Strengths and Weaknesses – Marketing Ideas: The Food Industry
You work for a marketing department at a major food processing company. One of the marketing teams has come up with these
ideas for your consideration but you can only choose one as the marketing department has a tight budget for this year. For quick
reference for your computer files, you need to find 2 strengths and 2 weaknesses for each of the six concepts in the descriptions
below. Write the 4 adjectives in the boxes describing the ideas and then decide which of the projects you would recommend for
rolling out. Debate your choice with your team or a partner stating the pros and cons for each project.
Strengths or Neutral
appealing attractive bold brilliant clever
comforting considerate creative daring
different distinctive ecological effective exciting
extraordinary fashionable imaginative ingenious
inspired inventive logical nifty organic original
practical rational resourceful revolutionary
simple trendy unorthodox unusual useful
Betty’s Better Butter . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Have you ever had trouble spreading
butter on your morning slice of toast after
taking it from the fridge? Does the
morning breakfast ritual of buttering toast
turn into a frustrating spectacle of hacking
away at a solid block, often resulting in
disappointment? Well, not any longer! Betty’s Better Butter
gives you thin portions of butter that are wrapped in rice
paper, not plastic, which can be taken from the fridge and
laid across the morning slice of toast. Goodbye to breakfast
nightmares and hello to an easy, eco-friendly, alternative!
Grubs Up! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
There are already plenty of cultures around
the world that eat and even process
mealworms as a form of protein. When
dried, this grub tastes very similar
to peanuts. When fried, the mealworm tastes a little like
chicken. Now that the European Food Safety Agency has
approved their sale and consumption in all member states,
the R&D department has taken advantage to test various
different recipes with the larvae. Grubs up! gives us two
different forms of mealworm; the dried version packaged to
look like a snack, similar to crisps, and a precooked, easy-to-
open carton that can be microwaved or gently fried.
Really Remarkable Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Many years ago, a leading British,
supermarket would distribute small
leaflets at the fruit and veg and the
butchery counters containing ideas for
new recipes, complete with a map of
where to acquire the products needed for those meals. The
idea was way ahead of its time but, unfortunately for the
supermarket chain, the typical British consumer at that
moment was just too conservative in their tastes. However,
things have changed. This system can be reintroduced given
the more adventurous consumer that typically uses the
ring for the construction of bridges and oil platforms
supermarket nowadays. The system is also digital, and we
have created an app to complement the leaflets.
Weaknesses
absurd bizarre boring complicated confusing
controversial crazy cynical daft daunting
dirty humdrum impractical naïve odd
off-putting peculiar polemic primitive problematic
provocative repellent repulsive ridiculous silly
strange stupid unexciting unhealthy
unimaginative uninspiring vulgar wasteful weird
Say Cheese! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Plant-based diets are all the rage among
the young and the market knows this.
Enormous profits are being made right
now producing and selling vegan
processed foods in this expanding
corner of the market. Fake meat products are now at the
point that even die-hard carnivores are buying them and
eating them happily. The one area of this niche market that is
proving difficult is dairy-free cheese. However, that may be
about to change. Our team has come up with a paneer
cheese made from fermented rice that tastes sensational.
McDouglas Deep Fried Pizza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Deep-fried, battered pizzas have been
eaten in Scotland for generations now,
and despite the high calorie count and
health warnings, their popularity
shows no sign of waning.
After extensive market research showed that people liked
the taste but were wary of the cholesterol levels, the R&D
department have finally come up with a recipe that tastes
the same as an authentic deep-fried, battered pizza, but
with half the calories and almost no cholesterol. The
pizzas are pre-cooked and can be reheated in the oven or
microwave.
B9 Vending Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working long hours in the office or factory
leaves many workers no choice but to rely
on vending services for between-meal
snacks. But do vending products really
have to be so bland, substandard, or unhealthy? Not anymore!
We can offer a vending service with a healthy, and tasty, range
of meals for a company’s workers. From home-cooked soups,
stews and pottages, to fresh salads and fruit that are packaged
in sustainable containers with a revolutionary preservation
system of organic stabilizers, workers of the future are going
to find eating at the workplace a more pleasant, enjoyable,
and healthier experience. After all, healthier workers
produce much better work.
 Food Company Marketing Debate
Read the memo below and then read your personality card. After that, attend the meeting
and debate what the board should do next regarding the issue at hand. Each person should
spend at least 1 minute stating their opinion and a further 5 minutes debating what should be
done once everybody has had their say. A vote must be taken at the end of the meeting.

account aware busying focus forward limited nowadays outgoings profits yet

Insert the words into the gaps below from the words in the box above.

The Fenland Food Firm

To: All concerned parties

From: Sir Ivor Packet

Date: 28/09/21

Re: Marketing Ideas

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, the creative team have been ___________ itself with some projects for
next year’s sales campaigns. The team has put __________ six ideas for us to choose from.
Unfortunately, our marketing budget is rather ___________ for the coming year and, as such, we can
only choose one project for roll-out.

Please look carefully at the concepts on offer and consider them carefully over the weekend
before debating them during the meeting we have planned for next week. Be sure to think of
__________, overheads, and potential returns from these concepts. We would rather ___________ on
something that is going to give us long term benefits rather than short term ____________, bearing in
mind the tough environment the food industry is operating in ___________.

We should also take into _____________ the practicalities of producing and distributing such
produce, as well as the changing tastes of the British consumer which, as I am sure you are all very much
__________, has changed considerably over the past decade.

The meeting will take place next week at a time ___________ to be announced.

Warmest regards

Sir Ivor Packet

Chairman of the board
 Food Marketing Debate – Personality Cards
You are a senior finance officer for the
Fenland Food Firm. You think that the
company should really push hard to get the
consumers to eat mealworms. You have read
a number of books that claim that
humanities relationship with meat is ruining
the planet and the plant-based alternatives
are not sustainable enough. In fact, you have
tried a hamburger version of mealworms
and thought it was delicious.
You are a board member and senior
marketing executive for the Fenland Food
Firm. You think that the company should
be pursuing plant-based options for its
customers. After all, it’s the future. You
are a vegan and have never eaten meat.
Your parents, too, are vegetarians. You
think the way out of the climate
emergency is through a plant-based diet.
You are a board member and senior sales
executive for the Fenland Food Firm. You
think that recipe system is a great idea.
You were at university when a British
supermarket was running the scheme. This
is how you learnt to cook. You think that
the scheme should be extended to offer
discounts to anybody that buys the
complete ingredients to a single recipe.
You foresee large profits being made.
You are a board member and senior
marketing executive for the Fenland Food
Firm. You think that
INSERT TEXT
CHOOSE ONE OF THE PERSONALITY CARDS ABOVE AND THEN USE THIS AS
YOUR MOTIVATION DURING THE ROLE-PLAY.
You are a board member and senior
marketing executive for the Fenland Food
Firm. You think that the company should
seriously consider the vending machine
service. You spend a lot of time at work
and usually have to order from a
restaurant to deliver to the office which is
expensive. To have good and healthy food
in a vending machine is a wonderful idea.
You are a board member and senior
production director for the Fenland Food
Firm. You think that the sliced butter
option is by far the best option. It would
be easy to produce and relatively cheap.
Also, you and your partner argue about
butter when at home. You prefer to leave
it in the fridge but you cut it into very thin
slice to lay across the toast. Your partner
leaves it outside and it often goes bad.
You are a factory director for the Fenland
Food Firm. You think that the company
should go with the deep fried pizza. You
used to take your holidays in Scotland
when you were a child and you have fond
memories of eating deep-fried pizzas. You
have not eaten one for years but if the
R&D department have found a way to
lower the cholesterol and calories, this has
the potential to be a money-spinner.
You are a board member and senior IT
executive for the Fenland Food Firm. You
think that
INSERT TEXT
account aware busying focus forward limited nowadays outgoings profits yet

ANSWERS

The Fenland Food Firm

To: All concerned parties

From: Sir Ivor Packet

Date: 28/09/21

Re: Marketing Ideas

Dear Sirs/Madams,

As you all may well know, the creative team have been busying itself with some projects for next
year’s sales campaigns. The team has put forward six ideas for us to choose from. Unfortunately, our
marketing budget is rather limited for the coming year and, as such, we can only choose one project for
roll-out.

Please look carefully at the concepts on offer and consider them carefully over the weekend
before debating them during the meeting we have planned for next week. Be sure to think of outgoings,
overheads, and potential returns from these concepts. We would rather focus on something that is going
to give us long term benefits rather than short term profits, bearing in mind the tough environment the
food industry is operating in nowadays.

