TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Executive Summary 3Industry Report and SWOT Analysis 4Meet Amanda (Design Persona) 5Target Segmentation 7Statement of Research Problems and Objectives 8 - Cultural Research Problem/Objectives - Brand Research Problem/Objectives - Consumer Research Problem /Objectives - Social Media Research Problem/Objectives - Online Survey Research Problem/ObjectivesResearch Questions, Hypotheses, and Findings 9 - Cultural - Brand - Consumer - Social Media - Online SurveyMain Research Insights 14 - Cultural - Brand and Product - Consumer - Social Listening - Online Survey Tai Pei Take-Aways 20Video Ideas 21Appendix X-1

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Due to the trends of healthy eating, the frozen food market is struggling. There is a sense of fear and shame surrounding the frozen food market, and only the brands that are able to position themselves as healthy are still thriving. Lean Cuisine, for example, is still doing well despite this lag in the market because they are positioned as a diet brand.

Millennials are particularly skeptical of the frozen food industry. Growing up with the Internet and social media, millennials expect honesty and transparency from brands, and frozen food is anything but transparent. Concerns about preservatives and unnatural and artificial flavors dominate the conversation about frozen food.

But do these conversations really reflect their purchasing actions? Why are millennials so unwavering when it comes to their frozen food attitudes?To find out, we analyzed Tai Pei’s social media accounts, secondary research, and syndicated research in addition to primary methods such as an online survey, focus groups, and ethnographic research.

Our mission was to discover the biggest barrier to Tai Pei when trying to expand their target to younger millennials, ages 18-25, and how Tai Pei can overcome it.

In this report, we will cover:• Frozen Food Industry Report and SWOT Analysis• Target Audience Persona and Segmentation• Research problems and objectives• Research Questions and Findings• Research Insights and Cognitive Maps• Rationale of Insights• Implication of Insights for the Client

INDUSTRY REPORT AND SWOT ANALYSIS

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General trend for frozen food industry:

1. In 2016, sale of frozen food declined, yet 73% of consumers ate the same amount (47%) or more (26%) of frozen food than a year ago (Roberts, 2015). 2. Prepared meals with expensive prices experienced a dramatic decline in sales, however, less expensive sides, especially frozen food, has experienced a growth in sales (Roberts, 2015). 3. Rising popularity of frozen food is partly because it is a way to experience international cuisine (Roberts, 2015). Millennials love to try new diets (Simmons, 160).

STRENGTHS

- Change in recipe caters to health conscious consumers- Easy to cook packaging- Tons of options with wide variety- Authentic manufactures - You can’t see the food before it’s cooked (frozen image turns off some consumers)

OPPORTUNITIES

- No new changes in Frozen Food market- Millennials are looking for accessible global tastes- Millennials look for time convenient foods- Social eating creates opportunities for promotion and sharing on social media

WEAKNESSES

- Weak position in market- Current reputation is nondifferentiable- Single serving is not always fulfilling- Large brand trust in competitors (Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.)

THREATS

- Consumers refusing the revival of frozen cuisine- Non acceptance of authenticity- Asian options from “healthy” frozen brands- Asian cravers turning to take-out rather than frozen- Indirect competitors such as Asian restaurants, and fast food restaurants (P.F. Changs, Panda Express)

MEET AMANDA...

Amanda starts everyday at 9 am, and usually eats

her breakfast on the way to class.

Today, Amanda is thinking she might reward herself

with some pizza. Although she usually eats healthy, she has cheat days every

now and then.

Amanda scrolls through job sites for possible positions, since she is always looking to the

future and trying to better herself for it.

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MEET AMANDA...

She’s interested in other cultures and reminisces over past trips to Europe by scrolling through her photo stream as she waits in line at Starbucks. Amanda admits to being a total perfectionist, and

her hard work this semester has paid off in a solid stream of A’s

on her final exams.

She loves taking risks and going on adventures and hopes her winter break will be full of

exciting activities.

55

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TARGET SEGMENTATION

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Tai Pei should focus on two target segmentations, which are Variety on a Budget and Convenience and Ease.

• Tai Pei is afforable and very convenient

• These two categories are 55.5% of the total demographics

• They are more likely to be reached by the message because of the way they choose food

The other three segmentations need more effort to be tackled because there are stigmas of frozen food in their mind, and they pursue more healthy and delicate lifestyle. Tai Pei will have the highest probablitiy of success if they focus on these two segments.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES

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Research ProblemFrozen food is not thriving in the current market. Tai Pei has to establish their credibility as creators of authentic food with quality taste. Millennials are very concerned with eating organic, fresh, and healthy even with the extra effort.Research Objectives- Understanding the millennial lifestyle, learning as much as possible about their daily habits, attitudes and media consumption.- Discover the main attitudes millennials have about their current lives and their future.

Research ProblemTai Pei is not widely known by our target audience. They are not often shopping for frozen food and when they do purchase it they are sticking to healthy marketed brands. Research Objectives - Reveal how millennials perceive Tai Pei compared to competitors.

Research ProblemMillennials are all leading very different lives. It is difficult to find overarching similarities in their eating patterns. Research Objectives- Discover what the day in the life of a millennial is like and how eating plays a role in it.

Research ProblemTai Pei’s current social media accounts have an audience comprised of 35-54 year old females, and should be engaging millennials. Research Objectives- Find out how Tai Pei is currently perceived on social media by millennials.- Find out how Tai Pei can improve their social media presence with millennials

Research ProblemEnsure validity of our quantitative research as well as project our research questions to a larger sample size. Research Objective- Have quantitative data to support and validate other secondary research, syndicated research findings.

