, was released at the end of August. Overall, mushroom menu mentions on top 200 chains were flat this year, with exactly 1,032 items at 154 of the top 200 chains. While there was growth in many categories, including bakery cafes and sandwich chains, the weak economy has hit hardest in casual dining and family dining – the two largest segments for mushroom menuing. The Council will use this knowledge to help target our menu development outreach, and encourages you to review the data and analysis for your own sales efforts. To view the full analysis as well as historical charts, showing the macro-trends going back to 1998, click the following links:

• Mushroom Mentions on Top 200 Chain Menus
• 2008 Trendspotter Mushroom Mentions
• Mushrooms on Menus
• Historical CAMS Charts

• The Council is currently working on a promotional opportunity with Moe’s Southwest Grill. The chain is currently testing a new “Philly Cheesesteak Burrito” item until September 21. Moe’s is one of the only quick service chains with a Latin focus that uses fresh mushrooms. If the test of this item goes well, the Council will have the opportunity to support its launch later this fall as a permanent addition to the menu. Click here for a list of Moe’s stores that are testing the item – to help make this item make the permanent menu, stop by a Moe’s and try one soon!

• For more on the status of the Council’s foodservice promotional pursuits click here; to see new mushroom menu items for August click here.

On the Retail front: