AhhFebruary–Themonthforlovers AndNutella,Peppermint porkrindsbelieveitornot.
Februaryisalsothemonthwhenwereallyshouldbestartingtodustoffthe SOPs, spreadsheets, and employee manuals and start to plan for the upcoming season Marketing and promotions should also be the focus for theupcomingmonths.
Marketing is one of those tasks that fall into the Important but Not Urgent categoryofourtimeallotments.Weallknowweneedtodoit,butbecause it isn’t “knocking on the door” we tend to kick it down the road. However, yourtimeandeffortintomarketingandpromotionsisamarathonandnot asprint.
The time and effort you put in now, in the early part of the year, pay dividendswhentheseasonhits,particularlywithsocialmedia.Asyoustart to think about production, flavor profiles, menus items, and the like, include yourfollowersintheprocess
It can really be as simple as having someone take some photos and short-formvideosofsomeofthetasksthatyouarealreadydoing.
Inanycase,thereissomegreatcontentandadviceinthismonth’sbulletin Ihopeyouenjoyitandfeelfreetosharethelinkwiththosewhoaretasked tohelpyouwithyourmarketingplansandexecution.
SteveChristensen
ExecutiveDirector
ong, so we were asked by the farm to ureouttheproblem.
Elevated microbial counts ending up in your finishedproduct?
Billions of dollars are spent on routine microbiological testing in the food industry each year Samples are typically analyzed for both internal quality and regulatory programs. All of this money and effort is intended to support the production of safe and wholesome food for the consumer, but that requires that we watch for trends and investigate them – even when it is inconvenient. Read more to find out what mightbelurkinginside
This past Spring, Oregon State University’s Food Safety Squad received a call from a localfarmsteadmilkprocessorthathadhigh Standard Plate Counts (>10,000 CFU/ml) in their vat-pasteurized white and chocolate milk The Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA) routinely collects and tests pasteurized milk samples and there had been a pattern of elevated counts over multiple sampling days On review, pasteurization processes were being followed and cleaning and sanitation procedures, including clean-in-place (CIP), seemedtobeappropriate Somethingelse
h additional analyses, we confirmed the pasteurization procedure was e, but there was likely a microbial age site somewhere between the vat he filler. We invited ourselves to the sing facility so that we could visualize stem and determine the problem It became obvious that the only possible culprit wastheplatecooler.
Our visit to the farmstead processor occurred on a Friday afternoon after they had finished processing, cleaning, and sanitizing We were certain that the plate cooler was the problem, but knew that dismantling, cleaning, and reassembling would be a full day’s worth of workforthefarmer
We got started right away and prepared to take samples as we carefully removed and inspected each plate, looking for cracks and particulates We started from the cold end of the pasteurizer and for the first half of the plates we found nothing of interest except for the occasional bleached strawberry seed The plates and gaskets were spotless and in good condition
We kept at this and eventually, we found the most impressive biofilm (see photo above) This beauty was located in the upper bulk section just past the transition point where the product started to move down the plates. We collected many samples and found the predominant organism involved in the biofilm tobeLeuconostoclactis Thispsychrotrophic
Mlactic acid bacteria and was causing premature spoilage as reported by customer complaints The plate cooler was thoroughlycleaned,reassembled,andafull CIP was performed Milk samples were collected, and we confirmed that removal ofthisbiofilmsolvedthehighSPCproblem.
We rely and (blindly) trust the CIP procedureto“doitsjob”forcomplexpieces of equipment and focus manual cleaning and sanitation efforts on the equipment that don’t have a CIP option. Fortunately, this approach works most of the time. However, the efficac of CIP in heat exchangers is highly nearly perfect flow in exchange zone in th change or a small cl result in an area of t effectivelycleaned A lead to product c cooling fluid po chemical (eg, glyco contaminated water) pieces of debris ca plates and the contin erode the surface of easy way to find thes equipmentisdisassem
Dismantling, cleani equipment is never apartplatecoolers
(or full HTST pasteurizers) is big job for a processing system of any size and scale. Even large milk processing facilities only perform PEC on their pasteurizer on an annual basis – often after the eggnog season (nutmeg particles are hard on gaskets and surfaces). As innovation in dairy products increases and/or dairy processors co-manufacture non-dairy beverages, it is important to consider how particulates may damage your equipment and how that should influence your PEC schedule
Special Thanks to Joy Waite-Cusic, Associate Professor of Food Safet
It’sextremelyimportantwhilesettingasolid marketingplantobestrategicandmostof all achievable Keep in mind while setting your goals that we often operate as a one man show, literally! Consistency is crucial. We are fortunate to be in the ice cream business, bursting with flavor and color a kaleidoscope of opportunity! Keep it fun andbecreative!