CULTURAL

BRAND

CONSUMER

SOCIAL

SURVEY

CULTURAL

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Cultural Research Questions and Hypotheses:Q1: How do Millennials share experiences?H: Millennials love sharing experiences. They would share anything interesting to them as soon as possible on social media.

Q2: What elements of culture are new and trending among the target consumers?H: Trending activities and topics include real time sharing (FB live, Snapchat, Instagram stories, Twitter streaming), augmented reality/interactions, and health and diet.

Q3: How important is health and diet to millennials?H: Millennials crave convenient health.

Cultural Findings:Attitudes about life • Millennials enjoy taking risks (Simmons 214), they constantly want to improve their life • They worry about their future [“I enjoy life and do not worry about the future”, with a low index of (Simmons 92)] • Full time college students are very interested in other cultures (Simmons 127) and international events (Simmons 132)

Attitudes about diet and health • Millennials pay attention to the healthy aspects of the food they are eating (Why are Millennials) • Eating frozen/ prepared food can help people stay in budget (Simmons, Life Science). • Millennials often snack between meals (Simmons 105) • Millennials increasingly turn towards quick and easy meal options- but they look for products that are healthy and have wholesome ingredients (Peterson)

Social Aspects of Millennial Life • College students are constantly eating and spending the night hours with others (Simmons 204) • Social aspect to eating, 8-34 year olds overwhelmingly spend the hours from 6-9pm with friends or co-workers (Simmons 350) • General trend for the Frozen food industry • Frozen food is a way to experience international cuisine (Roberts, 2015). • Millennials love to try new diets (Simmons, 160).

BRAND

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Brand Research Questions and Hypotheses:Q1: What are the main beliefs about Tai Pei’s attributes? What could be improved?H: Tai Pei tastes good for a frozen meal but the fact that it is frozen makes people believe it is unhealthy.

Q2: What are the main barriers for the brand?H: Millennials think that frozen food is unhealthy.

Q3: What are the brands of frozen food that millennials are consuming?H: They consume frozen brands that are presented as healthy options ex: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice, etc.

Q4: What are their overall perceptions of frozen food compared to fresh foods? How does Tai Pei fit into their perception of frozen foods?H: Frozen entrees are stigmatized as an unhealthy option; most Millennials are not purchasing them.

Brand Findings:• “Tastes as you’d expect it”, participants agreed it is not far off from take out Chinese food• Tastes healthier because it is lighter (not greasy)• Authentic to our American expectations of Chinese food • ie: packaging, fonts, ingredients• Frozen food is perceived to be very processed and high in sodium • Unhealthy stigma• Millennials are not often shopping in the Frozen food aisle because they actively avoid it • “I wouldn’t stop to look at it because I do not buy frozen food anyway, if it was something I buy all the time I would be curious” • They believe a “real meal” is one you prepare/cook yourself• They are considering frozen food to now include frozen meats and vegetables, frozen entrees are not even what they consider buying

CONSUMER

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Consumer Research Questions and Hypotheses:Q1: What are the target’s daily activities and lifestyle like? H: Millennials are active on social media, and they share everything that interests them. They love to hang out with their friends, crave new experiences, and pay strong attention to their health. They are constantly busy and struggle to manage their priorities.

Q2: How often do millennials eat alone or with friends? How do they eat differently when with people?H: Whether they eat alone or with friends depends on their schedules, but they do get together and have meals with their friends during weekends. Eating with people is a way of socializing; they feel more happy and open if they eat with others.

Q3: What kind of factors influence them when they shop for food? Do they look for value, convenience, or an experience?H: Factors that influence millennials when they shop for food includes healthiness/ freshness, price, flavor, availability and experience. When millennials shop for food, they value the healthy factor.

Consumer Findings:• Consumers base their meals off of the type of day they had. If they have a bad day or are in a irritated mood they will choose unhealthy options or comfort food • Sometimes they reward themselves with unhealthy food• Find new food through friends, social media, recipe apps or through websites• Often choose food that is easy to make: no kitchen/ lazy/ busy• Impulsive eating, not tied to a schedule or plan, they eat when they have time• Consider cooking it yourself as eating “a real meal”• Multiple meals per week are eaten with roommates or peers close by (ex: dinning hall, restaurant)• Eating is a great social activity and a way to bond with friends • Friends share ideas with each other to try new foods, Millennials trust peers’ opinions• Avoid to shopping for frozen food, usually just shop for frozen vegetables, meat and pizza • They do not want to pay for something they will not like (need peer recommendation or a free way to try it)

SOCIAL LISTENING

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Social Media Research Questions:Q1: Who is talking about the brand?Q2: What are people saying about the brand?Q3: What platforms is the brand on?Q4: How are people interacting?Q5: Who is their biggest competitor on social media?Q6: How do their strategies differ?

Social Media Findings:• Coupons are used for price saving but they are relevant for millennials too and can be expanded to Twitter and Instagram to be more effective• The sentiment is overall positive discussing how much they crave Tai Pei and coupons that are available. • Tai Pei is currently interacting on Facebook with females aged 35-54. • They interact by commenting and reacting to posts to increase consumer’s loyalty.