We should also take into account the practicalities of producing and distributing such produce, as
well as the changing tastes of the British consumer which, as I am sure you are all very much aware, has
changed considerably over the past decade.

The meeting will take place next week at a time yet to be announced.

Warmest regards

Sir Ivor Packet

Chairman of the board
 Food Debating - Dice Game
Find a partner and play together with one person
speaking the lines in the blue box and the other speaking
the lines in the yellow. Throw a dice before you start to
determine which line number to say in each section. Once
you have finished, swap roles and start again.
A
1. What do you think about a plant-based diet?
2. What is your position on vegan food?
3. Where do you stand on plant-based meals?
4. What is your opinion on vegan diets?
5. What are your thoughts on plant-based food?
6. How do you feel about vegetarian and vegan food?
B
1. From where I stand, I think it’s necessary.
2. I would say, in my humble opinion, that it’s very
important for the future of the planet.
3. I believe a plant-based diet is vital for the future
development of humanity.
4. As far as I am concerned, vegetarianism is good.
5. I think vegan food is essential for the future.
6. Vegan food is a very good idea.
C 6. We are on the same page. However, changing to a plant-based diet
1. I’m not so sure about that.
2. I’m sorry but I beg to differ.
3. I’m afraid I disagree.
4. Well, I don’t see it that way.
5. I can’t share your view, I’m sorry to say.
6. I don’t really agree with you on that.
D
1. Is that so? Why do you say that?
2. Do you? Why is that?
3. Really? Please elaborate.
4. Oh. I see. Why do you disagree?
5. Is that right? Why do you think that?
6. Ok. Why don’t you agree?
E
1. If you ask me, many animals would not exist today if we did
not eat them.
2. To my mind, meat is a necessary source of protein.
3. I think it’s taking things too far. Reducing meat is fine but a
vegan diet is not healthy
4. The way I see it, meat together with vegetables are the way
forward in a balanced diet.
5. From my point of view, vegan food just isn’t enough for our
nutritional needs.
6. In my opinion, vegan food is unhealthy.
F
1. That’s a good point but what about the rising CO2 emissions
from cattle? Isn’t that a serious problem for the planet?
2. I see what you are saying but don’t you agree that the current
system of food production is unsustainable?
3. That’s one way of looking at it but doesn’t meat production
cause untold damage to the planet?
4. That’s interesting. But wouldn’t you say that a plant-based diet
reduces CO2 and is healthier for people and the planet?
5. I hear what you are saying but do you agree that if we continue
producing meat in this way there will be serious consequences?
6. I see where you are coming from but don’t you think a vegan
diet would be better for the planet and humankind?
G
1. I can’t help thinking that we all need a balanced diet.
2. I feel that we need a good source of protein.
3. Eating bugs and insects would work better, if you were to ask me.
4. I would think that a more inclusive diet is better.
5. From my point of view, better food management is the key.
6. In my honest opinion, teaching people to make the most of mixed
diets and experimenting with new foods is in everybody’s interest.
H
1. You are right in what you say. But wouldn’t plant-based protein
sources address that balance?
2. Truer words were never spoken, but aren’t plant-based proteins a
good option?
3. I agree. But surely beans and pulses provide an acceptable
alternative?
4. I couldn’t agree more! But there are good vegetarian options, don’t
you think?
5. I share your view. Nonetheless, a vegan future has to help in some
way. Wouldn’t you agree?
would surely lead to a healthier planet and healthier population.
I
1. I wouldn’t say that.
2. I really wouldn’t think so.
3. I just can’t see it that way.
4. Unfortunately, I disagree.
5. I don’t think it really does.
6. Not from where I stand, I’m sorry to say.
J
1. Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
2. I beg to differ but I respect your views.
3. Each to their own, I suppose.
4. Looks like we are at an impasse on this one.
We’ll just have to let it lie.
5. Oh well, no use in splitting hairs over this.
6. No worries. Let’s leave it at that.
K
1. Of course! No hard feelings.
2. That’s fine by me.
3. You can say that again.
4. Oh, absolutely!
5. You took the words right out of my mouth.
6. Yes, of course. That’s a good idea.
 Categorise some of the expressions from the
dice game into the appropriate boxes below.

Asking for opinions Agreement Disagreement Expressing opinion

Giving examples Soliciting agreement Conciliation Unusual idioms