Engage Your Critics to Become Partners

The United States has the world’s safest food supply built upon decades of evidence-based scientific review, affirmation, and regulation. However, an increasing number of ingredients and processes are driving fear, controversy, and activist ire. Our scientific rigor hasn’t weakened and our commitment to safety and quality is more dynamic than it has ever been. Marketers have increased consumer access to information, science, and scientists all in the name of transparency. And yet, food continues to be a punching bag for vocal critics. Why?

As part Ketchum’s recent global research series, Food 2020: Consumer as CEO, we looked closely at the growing criticism of food and identified a powerful group of influencers who appear to be driving this trend now and will into the future. We’ve dubbed them “Food eVangelists.” The term refers to the social networks that fuel their beliefs and embolden their role as self-appointed agents of change. Unlike other consumers, this group aggressively pushes out  their opinions about food products, production, and processing four-plus times per week online and offline. Their goal is to be heard, to be followed, and to change behaviors.

We’ve long attributed the negatives around food to a small but vocal few; a niche of uninformed and immovable activists. While that may well have been true a decade ago, today their voices and numbers are growing. What’s more, they are having a significant impact on our businesses, our sourcing and processing decisions, as well as on food policy.

Indeed, our research shows that nearly 11% of the U.S. population falls into the Food eVangelist profile. Globally that number soars to 22%—nearly one quarter of the global population. We can see that every device we have used over decades to reassure food safety and quality is literally bouncing off this group. We have learned that the Food eVangelist tends to be younger than most primary food shoppers and more affluent with above average incomes and educations.

They are the ultimate skeptics, listening to everyone but refusing to believe that any one person or group can have all the answers. That raises the question about where the Food eVangelists are getting their information. This group has no tolerance for marketing or traditional channels of communications. Messages to them mean “spin.” Therefore, our work, our messages, our science, and our facts are not being heard or seen. Yet, Food eVangelists have many questions and concerns about food and in the void are forming wildly misinformed perceptions that are being reinforced by like-minded followers.

For communications professionals like myself who built a career on balanced, fair, and factual reporting, this is a disheartening development. I can only imagine how deeply depressing this must be to highly educated scientists who have devoted countless years of their careers in evidence-based research. Our traditional approach is to respond to critics by piling on more facts and more science. But our research now tells us that the more we do this the less we are heard.

That is because the Food eVangelist is driven by passions—misinformed perhaps—but passions around food quality, safety, and ethics. Facts and science don’t address passions or perceptions. Our own qualitative research among Food eVangelists shows that when we lead with facts and science, we might as well be throwing up a wall of concrete between us and them. Nothing gets through. What’s worse is that we have actually deepened the divide between us.

But not all news is bad. Our qualitative research and work with Food eVangelists is demonstrating that when approached differently—as partners in your business instead of targets or critics—many are open to new information and can be moved. They require opportunities to experience, engage, and participate in your business in ways no average consumer desires. They seek recognition, affirmation, and acceptance. They want to know we are listening. When we respect their passions and truly work to respectfully listen, they will allow us to share science, facts, and information.

Changing misperceptions starts with changing the way we communicate. We all care deeply about food and about our family’s health and safety. If we start there and learn to open our hearts and eyes before we open our mouths, we  can and will be given permission to share facts and science. It’s time for us to put aside our egos, our authority, our reputations, and our expertise to build relationships. The opportunity is there. And frankly, we’re going to be hard pressed to build trust for the products we make without having this group engaged.

An executive summary of the study is available at http://www.ketchum.com/food-2020-consumer-ceo.