Weallknowtoincreaseourbottomlinewe musteither:
Drivemorebusinessthroughourdoors
Get our customer base to spend more duringthevisit
Or ideally, both! Two strategies to consider are using social media to create buzz around your business and using specialty menuboardstohelpguideyourcustomers towardhigherticketsales
Socialmedia: Grow your business and increase foot traffic with Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat,andTiktok
Advertise in the store the fact you are onsocialmedia
Ask your customers to ‘like’ your social mediapagestogrowyourfollowers
Utilize targeted hashtags to your posts toincreaseviews
In your shop, advertise to your customer about the fact you are on social media withsignssaying,“showmeyouare
following us to receive 10% off your purchase” Make sure your employees ask the customer before ringing up the sale the customer will love the extra savings whilethenewfollowersincreaseyourfuture business!
Therearenohardandfastruleswithsocial media but research shows you should set goals on number of posts per day/week and try your best to stick to it Here’s a sampleschedule:
Post 1 promotion per day on your feed, nolessthan3perweek
Post1–2storiesperday,nolessthan5 perweek
More posts are not necessarily better; you coulddomoredamagethangood.Byover posting, you could be annoying potential followers that may cause you to be penalized by algorithms Also, don’t post just anything, keep your goals in mind and make them count Keep it fun--bright pictures of cakes, sundaes, milkshakes, videosaddmusic.
Another way to increase your reach is by utilizing targeted hashtags# on your posts Try starting with #your name, #your location/city name, #your product(s), #specialevent Payattentiontoplacement to avoid clouding your promotional message Place the hashtags either 3 or more lines under your promotional message (or) in the comments section of thepost.Lookwhatothers,particularly
successful competitors are doing, imitationisthesincerestformofflattery
Menus: Generate higher sales with specialty boards
‘Make-your-own’ sundaes are wonderful the customer picks their favorite toppings and flavors to make their own special delicious treat However, think of how overwhelming it could be walking into a store with a board filled with choices oh no…peoplearebehindyou…thepressure!!!
If you do not have one now, try a little experiment: offer a suggestive sundae board Pick four, five or more suggestive sundaeswithahigherpricepoint.Ifthatis too many for your operation, pick a special sundae of the month. The idea is to take the pressure off the customer’s choiceallwhiletemptingthemtoconsider yourwellthoughtoutspecial,withthegoal ofincreasingthetotalsalepercustomer.
This same specialty board also works well with milkshakes. Try adding a cookie or brownie piece on top for a premium shake!
If you track the sales of the suggestive sundae board, I bet you’ll notice that they outsellthe‘create-your-own’sundae,even though they cost more. Goal achieved: getthecustomertosupersizetheirorder!
Keep in mind while creating your menus that it’s just as important to make it look as special and delicious as it tastes! If it looks good, customers may choose to takeaphotoandtagyouonsocialmedia, freeadvertisementandahappycustomer –theothermainreasonwearehere!
Remember our kaleidoscope of opportunity and you will think of endless ways to attract customers and grow your bottom line. Keep it colorful and fun it’s icecreamafterall!
Conecon 2023 will be held on the November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th in Las Vegas, NV
Design aesthetics are constantly changing. Each year brings new fashion, interior design, and digital design trends. Fortunately for us in the digital world, playing with graphic design trends on your social media page or website is a little easier than decorating a room in your house to fit the latest aesthetic of the moment To get you up to date with what you can expect to see in the upcoming year, I sat down with our Creative Director, Patrick Brickman, to talk graphic design trendsfor2023.