*Left: Word association map for Tai Pei’s social media. Shows the high demand for coupons.*Top right: Graph from “Map” showing that overall consumers have a favorable relationship with Tai Pei.*Bottom right: Graph from “Keyhole” demonstrating the correlation between their number of posts and their consumer engagement.

For more information about Social media listening, see appendix.

ONLINE SURVEY

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Online Survey Research Questions:Consumer:Q1: What are the target’s daily activities and lifestyle like? Q2: How often do millennials eat alone v. with friends? How do they eat differently when with people?Q3: What kinds of factors influence them when they shop for food? Do they look for value, convenience, or an experience?

Brand:Q4: What are the main beliefs about Tai Pei’s attributes? What could be improved?Q5: What are the main values that Tai Pei holds?Q6: What frozen food brands do millennials consume?Q7: What are their overall perceptions of frozen food compared to fresh foods? How does Tai Pei fit into their perception of frozen foods?

Online Survey Findings:• It was a 50/50 guess between which meal was a frozen meal• Survey takers did not know which chinese meal was frozen or from a resturant• Most likely to eat frozen food when they are unable to or do not want to cook (71%, Survey)• If people are not cooking, they may choose food in this order: delivery, take-out, going out to eat, frozen food, going to a friend’s• Flavor/taste (30.8%, Survey) and easiness to cook (30.4%, Survey) are the two most important factors when choosing food.

*Survey Results from question: “How often do you eat with your friends?” Shows that over 67% of our target audience eats meals with their friends at least 3 times per week.

CULTURAL INSIGHT

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Implication for the client:Position Tai Pei as experiential door into Chinese culture. Through eating Tai Pei, they will have a taste of authentic Chinese food and start to become interested in this culture.

Results/Rationale:Millennials love to try new things and have first hand experiences. They enjoy taking risks and are constantly finding ways to improve their lives. College students especially are very interested in other cultures and international events. Therefore, they are willing and excited to try cuisines from different cultures. Our target loves to learn and experience to better prepare themselves for the future.

I want to seem educated and cultured and trying different cuisines is a method of expanding my life experiences and perceptions.

Some frozen brands

that I consume

Tai Pei is frozen food,

which hinders me to buy it.

“Frozen meals are not considered to be convenient any more, con-venience would be a sandwich or cereal or a quick pasta dish.”

“I avoid frozen foods, only eat veg-gies and meat that were frozen. ”

“Tai Pei is better than most frozen foods in taste and nutrition.”

“I don’t believe we are in the target market for frozen food.”

“I wouldn’t stop to look at it becasue I do not buy frozen food anyway, fit was something I buy all the time, I would be curious. ”

“It does not cook fully in the time indicated.”

“Tai Pei tastes as you’d expected it, not far off from take out chinese food.”

“I am considering frozen food to now include frozen meats and frozen vegeta-bles, frozen entrees are not even what we consider buying.”

“I eat Tyson Chicken, store, brand veggies, garden burger, veggie burger, Lean Cuisine, pizza rolls.”

“I ate frozen food a lot when I was a kid, so it reminds me of being younger. ”

I do not shop in the frozen food section because I believe a real meal is one that is prepared with fresh ingredients.

“Tai Pei is authentic to our Ameri-can expectations of Chinese food (ie:packaging, fonts, ingredients).”

“I think Tai Pei tastes healthier, because it is lighter and not greasy.”

Fresh foodVersus

Frozen food

BRAND INSIGHT

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I do not shop in the frozen food section because I believe a real meal is one that is prepared with fresh ingredients.

Results/Rationale:Since frozen meals have been cooked once already they are obviously not as fresh as store bought ingredients. Consumers do not view them as an alternative option for a healthy meal. Our participants believed that Tai Pei seemed healthier and fresher than they would have thought it to be. The negativity is perpetuated by the idea that frozen food is not a real meal.

Implication for the client:Overcome consumer’s fears of frozen food such as cancer, low nutrition and that it is unnatural and instead, sell it as an alternative to takeout. Consumers enjoyed the taste of Tai Pei giving it enough positive perception to overcome the “frozen food fear” if sold as an alternative to takeout emphasizing that it is healthier, less greasy and a more practical option.

CONSUMER INSIGHT

I use mealtime as the perfect time to socialize with my friends and take a break from the stresses of my daily life.

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I have a busy

lifestyle

Healthiness factor

“I get food inspiration from friends and social media.”

“I try to gather with my friends every two weeks. ”

“When I am eating, there always be people around me. My roommate might not be eating, but he is there.”

“If I shop at a frozen food section, I will get it and go. ”

“I don’t buy frozen food and do little take-out. ”

“My normal day is that get up, have breakfast, go to class, come back from class, and have exercise...”

“I usually make easy food like pasta and sandwich.”

“If I had a bad day or in crappy mood, I will choose unhealthy options or comfort food.”

“I don’t have a specific time to eat. I usually just eat between classes.”

“I usually just have something on the go.”

“I make a lot of food at once and then eat it for multiple meals the rest of the week. ”

I use mealtime as the perfect time to socialize with my friends and take a break from the stress-es of my daily life.

“I snack a lot.”

“Eating is a great social activity and a way to bond with friends.”

“I use food apps to order easily and conveniently when with a group.”

I’m very sociable

“I’m very onsistent with meal choic-es, but I’d like to try new food if I know it is good.”

Results/Rationale:In our research we had a section that focused on social eating. Millennials are constantly surrounded by people. In college they are eating in dining halls or multi-purpose student areas. Other members throughout our target audience are eating with roommates or with co-workers at work. Eating is a necessary task, though it may not be a priority in the busy life of a Millennial, so they use this time to take a break from their responsibilities and socialize with their friends.

