Project Title: Utilization of a Point-of-Purchasing Marketing Technique to Increase Healthy Food Purchases in a Hospital Cafeteria
Objective: To assess the impact of a nutrition-focused point-of-purchase marketing intervention on product sales in a hospital cafeteria
Competencies Met:
The Emerging Trends Research Project will meet the following competencies for the RD from ACEND accreditation standards for IP:
Interventions in food service establishments that provide point-of-purchase (POP) nutrition information have been successful in their effort to encourage healthy eating behavior. The current study was implemented to evaluate advertising methods that promote nutritional information of highlighted food items in an effort to increase sales of healthy items, and to ultimately improve health of consumers. The study was conducted by three dietetic interns at separate hospitals located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Houston, Texas from January 2016 to March 2016. The study utilized the clientele of the three hospital cafeterias as its subjects. Several marketing techniques were implemented among the hospitals, which included flyers, hospital website (intranet), digital media, and social media. Advertising occurred the day each item was to be sold and data was collected via sales reports obtained from the Retail Manager at each hospital. The effects on sales varied based on the type of advertising method used and the number of methods utilized per location. A combination of two marketing techniques, including flyers and intranet, provided the best results and reflected an average increase in sales of 2.7 items. Limitations were encountered at each location, which ultimately had an impact on effectively tracking the number of sales for each individual item sold. The results of the study are important to the dietetics profession, as findings reflect the need to focus on which advertising techniques show the best outcome for increasing the sales of healthy products.
Supporting Documents: See poster and PowerPoint presentation below.
Objective: To assess the impact of a nutrition-focused point-of-purchase marketing intervention on product sales in a hospital cafeteria
Competencies Met:
The Emerging Trends Research Project will meet the following competencies for the RD from ACEND accreditation standards for IP:
- Select indicators of program quality and/or customer service and measure achievement of objectives (CRD 1.1)
- Apply evidence-based guidelines, systematic reviews and scientific literature (such as the Academy’s Evidence Analysis Library and Evidence-based Nutrition Practice Guidelines, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Guideline Clearinghouse Web sites) in the nutrition care process and model and other areas of dietetics practice (CRD 1.2)
- Conduct research projects using appropriate research methods, ethical procedures and statistical analysis (CRD 1.5)
- Design, implement and evaluate presentations to a target audience (CRD 2.3)
- Deliver respectful, science-based answers to consumer questions concerning emerging trends (CRD 3.4)
- Demonstrate leadership through coordination in the development, marketing, implementation, and evaluation of a health and wellness initiative (ETD 5.5)
Interventions in food service establishments that provide point-of-purchase (POP) nutrition information have been successful in their effort to encourage healthy eating behavior. The current study was implemented to evaluate advertising methods that promote nutritional information of highlighted food items in an effort to increase sales of healthy items, and to ultimately improve health of consumers. The study was conducted by three dietetic interns at separate hospitals located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and Houston, Texas from January 2016 to March 2016. The study utilized the clientele of the three hospital cafeterias as its subjects. Several marketing techniques were implemented among the hospitals, which included flyers, hospital website (intranet), digital media, and social media. Advertising occurred the day each item was to be sold and data was collected via sales reports obtained from the Retail Manager at each hospital. The effects on sales varied based on the type of advertising method used and the number of methods utilized per location. A combination of two marketing techniques, including flyers and intranet, provided the best results and reflected an average increase in sales of 2.7 items. Limitations were encountered at each location, which ultimately had an impact on effectively tracking the number of sales for each individual item sold. The results of the study are important to the dietetics profession, as findings reflect the need to focus on which advertising techniques show the best outcome for increasing the sales of healthy products.
Supporting Documents: See poster and PowerPoint presentation below.