The infographic we ’ re all familiar with is normally a static image that churns out facts and figures, but 2023 will be ushering in a new and improved version of an infographic that reflects the brand in a more engaging, visual way An example of this is the personalized data presented in Spotify Wrapped This information combines eye-catching wallpapers with engaging designs that users want to save andshare
Doyourememberhowyournewsfeedwas flooded with AI depictions of your friend’s faces? Well, that’s not likely to be going anywhere in 2023 Ever since Instagram users jumped at the chance to see what they would look like in AI, we ’ ve started to see even more filters and apps in our daily scroll. While we ’ re still seeing AI on Instagram,we’realsoseeingitinfiltrate
TikTok trends and will likely see AI computer art influence other facets of digital design. Something to keep in mind forthenextyear:AIhasalreadygarnered some negative attention for copying the styles of IRL illustrators and painters without credit, so it may be best to proceedwithcaution.
Vintage
If you scroll through the available filters when creating an Instagram story, you may notice that “Kodak” has a number of vintagefilterstochoosefrom Thismakes sense, considering that vintage color palettes are one of the top graphic design trends for 2023. This year we will beseeingalotmoreshades,texture,and noise reminiscent of vintage photographic film on everything from socialmediacontenttowebsitedesign
Neon
Preparetobeseeingalotofneonbothin graphic design and in physical spaces in 2023 While it’s unlike to see a brand go for an entirely neon color palette, splashes of bright colors will be all the rage,astylethatechoesthetrendsofthe 1990s, but more on that later LED will also becommonplaceoverthenextyear,asit is a fun and effective way to draw more attentiontosignage(we’relookingatyou, CharlestonPrinting).
The New Year is a great time to analyze what’sworkingforyourbrandandtostart
clients take time to assess their own creative at the start of each year by evaluating if their current logo aligns with their target audience and if it meets the quality of their business Modernizing your logo and refreshing your color palette is a great way to elevate your brand and improve the quality of your graphic design content for the rest of the year. TargetMarket had a chance to take our own advice by recently refreshing our color palette, logo, and overall aesthetic We can speak from experience when we say it has madeusfeellikewe’veleveledup.
One of the trends that Patrick is interested inplayingwithissurrealism.Thistrenduses saturated colors, floating objects, and hazy elements to create strange but interesting worlds. Combining this graphic design trend with other hot typography styles can allow you to set your brand apart from the rest
One of the most interesting and important design trends that we’ll see on websites is known as responsive design Responsive design is when the design and development of a website respond to the user ’ s behavior and environment. Elements such as rollovers, transitions, and subtle animations are ways that users can engage with the website. While these micro-interactions between the website and the user are unique and engaging, websites with user-responsive design are also great because they automatically adjust to different screen sizes And with nearly 60% of web traffic coming from mobile devices, using a responsive design on your website is key in ensuring that your websiteisoptimizedformobiledisplay.
Graphic design trends often align with trends in other mediums like fashion and interior design. This is most noticeable in our next graphic design trend that takes inspiration from the decade of my birth–the 90s We’ve already seen Gen Z take to the streets wearing things that we thought we’d never see again (hello, flared jeans), butasitturnsout,the90swillbeimpacting our graphic design content as well. As we previouslymentioned,neonwillbehavinga moment in 2023, but we’ll also see some graphic design trends pulled from the darker side of the 90s, with punk and grunge elements like satirical imagery, collages,andgraffiti
OK, we haven’t done one of these sessions beforesoherewego Hereare50rapidfire ideas for growth. Maybe you already have some of these ideas working in your business, or perhaps a version of them If you already use all 50, then drop me a line –Iwouldlovetoverballyshakeyourhand
These ideas fall under the categories of products, promotions, and aspects of your “place”
1. Have your employees all create a flavor and hold a competition to see which sells the best. You can also do this for local schoolsorclubs
2. Flights – having a container that holds 4 or 5 small scoops of your ice cream rather thanthelargerscoops
3. Run a designer sundae of the week program asked customers to design a sundaeforyou.
4 Follow a “National Day” calendar a make flavors based on a national day, such as National Strawberry Ice Cream Day, or similarcelebrations
5. Conduct shop “tours” showing preschool and local groups a behind the scenes tour of your business, ending with an ice cream makingsession
6. Host “after hours” parties with ice cream making lessons and or pair a meal from a localrestaurantwithyouricecreams
7. Have a logo or place in your shop where customers can take a photo of their ice cream in front of, like a backdrop to their image
8. Offer a waffle cone upgrade if they “check in” to your business on their favoritesocialmediaapp.
9 Have a Photo Booth set up in a corner of the shop for a weekend and have customers take photos with props and your logo Post these straight to social media.