Implication for the client:Since the target audience is constantly eating with others they need a simple and convenient solution. Tai Pei can position itself as an attractive sharable meal with friends. Eating Tai Pei with friends will enhance their experience together.

CONSUMER INSIGHT

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I know that frozen food is bad for you but it is convenient to my lifestyle, so I hide the fact that I eat it anyways.

Results/Rationale:We have a negative stigma of frozen food because it is generally thought of as unhealthy. We attempt to steer clear of frozen food as we stick to our plan to better ourselves for the future, but we buy it because of its convenience.

Implication for the client:Emphasize the healthiness and nutritional val-ue of Tai Pei, and position it as a convenient, healthy alternative for takeout. Tai Pei can be a nutritious meal that millennials can explore with their friends.

Frozen food is not

healthy,and lazy people

eat it.

Healthiness factor

“If I shop at a frozen food section, I will get it and go. ”

“I don’t buy frozen food and do little take-out. ”

“My normal day is that get up, have breakfast, go to class, come back from class, and have exercise...”

“I usually just have something on the go.”

I know that frozen food is bad for you but it is con-venient to my lifestyle, so I hide the fact that I eat it anyways.

I try to live a healthy lifestyle.

“I don’t buy frozen food and do little take-out. ” “If I shop at a frozen food

section, I will get it and go. ”

“My normal day is that get up, have breakfast, go to class, come back from class, and have exercise...”

“I avoid to shopping for frozen food, usually just shop for frozen vegetables, meat and pizza.”

“Sometimes, I would reward myself with unhealthy food.”

“I eat a lot of frozen food when I a kid. It reminds me of my young age.”

‘I would go all the way back home and make food between classes, but try not to dine out.’

SOCIAL LISTENING INSIGHT

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We are currently engaging with brands on Instagram and Twitter to have authentic conversations and to find relevant content to our interests.

Results/Rationale:Tai Pei currently has a higher engagement rate on Facebook than on any other platform. Because of this, they are reaching an older demographic of females ages 35-54. The messages surrounding coupons are also relevant for the new younger millennial target, but they need to occur on a platform were millennials are engaged.

Implication for the client:Because Tai Pei’s main objective is to target a younger millennial demographic, they will have to adjust their social media presence. Millennials are engaging more with brands on Instagram and Twitter than Facebook, so Tai Pei should focus their efforts on those platforms.

ONLINE SURVEY INSIGHT

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I find my food inspiration from social outlets, and I do not share my actual eating habits when it does not fit the self-image I want to have.

Results/Rationale:Millennials are very social people so therefore they seek out food inspiration from peers, social media and family and friends. They care about how others perceive them especially regarding their diet and health, so they will not reveal negative aspects their eating habits.

Implication for the client:To resolve this issue Tai Pei will have to change the perceptions of the consumers and end the stigma of frozen food.

*Survey Results from question: “Rank the following 1-5 of which you use most to find new food ideas?” Shows that Social media and Famil/friends recommendations are extremely important to the consumer.

TAI PEI TAKE AWAY’S

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Frozen Food is as a market is heading in a healthy direction. Tai Pei is a leader with their removal of artificial flavors and preservatives.

Tai Pei won’t really be able to achieve their goal unless their target talks about it. They are very social people, and rely on their peers for ideas for meals. If they don’t feel comfortable talking about Tai Pei, then less people will be open to trying it.

By positioning themselves as healthy chinese cuisine and being a healthier frozen option they have the ability to make their consumers feel like their decision to eat Tai Pei is one they can share.

As a millennial, I feel guilty that my lifestyle forces me to eat frozen food.

We are trying to better ourselves by broadening our worldview and experiencing new things (cultural). We were brought up to believe that frozen foods are unhealthy and the people who eat them are lazy and don’t care about their health (category/product). My busy lifestyle forces me to eat frozen food, but I don’t want to admit it because I don’t want to think of myself as lazy or unhealthy (consumer), because I find my ideas

for meals through social outlets, I actively hide the fact that I eat frozen food because I don’t want to be perceived as lazy (survey).

VIDEO IDEA

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During our focus groups most millennial participants said that they do not consume frozen food...

However, data from our survey and our syndicated research shows that Millennials are purchasing frozen food. With this data being contradictory we decided to investigate further using ethnographic

research of what actually is in participants freezers.

What we found proves that they are actually purchasing frozen food. It is an emotional truth that consumers feel guilty about eating frozen food.

*Stills from video excecution. Video can be viewed through the link in the appendix

References Simmons Research LLC Spring 2014 NHCS Adult Study 12-month. Retrieved from

Simmons OneView Database.

Simmons Research LLC Connect Study 2014 . Retrieved from Simmons OneView Database.

