Marketing Insights is published quarterly and is available from your Virginia Dare Account Executive. Here are some excerpts from our recent publications. Natural is the Right Choice Consumers are bombarded nowadays with messages on the information super highway. With the internet, social media, the blogosphere, hundreds of television channels to choose from, and traditional advertising, radio, magazines and newspapers, consumers are overwhelmed and can not digest and process all the information they receive. There is often ever changing and contradictory information about health, wellness, and nutrition information and new studies, and food safety issues. Rather than trying to keep up with all the information they receive, research indicates that consumers are retreating from the analysis and decision making process, and embracing “natural” labeling as a safe bet on the best and right food choice. Virginia Dare has a very large and growing selection of natural flavors for application in food and beverage products to meet these consumer expectations. Out of Africa – New Flavor Trends With the world’s eyes focused this summer on Africa and the World Cup Football competition, it is no surprise to trend watchers that Africa will be a new source of ideas, traditions and tastes. The new products monitoring company Mintel and the Prepared Foods Conference to be held in Florida in September have both identified African as an up and coming trend to watch. Virginia Dare’s Marketing Department has been trend spotting Africa for several years now, and has developed a series of African inspired beverages. For a copy of Virginia Dare’s African Flavor Influences Report, and to order samples of the beverages to taste, contact your Virginia Dare Account Representative. The Greatest and Most Influential Cocktails of the Past Century Imbibe, the trendy beverage magazine, has identified what it feels are the greatest cocktails of the past century. The list includes: Dry Martini, Cuba Libre, Mojito, Alexander, Singapore Sling, Aviation, Sidecar, Margarita, Bloody Mary, Negroni, Last Word, Zombie, Mai Tai, Bellini, Moscow Mule, Irish Coffee, Caipirinha, Kangaroo, Harvey Wallbanger, Pina Colada, Long Island Iced Tea, B-52, Cosmopolitan, Gin- Gin Mule, Red Hook. They say you can’t fight with success. These cocktails have been around for a long time and consumers keep choosing them time and time again. Why? Because they taste great! If you are developing a new line of beverages, alcohol based, mock-cocktail, or just looking for a great tasting beverage, let Virginia Dare’s Marketing and Applications Departments help you translate the learning from taste history into your new product. Virginia Dare Beverage Research with Hispanic Young Men Virginia Dare’s Marketing Department continuously provides marketing insight information to its customers. Recently Virginia Dare conducted focus groups with young (aged 18-35 years) Hispanic-American men to better understand their interest and consumption of beverages. The research revealed the following: they were interested in beverages that provided mental stimulation and alertness, felt that they had seen and tried the vast array of energy drinks, and “5-hour” energy drinks and that it wasn’t an especially interesting category anymore for them, they were less interested in relaxation beverages in that with active lifestyles, the had no problem relaxing or winding down, they were well aware of beneficial ingredients such as Omega-3’s, were interested in natural and preservative free products, and chocolate wines and new non-alcoholic chocolate beverages intrigued them.