10 Offer local musicians or school performers to play in or outside your business
11 Have the local football or sports team come in and serve customers in their uniforms/jerseys for donations to their teamsfundraiser.
12 Do a collaboration with a local bakery, cookie or treat store and profile their productsinyouricecreamflavors
13 Place some gift cards or “buy one get one free” coupons or vouchers on the shelves randomly in your local grocery store, library or other retail shop and see whofindsthemandbringsthemin
14.UseQRcodesonflavorsonyourmenu to take customers to a link with a background or origin story to the developmentofthatflavor.
15 Post customer quotes and favorable commentsonyoursocialmedia.
16 Feature your employees with name tagslistingtheirfavoriteflavor.
17 Startacelebrityscooperprogramwith local police, firemen, ambulance drivers, teachers,andothercommunityleaders.
18 Hostanicecreameatingcompetition
19Place a large jar of sprinkles on the counter and have a competition to guess how many are in there – Winner gets free icecreamforayear
20. Ask happy customers to write a review ontheirfavoritesocialmediaapp
21. Free Follow Weekend. Have a tablet/computer at the counter and ask customerstofollowyouonsocialmediaor on the phones. Off a free upgrade when theydo
22. Print stickers with your logo on them –givethemoutwitheveryconeorcup
23. Link up with a local balloon artist or clown and feature them on weekends You getgreatreviews,andtheygettopromote theirbusinessaswell.
24 Host a karaoke night on your slow nights of the week. Every singer gets a free cone
25. Start a customer loyalty program through punch cards or through your register system Each purchase goes towardsafreeitemordiscount.
26 Print “great student: free cone cards and give some to local teachers or principals These programs always bring betterrewardsthanthecostofthecone.
27 Giant Sundaes – Serve a monster sundae in a kitchen sink or massive bowl for families or groups to come in and take photos with If they eat it within a certain time, they get their photo on the wall for fame
28.HaveawallofFame.
29 Give out coloring in sheets with your logo, cones and cows on them Keep crayonsatthecounter
30 Have a small toy or collectible with a kids sundae and have a new one each weektocollect
31 Up sell – Always ask “When you like that inawafflecone”
32 Feature unique cups – small plastic bathtubs, rubbish bins, baseball caps and otherpromotionalcontainers
33 Chocolate dip anything Bananas, Cones,ChocolateBars,frozencakes
34. Designate an employee to be your party coordinator Have them book ice cream birthday parties and give a percentageofthesaletothem
35.Livestreamtosocialmediaduringone ofyouricecreammakingsessions
36 Give free dog treats to customers walking dogs – Have a bowl of water out forthemaswell
37. Offer to accept competitors coupons ordiscountcards
38. Sell your own branded bottled water. Its cheap to do and looks great promotingyourbusiness
39. Get a cone – Give a cone. Have a board or coupon code, where customers canbuyaconeforafriendwhiletheyare there Their name goes on the board to redeemwhentheycomedown.
40 Have a “Name of the Day” for a free cone during slow times “Harold gets a freeconetoday”
41. Take a photo of every menu item you have, and post one new one every day Maybe have a photographer come in and take a bunch of images at the start ofeveryseason.
42 Feature local fruits, and other delicacies with your ice cream flavors Thinkoutofthebox.
43 Have some “off the menu ” ice cream flavors. Don’t display them, but tell customer to always ask “What flavors are intheBackFreezer”
44 Always answer bad reviews –Apologize and try to make it right, even whenyouknowtheyarewrong.
45 Try paid ads on Facebook, targeting certain demographics and user hobbies
inyourlocalarea Tracktheresults
46. Join your chamber of commerce and interact and cross promote with other localbusinesses
47. Spinning Wheel – Everyone loves a spinning prize wheel Offer free or discounted menu items but also help featureotherlocalrestaurants
48. Team up with a local cause like the animal shelter, library or community organization and work with them on a promotional program such as reading or literacy, adoptions, and other community causes.