Clay, R & Haword, S. MaCain Foods GB: A hot potato (2014) Retreived October 14, 2016 from Warc: http://www.warc.com/Content/ContentViewer.aspx?MasterContentRef=577e1635-63bb-4361-9092-548116e8d7db&CID=A104760&PUB=CANNES Horner, L & Rossi, M (2016) Pot noodle: success doesn’t come on a plate. Retreived October 14, from Warc: https://www.marketingsociety.com/sites/default/files/thelibrary/Pot%20Noodle%20-%20Success%20doesn't%20come%20on%20a%20plate_0.pdf Roberts, J. W. (2015 November) Prepared meals and sides-US Retreived October 16, 2016, from Mintel: http://academic.mintel.com/display/716826/# Peterson, D. K. (2016, February 8). What do Millennials want from the food, beverage

industry? Retrieved October 16, 2016, from Refrigerated and Frozen Foods website:

http://www.livescience.com/53635-why-millennials-are-narcissistic.html

Why Are Millennials Narcissistic. (2016, February 8). Retrieved October 16, 2016, from http://www.livescience.com/53635-why-millennials-are-narcissistic.html

Sysomos MAP Keyhole Company Websites

http://www.kahiki.com/ http://www.taipeifood.com/

Tai Pei Asian Food Social Media Accounts

https://www.pinterest.com/taipeiasianfood/ https://www.facebook.com/TaiPeiAsianFood/

https://twitter.com/TaiPeiAsianFood https://www.instagram.com/taipeiasianfood/

Kahiki Food Social Media Accounts

https://www.pinterest.com/kahikifoods https://www.facebook.com/KahikiFoods/ https://twitter.com/KahikiFoods https://www.instagram.com/kahikifoods/

Focus Group Video: https://youtu.be/LCKemY95s38 Freezer Research Video: https://youtu.be/qJbU8YaMTPM Full Snapchat (Design Persona) Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cStLLCKIM1Y

Situational Insights

I. The 4 P’s of Marketing Product:

● Restaurant inspired Asian Dishes (Ranked in Top 3 for Asian Entrees) ● 20 Entrees, 10 Appetizers options ● 2017 brings no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors ● New packaging lets you cook the meal with less effort ● Unknown as available option for authentically made Asian food ● You can’t see the food before it’s done (cooked) ● People increase purchase when they have a coupon for it ● Unknown but guessed to be semi-authentic based on name

Place:

● Major brands run the frozen section (i.e.: Lean Cuisine, Stouffer's, Marie Calenders, etc.)

● Millennials turn to Frozen foods when they are on a budget and/or time crunch but they do not want to completely sacrifice their

healthy standards ● Health Oriented

Frozen lines dominate the market

● Placed on low shelf ● In the international section at

some supermarkets

Price:

● Sensibly priced in the Frozen food market ● Millennials are often frugal at meal time ● Too cheap brings a fear of bad quality ● New target is increasingly using coupons and paperless discounts for purchase

decision ● Tai Pei: $3.50

● Lean Cuisine: $3.00 ● Healthy Choice: $2.50 ● Chinese Takeout: $20

Promotion:

● Important to share the new changes ● Before Millennials go to the store they need to have awareness and incentive ● After consumption there needs to be a share of opinion and experience to

increase loyalty and new buyers ● Millennials love TV and the internet, main spare time activities ● Tai Pei currently has very little advertising and their social media presence is

geared towards women aged 35-54. Problem Statement

TaiPei is making big changes to its recipe and packaging that have strong potential for a relaunch in brand identity. Frozen food is not thriving in the current market.

- It has flat lined in options - Consumers are looking for new choices - TaiPei is not a major player in the Frozen Food market

TaiPei has to establish their credibility as creators of authentic food with quality taste. - Millennials are searching for a taste of global cuisine and bold flavors - The consumers have to believe the brand - Food choices are increasingly being made based off of peer

recommendations and experiences Consumers today are very concerned with eating organic, fresh, healthy even with the extra effort.

- The frozen food brands they stick with are those centered around that lifestyle (Ex: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice).

o Qualitative Analysis: We observed Facebook and other platforms to see how people were interacting with the brand on social media.

- What platforms are they on? - Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram - Their following is the strongest on Facebook. They have the most

interactions on that platform. - Who is talking about the brand?

- We looked at many of the profiles of these women who are interacting with Tai Pei foods are between the ages of 35-54.

- What are they saying? - The conversations about Tai Pei foods are overwhelmingly positive. Lots

of women post about how they are craving it, and they want coupons to save money. We found some instances of product complaints, but not as many compared to positive posts.

O Quantitative Analysis: We used MAP and Keyhole to learn about Tai Pei Food’s activity on social media. We found that Facebook is where they concentrate most of their communication, and they are very successful there; they get a lot of likes and comments on the content they post on Facebook.

- Who is talking about the brand?

- We found that the participants of Tai Pei’s social media had a female skew and were around the ages of 35-54. This aligns with what I found in my qualitative research.

- How are people interacting?

- On Facebook - commenting and reacting

- On Twitter - liking (but not much interaction here)

o Competitive Analysis: Overall, the conversations about Kahiki Foods and Tai Pei Foods are both positive in sentiment and both involve the request of coupons. However, where these conversations are happening is the biggest difference between the brands.

- Who is their biggest competitor on social media? - Kahiki Foods is Tai Pei’s biggest competitor on the market. They are

available internationally but are also sold in the US.

- How do their strategies differ?

- Kahiki has a much stronger presence on Twitter, while Tai Pei is stronger on Facebook.

- Kahiki focuses on a “fresh” and “organic” image while Tai Pei remains very branded

- Instagram: Kahiki mainly uploads photos of their ingredients and their foods in prepared settings. Tai Pei’s uploads always feature one of their products and are always consistently branded.

- Facebook: Tai Pei has much more interaction on their Facebook page than Kahiki. This may have to do with a difference in their target audience’s ages: if Kahiki’s main consumers are younger than Tai Pei’s, they are more likely to interact with the brand on Instagram. However, their content is very similar to their perspective Instagram accounts; Kahiki focuses on fresh ingredients while Tai Pei remains very branded.

