According to Promar International, a research and marketing company, food and beverage manufacturers should be actively courting the growing Asian American population. "This group is the proverbial silver lining in the cloud of consolidation and competition that has been hanging over the food industry," says Sharmila Fowler, lead analyst for Promar's study of the Asian American market. "That was true before the latest census, given their high income and education levels, and even more so now in light of the new data." This study called "Orienting the US food and beverage market: Strategies for targeting Asian Americans to 2010" unravels the complexities of this population diversity and pin points whom, why and how manufacturers should target. "The census figures should move companies off the fence in terms of marketing to Asian Americans," says Fowler. "Emerging consumer segments are crucial for lifting brands out of the doldrums, and nowhere is that more important than the food and beverage industry today." The thing to watch, she notes, is who will get there first - the shrinking number of powerhouse players or the niche players who have made their presence felt in other growth segments. Source: Promar International