49 Sell your ingredients Offer your special vanillainyourlogo’dbottles.
50 SMILES – They don’t cost anything, and customerslovethem.
Candy-MakingDay:1
CrepeDay:2
BubbleGumDay:3
NationalIceCreamForBreakfastDay:4
WorldNutellaDay:5
InternationalFrozenYogurtDay:6
OperaDay:8
NationalPizzaDay:9
NoOneEatsAloneDay:10
Don'tCryOverSpilledMilkDay:11
SuperBowlLVII(57):12
Galentine'sDay:13
ValentinesDay:14
NationalGumDropDay:15
NationalAlmondDay:16
RandomActsofKindnessDay:17
NationalDrinkWineDay:18
ChocolateMintDay:19
PresidentsDay:20
InternationalPancakeDay:21
GeorgeWashington'sBirthday:22
NationalChiliDay:23
TootsieRollDay:23
TartarSauceDay:24
WorldPistachioDay:26
NationalRetroDay:27
NationalToothFairyDay:28
LeapYearDay:29
Superman'sBirthday:29
NationalPeanutLoversDay:1
Dr.SeussDay:2
PrincessDay:3
NationalFrozenFoodDay:4
Daughters'andSons'Day:5
NationalDentist'sDay:6
NationalCerealDay:7
NationalPeanutClusterDay:8
BarbieDay:9
MarioDay:10
GenealogyDay:11
DaylightSavingTimeBegins:12
DonaldDuckDay:13
PotatoChipDay:14
PiDay:14
NationalPandaDay:16
St Patrick'sDay:17
NationalCornDogDay:18
NationalChocolateCaramelDay:19
WorldFlourDay:20
TwitterDay:21
AsYoungAsYouFeelDay:22
Ramadan:22-4/20
NationalChiaDay:23
NationalChocolateCoveredRaisins Day:24
PecanDay:25
SpinachDay:26
NationalScribbleDay:27
Barnum&BaileyDay:28
PianoDay:29
PencilDay:30
NationalCrayonDay:31
Heythere,SupplierMember.Hopefullyby nowyouhaveseenquiteafewchangesin thewaytheassociationisimproving memberbenefitsandcommunicatingwith ourmembers
Ourmainmethodofcommunicationisstill ourmonthlyBulletinpublishedonthe10thof eachmonth Upuntilrecently,TheBulletin hasstruggledtoattractadvertisersandwe havebeenofferingfreeadstothosesupplier memberswhocontributedanarticle
Wehaverecentlyputextraeffortinto increasingtheeffectivenessoftheBulletin withthefollowingfunctions:
FullColorFrontCover PresidentandExecutiveDirectorMessages
MonthlyFoodSafetyArticles
MarketingandEventCalendars MoreLinkstoarticlesandonlinecontent.
Thishasledtohighengagementthrough openratesandlinkclicks.
Withthishigherengagement,wearehaving moreinquiriesbySupplierMembersabout advertisingtoourmembersagaininthe Bulletin Forthispurpose,wearepublishing TheBulletinAdvertisingratesfor2022
Frequencyratesarebasedonthetotal numberofinsertionsusedwithinatwelvemonthperiod.
SpaceReservations:10thofmonth precedingpublication
MaterialDeadline:15thofmonthpreceding publication
PleasedirectanyquestionstoSteveChristensen,
6367781822*TollFree:866-303-6960 E-Mail:info@icecreamassociationorg* Web:wwwicecreamassociationorg
AssociationOfficers2023
President
KellyLarson,SweetTemptations,Grand Haven,MI
VicePresident
RickPizzi,PizziFarms,Waltham,MA
ExecutiveDirectoratthebelowcontactdetailsImmediatePastPresident
DaveDeadman,ChocolateShoppeIce Cream,Madison,WI
ExecutiveDirector
SteveChristensen,Wildwood,MO
ExecutiveCommittee
KellyLarson,SweetTemptations,Grand Haven,MI
NominatingCommittee
DaveDeadman,ChocolateShoppeIce Cream,Madison,WI
ConventionCommittee
KellyLarson,SweetTemptations,GrandHaven, MI
MembershipCommittee
RickPizzi,PizziFarms,Waltham,MA
IceCreamClinicCommittee
ChristineD’Amico,OvertheTop,PleasantHillIA
ScholarshipCommittee
SueKloter,KloterIceCreamBarn,Ellington,CT
The Association is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, we shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with the association, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.