- Kahiki has a higher brand sentiment - Tai Pei’s sentiment is overall positive, but Kahiki Foods’ sentiment is even

stronger with no significant amount of negative posts about the brand. This may have some correlation with Kahiki’s decision to focus on the fresh ingredients rather than their products itself. Tai Pei Foods Kahiki Foods

- Tai Pei’s social media is flooded with the demand of coupons. They target shops at Walmart and uses coupons to save money.

- Kahiki’s conversations are centered around their products and food. While the demand for coupons are a part of the conversation, they don’t dominate as much as they do in Tai Pei’s conversations.

MAP - “Tai Pei” AND “food”

MAP - “Kahiki” AND “food”

Consent Form NYC Core Focus Group/ In Depth Interviews: Tai Pei You are being invited to voluntarily participate in the NYC Core Tai Pei research project. The purpose of the study is to discover the eating habits of the millennial age group and how frozen foods fit into their lives. We are conducting the study to fulfill the class requirement for ADV 509, Research and Planning, at Syracuse University. You are selected as a respondent because you fit within our target audience of millennial, aged 18 to 24 and are open to sharing your eating habits. If you agree to participate, your participation will involve filling out a survey, answering questions and taste testing food, which should take no more than 60 minutes. You may choose not to answer some or all of the questions. Please know that we are NOT seeking any personal information. All responses will remain CONFIDENTIAL and are for research purposes only. Please note that you will be videotaped while you perform the task, so that we can observe you as you do the task. These videotapes will be viewed only by project personnel, who will transcribe them, and then the tapes will be placed in a locked file cabinet in my office until the following date May 20th when they will be destroyed. During this period only the principal investigator will have access to these tapes. You may leave the research session at any time before completing it. There are no known risks from your participation and no direct benefit from your participation is expected. Only the principal investigator, research team, and class instructor will have access to the information that you provide. You can obtain further information from the principal investigator, Tessa Latrenta, at (908) 770-9290 or tlatrenta@gmail.com or Dr. James Tsao at 443-7362. We thank you for your time. CONSENT STATEMENT: I have read the above comments and agree to participate in this experiment. I give my permission to be videotaped, under the terms outlined above. I understand that if I have any questions or concerns regarding this project I can contact Tessa Latrenta at (908) 770-9290 or the class instructor: Dr. James Tsao at 443-7362 ________________________ Signature Date: ___________________

Projective Methods: Draw a Picture Results (One representing Tai Pei and the other representing Take out)

Projective Methods: Personification Results

Focus Group Questions Interview and Focus Group Design Focus Group #1 (Allison’s roommates) Open by talking about frozen food

● How often do you eat frozen food? ○ Why?

● What do you like about it/not like about it? ● What kinds/brands do you consume?

○ For what reasons? Which ones are healthier? Cheaper? Then ask them to prepare Tai Pei themselves

● While microwaving - how do you feel about the packaging? ○ What are you expecting as far as taste? ○ How convenient is this compared to other frozen foods?

● Tasting ○ How is it? What do you like or dislike? ○ How does it compare to takeout? ○ Do you enjoy eating out of the packaging?

Social eating ● How often do you eat with other people? Why?

○ What time of day or days do you eat alone v. others? ● Where do you eat with others? ● What kinds of foods do you eat with others v. when you eat alone?

○ How do you agree on what to eat? How much does mood affect this? ■ Is agreeing what to eat difficult?

○ Are there certain foods that you only eat with other people? Alone? ○ Would you ever consider eating frozen food with friends?

Projective Methods:

● Personification: ○ If Tai Pei was a person, what type of person would it be? Describe the attributes

and aspects of their daily life. ● Analogy:

○ Tai pei is most like _______ (clothing company). Because... ● Draw a Picture

○ Draw a picture representing Tai Pei and another picture representing Chinese Takeout food. How do these differ? How are they represented in your mind.

Lifestyle and Habits

● How does your lifestyle affect your eating habits? (being busy in school) ● What do you typically eat in a given day?

○ What influences your meal choices?

○ How often do you try new foods? ■ What makes you want to try something new?

● Experience another culture, expand recipe book? ■ Where do you get ideas for new meals?

● How do you prepare or plan your meals? ○ How often are you planning your meals ahead of time? ○ How do you shop for your lifestyle?

■ What kinds of food products fit your lifestyle? ○ What’s on your shopping list when going to the store?

● How important is your health to you when deciding what to eat? ○ What do you try to avoid when shopping for food? ○ How do you maintain your health? (eating, exercise, etc)

Focus Group #2 Prepare food before and have it ready in bowls:

● Asking how to food compares to take out? ○ Taste, smell, options, freshness, appearance, authenticity?

● Perceptions about frozen food? ○ How often do you eat frozen food? ○ If you eat frozen food, why? ○ If you don’t eat frozen food, why?

● Did you think this is frozen food? ○ If not where did you think this food is from?

Eating Habits/ Shopping/ Social Eating

● What food do you usually eat? ○ Do you cook or do you take-out or dine out? ○ If you cook, how often do you do grocery? Do you purchase from the frozen food

section? ● How do you find shopping in the frozen food section?

○ Hard to find the food? ○ Too many options? ○ What are some of the frozen brands you eat?

■ Why do you eat them? ● When do you normally eat your meals?

