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Scientific Research of the Union of Scientists in Bulgaria - Plovdiv, series B. Natural Sciences and Humanities, Vol. XVII, ISSN 1311-9192, International Conference of Young Scientists, 11 - 13 June 2015, Plovdiv
IMPORTANCE OF INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF NEW FUNCTIONAL PRODUCTS IN DAIRY
INDUSTRY Tanje Kjurchioska; Katerina Bojkovska University "St. Kliment Ohridski" - Bitola, Faculty of biotechnical sciences - Bitola, Republic of Macedonia; e-mail: tanje_prilep@hotmail.com
Abstract
The challenge of understanding the connection between diet and health has resulted in the creation of a new concept of functional products, which means a new practical approach to balancing the diet with the aim of achieving optimal health and possibility of reducing the risk of disease. Functional foods are foods that may provide a health benefit beyond basic nutrition. Biologically active compounds in functional foods may impart health benefits or desirable physiological effects. Increasing awareness of healthier food choices, its possibilities and advantages, provides higher quality of life. However, to make a functional food products to be good and widely accepted products it is necessary to link research, marketing and relevant feedback information obtained by monitoring consumer attitudes towards functional product, so that it could meet consumer expectations.
The important fact in the whole integrated marketing communications concept is informing consumers about the possibilities of functional foods, but any information relating to health must necessarily be true, attractive, simple and intelligible to the consumer in order that the concept of functional foods could continue to develop.
In this study will be presented advances in understanding of the relationship between nutrition and health that resulted in the development of the concept of functional foods, which means a practical and new approach to achieve optimal health status by using of integrated marketing communications about promoting the state of well-being and possibly reducing the risk of disease.
Keywords: integrated marketing communications, functional food, product development.
1. Introduction
Food preference is determined by both nutrition and pleasure derived from food consumption. With the development, the "society of abundance" faces new challenges such as increasing costs for health care, extension of the life span of individuals, and the new scientific knowledge and new technologies lead to significant changes in the lifestyle. Because of this, functional food plays a major role in improving the standard of living, balancing and maintaining maximum physiological functions, preserving health and reducing the risk of diseases (Milner, 2000; Roberfroid, 2002). Changes of consumer's attitudes about diet and the connection between diet and health can be achieved by placing an emphasis on targeted and balanced diet, maximizing physiological functions of the body in order to reduce the risk of disease or formulating functional food as an impor-
tant source of specific nutrients from which are of great importance (Roberfroid, 2002).
One of the most comprehensive definitions states that food can be regarded as functional "if it is satisfactorily demonstrated to affect beneficially one or more target functions of the body". Besides the usual foods seen as functional, like fruits and vegetables with its healthful components, breads and cereals made of whole grains, milk with its high presence of calcium in it, fortified foods and beverages, in its broadest definition, functional foods can also include dietary supplements.
2. Economic aspects of the development of functional food
2.1. The market of functional food
Functional food market is constantly changing and the competition in winning consumers is growing relentlessly and bluntly. Key factors affecting the purchase of products represent a recurring cycle that shows the relationship between quality, price, convenience and ease of preparation and of course, a positive impact on health, which means that Functional food or Functional food manufacturers must find a response to consumer's demands for convenient and easy preparation, positive health impact and of course, the good taste.
Also, it should not be forgotten that consumers are not willing to compromise at the expense of taste, in favour of a positive impact on health (Ural and Lahteenmaki, 2007). To be an excellent Functional food product must offer special health properties, and at the same time compared with the conventional food it must develop its own strategy with linking research and marketing (Mark-Herbert, 2004).
Usually there are three dimensions influencing the consumer's food choice decision making process. The first one are properties of the food, the second one are person-related factors, and the third one are purchasing environmental factors. They influence the consumer's decision making process in combination with each other and form the basis of the food choice model. Additionally, the role of communication is integrated in a revised Universal food choice model (figure 1) which is placed in the center of the food choice model, because communication is related with all three other dimensions.
2.2. Development and marketing of functional food
Functional food is a sustainable food category on the market because of the long-term trends in the society, such as socio-demographic trends (Bech-Larsen and Scholderer, 2007; Jones and Jew, 2007; Van Kleef et al, 2002) which imply a higher life standard, longer life expectancy, better health care, higher level of education in a large part of the population, and more. Scientists and, most importantly, consumers are beginning to accept the fact about the connection between health and nutrition (Menrad, 2003).
One approach to better understand and support the potential success of a functional food is to find the dimensions that underlie the functional foods in consumers' minds. Then the product characteristics and especially the marketing communication can be tailored more precisely to appeal to the potential buyers and less desirable messages can be avoided. The special characteristics of functional food development and consumer acceptance of functional foods are shown in Figure 1.
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Figure 1. Special characteristics of functional food development (manufacturers) and consumer acceptance of functional food products.
