How should we respond to a major consumer trend?
The Challenge
Sara Lee, makers of Jimmy Dean sausages and other beloved meat brands, wanted to understand how to respond to the Atkins craze, which had been sparked by a New England Journal of Medicine article touting the effectiveness of this diet plan.
The Solution
By looking at dieting through the various lenses of the medical community, the media, manufacturers, and consumers, it became clear that not only would Atkins eventually lose popularity, but that the much bigger issue would prove to be obesity – which at the time was only just starting to emerge as a national concern. Based on these insights, Sara Lee was able to develop products and marketing plans to address the true long-term consumer need, and avoid the expensive distraction of promoting short-lived, low-carb products.