○ Do you put a lot of time into your meal preparation? ● Do you normally eat with others?

○ Where do you eat? How often? ○ What makes you eat with someone else versus alone? ○ If you are alone would you go out of your way in order to share a meal with

friends? ● How much does mood affect your selection of food?

○ In what ways does it play into the decision? ● How do you usually find new food?

○ Are you willing to try new food? Why? ○ How often do you try new food products? ○ Do you try new foods alone or are you more likely to try them with your friends? ○ What makes you recommend new things to friends?

● Do you think trying new food associate with experiencing new culture? General idea about Taipei

● What are your first reactions to this packaging? ○ Authentic? ○ Does it stand out? ○ Do you like that it is in a take out box or no? ○ What would you change about it?

● How long do you think it takes to cook the food? ● Will you try Taipei again?

Projective Methods:

● Personification: ○ If Tai Pei was a person, what type of person would it be? Describe the attributes

and aspects of their daily life. ● Analogy:

○ Tai pei is most like _______ (clothing company). Because... ● Draw a Picture

○ Draw a picture representing Tai Pei and another picture representing Chinese Takeout food. How do these differ? How are they represented in your mind.

Lifestyle and Habits

● How does your lifestyle affect your eating habits? (being busy in school) ● What do you typically eat in a given day?

○ What influences your meal choices? ○ How often do you try new foods?

■ What makes you want to try something new? ● Experience another culture, expand recipe book?

■ Where do you get ideas for new meals? ● How do you prepare or plan your meals?

○ How often are you planning your meals ahead of time? ○ How do you shop for your lifestyle?

■ What kinds of food products fit your lifestyle? ○ What’s on your shopping list when going to the store?

NY CORE: Survey Questions Research Objectives: 1. Discover what the day in the life of a millennial is like and how eating plays a role in it. (Consumer) 2. Reveal how Millennials perceive Tai Pei compared to competitors. (Brand) Research Questions: Consumer :

1. What are the target’s daily activities and lifestyle like? 2. How often do millennials eat alone v. with friends? How do they eat differently when with

people? 3. What kind of factors influence them when they shop for food? Do they look for value,

convenience, or an experience? Brand:

4. What are the main beliefs about Tai Pei’s attributes? What could be improved? 5. What are the main values the Tai Pei holds? 6. What are some of the brands of frozen food millennials consume? 7. What are their overall perceptions of frozen food compared to fresh foods? How does

Tai Pei fit into their perception of frozen foods? Survey Rough Draft Consumer:

1. What is your identified gender? (select one, specify other) (RO 1, RQ 1) a. Male b. Female c. Other _________ (please specify)

2. What is your age? (Select one) (RO 1, RQ 1) a. 18-21 b. 22-25

3. What is your current occupation? (Multiple select) (RO 1, RQ 1) a. Full-time work b. Part-time work c. Student d. Stay at home parent e. Other _________ (please to specify)

4. How often do you eat with your friends? (RO 1, RQ 2) A. 4+ times a week B. 2-3 times a week C. Once a week D. Once every other week

E. Once a month F. Other_________ (please to specify)

5. How often do you eat frozen food? (RO 1, RQ 3) A. More than once a week B. Once a week C. Once two weeks D. Once a month E. Other_________ (please to specify)

6. Which of these factors influence the food you choose? (RO 1, RQ 3) (mult select) A. It’s from another culture B. Healthy and organic C. Flavor D. Easiness to cook E. Other ________ (please to specify)

7. At what circumstance would you eat frozen food? (RO 1, RQ 3) (mult select) A. When I’m busy and have no time to cook B. When I’m lazy and just don’t want to cook C. When I visit my friends and they don’t cook D. When I desire a specific frozen meal E. Other ________ (please to specify)

8. Talking about a healthy lifestyle which how important are the following factors? (RO1, RQ 3)

Statement Not at all Important(1)

Not very Important (2)

Somewhat Important (3)

Very Important (4)

Eating a balanced diet

Regular exercise

Getting the right amount of sleep

A positive state of mind

Being at an ideal weight

Regular medical checkups and tests

Taking vitamins, minerals, or supplements

9. What sources do use to find food inspiration? Rank the order (RO1, RQ1) A. Social media feeds B. Cooking programs C. Recipe books D. Family/friendly recipes E. Peer recommendation

Brand: 10. Rate your purchase frequency with the following food brands. (RO 2, RQ 6)

Have purchased in the last 30 days

Have purchased in the last 90 days

Have ever purchased

Have heard of but never purchased

Have never heard of

Banquet

Healthy Choice

Tai Pei

Lean Cuisine

Smart Ones

Of those that you’ve tried, which ones would you say you enjoyed? (multiple select)

(include logos) -Banquet -Healthy Choice -Tai Pei -Lean Cuisine -Smart Ones -None tried

Banquet Healthy Choice

Tai Pei Lean Cuisine Smart Ones

Healthy

Convenient

Great flavor

Authentic

11. What are the most important factors when it comes to purchasing food brands? Rate the significance of these factors. (RO 2, RQ 5/7)

-Health/Nutritional Value <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

-Flavor <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

-Authentic <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

-Packaging <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

-Advertising <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

-Price <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important 12. How important is health to you when purchasing foods? Drag the bar to indicate importance. (RO 2, RQ 4) <__________________________________________________________________> Least Important Most Important

How important are these aspects of health and nutrition in a brand? Rate the significance of these factors from 1-5 (5 being most important).