Consumers are more and more informed about the health aspects of proper nutrition and willingly accept the changes in their eating habits (Niva, 2007; SIRO, 2006).
The acceptance of the concept of functional food and better understanding of its determinants by the consumers has been identified as a key factor for market orientation towards FF, product development driven by the feedback from customers and market opportunities (Ares and Gambari, 2007; Gilbert, 2000). The acceptance of FF or such product by consumers depends largely on the socio-demographic factors such as level of education, place of residence, presence of children in the household, gender and age. On the basis of the socio-demographic factors it can be said that typical consumers of FF are persons with higher levels of education, older people and people with health problems who must adhere to a specific diet regime. Looking from the aspect of gender, women are more frequent consumers and they show more interest towards FF than men (Siró et. al, 2008).
3. Integrated marketing communications for development of new functional dairy products
Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) is the concept under which a company carefully integrates its many communications channels to deliver a clear, consistent, and compelling message about the organization and its products. It calls for recognizing all contact points where the customer may encounter the company and its brands. IMC leads to a total marketing communications strategy aimed at building strong customer relationships by showing how the company and its products can help customers solve their problems. Under this concept, as illustrated in Figure 6. IMC ties together all of the company's messages and images. The company's advertising, personal selling communications, public relations materials, sales promotion, and direct marketing have the same message, look, and feel (Armstrong & Kotler, 2006, p. 366).
Dairy products have so far been in the front line in the development of functional foods. Fermented dairy products have traditionally been considered to have health benefits and thus broadening the product range to other types of health-promoting products is quite natural for the dairy industry. Probiotic dairy products, which contain health-promoting lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and/ or bifidobacteria in addition to traditionally used starter LAB, are one very successful example of a functional dairy product type. Others include products supplemented with prebiotics, fibres, calcium, omega-3, plant stanols, and bioactive peptides
There continues to be strong interest within the food industry in developing new products which offer functional health benefits to the consumer. The premium prices that can be charged make these added-value products lucrative for manufacturers, and they are also commercially popular. Dairy foods are central to this sector: they are good delivery systems for functional foods (yoghurts, milk drinks, spreads) and are also rich in compounds which can be extracted and used as functional ingredients in other food types.
Milk and Dairy Products as Functional Foods draws together a wealth of information regarding the functional health benefits of milk and dairy products. It examines the physiological
role and the claimed health effects of dairy constituents such as proteins, bioactive peptides, conjugated linoleic acid (CUA), omega 3 fatty acids vitamin ID and calcium. These constituents have been shown to be, yor example, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antihypertensive, hypocholesterolemcc, immune-modulating and antimicrobial.
•TV •Print •Internet •Social Media •Radio •PR
! Awareness ^_^
Sale • Promotional materials • Sell-in activities • sales promotions • Product Placement
r-- Social responsibility •Events and Education •Donation
Figure2Integrated Marketing activities for promotion of functional dairy products
4. Conclusion
Functional food is a promising and dynamic part of the food industry that is rapidly evolving thanks to a better understanding of tine close conneftion between diet and health, and to rcdtribute to unde^tanding the connection between daet and health it is necessary to develop a new approach to the developmene of new products and consumers, The presentation of functional food dill not be successfue if it is not camed out simultfneourly with successful informing of the consumers. The information and tlue increased awareness of the opportunitied of healthy eating nllod easier choice in buying the products and their mclusion in the daily diet. With an increasing demand for a noflthy lifestyle and general dell-being, food and drink mfnuffctuters are provided with opportunities to reformulate oy reposition their products to addre ss the needs from this market. Among enose, fortifieO/functionfl food and drinks has been the musn dynamic mdmast moving ciftegoi^ dor new product developmenl in ehe nenlin and wellnesa mtrfet. Although the erldlnced lteliltlt benefits fttracted consuIvers' attention, concerns ontne artificéfl ingredienCs and effe ctiveness of the neflin benefits have fomied negative attitudes towards functional productse Thus, underseanding factors that influence consumers' pcrceptions and faceptanaes gf futictiovft food is esaentiel fou f(torr and drink mfcuffclurers in fl[teir New Produc! rl)eveloc)ment (NPD) ^trateaJiet making. Factors that affect time incaefsing rleveloc)ment of functional products are aging population, incrensing costs for health care, autonomy in health care and awareness and desire to improve personal health, new research and scientific evidence that diet can change the frequency and progression of a disease.
5. L iterature
1. Jones, P J., Jew, S. (2007): Femctionfl food development: Concept to reality, Trends in Food Science & Technologe, 18 (387-390)
2. Mark-Herbert, C. (22004) :Innoaftion of a new product category—Functional foods, Technoaftion, 24 (713- 719)
3. Siró I., Kápolna E., Kápolna B., Andrea Lugasi (2008): Functional food. Product development, marketing and consumer acceptance—A review, Appetite 51 (456^67)
4. Spence, J. T. (2006): Challenges related to the composition of functional foods, Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 19 (S4-S6)