-Preservatives -Artificial Colors -Organic -All Natural

Tai Pei creates traditional chinese frozen entrees. It comes in single serve packages that can be placed directly from the freezer to the microwave. The product contains no artificial colors or preservatives. There are 20 different entree options, a wide variety of traditional asian dishes

Timeline: - Opened: 11/17 @5pm - Closed: 12/4 @ noon

Sample

- Age: 30% 22-25, 70% 18-21 - Occupation: 71% student, 15.5% part-time work, 12.6% full time work - Gender: 69% female, 30% male, 1% other - Sample size: 216

Findings

- About Tai Pei - Packaging impressions: convenient, don’t think it’s healthy

- - After description: packaging makes it easy to cook, 2.5 average rating

- - Image comparison: tai pei looks barely more appetizing, less authentic and less

fresh

-

- Frozen Foods - Frequency of frozen foods

- - When will you eat frozen meals?

- Busy and no time to cook (39%) - When lazy and don’t want to cook (32%) - When I desire a specific frozen meal (19%)

- - Factors for purchase: flavor, health, price

- - Frequency of frozen food brands

- Purchased in last 30 days: Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice - Have purchased in last 90 days: Lean Cuisine, Tai Pei - Have heard of but never purchased: Smart Ones, Healthy Choice, huge

spike - Have never heard of: Banquet, Smart Ones

-

- Of those you’ve tried, what ones enjoyed? - 1. Lean Cuisine - 2. Healthy Choice - 3. Tai Pei - 4. Banquet - 5. Smart Ones

- - Convenience

- Importance while purchasing food: ave 4 rating

-

- Cooking sources (rated in order of use) - 1. Social media - 2. Peer recommendations - 3. family/friend recipes - 4. Recipe books - 5. Cooking programs

- Why choose ___ food - flavor/taste (30.8%), easiness to cook (30.4%), healthy and organic (26%)

- - If not cooking, then…..

- 1. Delivery - 2. Take-out - 3. Going out to eat - 4. Frozen food - 5. Going to a friend’s

Main Findings

- Cooking sources: all social (see what’s socially acceptable to eat); eating socially → not admitting they are eating social foods → Lean Cuisine socially acceptable because it’s a “diet” brand, so they’re ok with eating it

such as Chicken Chow Mein or Beef & Broccoli or Orange Chicken. (Description presented for survey takers who are not familiar with the brand) 13. Packaging - perception of branding/packaging (show images of packaging) Drag the bar to indicate how much you agree with the following statements. (RO 2, RQ 4)

-How does that make you feel about their authenticity? Not authentic ----------------- Authentic (1-5)

- Based on the packaging, how quickly would you guess it cooks? (1-5) Slow -----------Fast (1-5)

-Does it look appetizing? Disgusting ----------------- Delicious (1-5)

14. If you are unable to cook a meal yourself (time/kitchen limitations) which of these are you most likely to choose. Rate them 1-5 (1 being your first choice) (RO2, RQ7)

-Take-Out -Going out to Eat -Deliveries -Frozen Food -Going to a Friends

(map: two metrics→ convenience/healthiness) If you chose Delivery/Take-Out what type of food are you most likely to choose. Rate 1-5.

-Italian -Pizza -Chinese -Wings -Sushi

How likely are you to order Chinese food on any given night you are ordering delivery or takeout? 1 (definitely not) - 10 (definitely)

15. (Two Pictures, one of Cooked Tai Pei meal on a plate, one of same meal from a restaurant. Ask perception Questions about the pictures.) (RO 2, RQ 7)

-Which picture looks more appetizing #1 or #2? -Which dish looks more authentic #1 or #2? -Which picture looks fresher #1 or #2? -Which picture do you think is a frozen meal #1 or #2?

(PICTURE OF TAIPEI IN THE PLATE)

16. Rate these factors of Tai Pei whether you agree or disagree. (RO 2, RQ 4)

Strongly Agree

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree

This brand sells authentic food.

This brand is a healthy option.

The packaging is attractive.

It Is convenient

Simmons Consumer Segmentation

Food Lifestyle

Food is an integral part of American culture and understanding

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Americans' food habits provides us with a greater understandingof consumer lifestyles, attitudes and purchase behaviors. The Simmons Food Lifestyle segmentation provides marketers withdeep insights into Americans’ diverse eating habits and attitudesabout food. The Food Lifestyle segments are based on key dimensions, such as attitudes towards cooking, motivation fohealthy eating, interest in obtaining information from food labelsand opinions on fast food. The Food Lifestyle segments are available in the Simmons National Consumer Study and incluthe following five distinct segments:

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from junk food; they watch their faintake; and they always look for information about the ingredientsand nutritional content of the food they buy. Their relationship with food is characterized by healthy eating habits. V

The Convenience and Esegment wants food that is faconvenient and easy to prepare and/or eat. They show little interein cooking, healthy eating or nutritional value. These eatersprefer picking up a prepared meto spending time cooking at home. In a word, their relationship with food is summed up by: functionality. RReformed Traditionals hrealized they should make healthier choices in food ratthan letting convenience be the guiding force. They have no qualms about buying fresh foand have decided that their ingredients should have nutrvalue.

rieThe Variety on a Budis very busy and frequently eats on the run. They see frozen foodas a convenient alternative to preparing meals with fresh ingredients and rarely plan afor their meals. This group expresses interest in gourmfood—as long as it fits into theibudget. They have their own appreciation of the relationshipbetween food and good health.