NICRA January Bulletin 2021

January 2021

THE BULLETIN THE

OFFICIAL

PUBLICATION

OF

THE

NATIONAL

ICE

CREAM

RETAILERS

ASSOCIATION

Making Food Safety Your New Year's Resolution TOP SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATES

ADDING FROZEN DRINKS TO YOUR MENU

CONECON 2021 DATES

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A MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Did you know what the most broken New Year’s Resolution is?

You would be right if you guessed lose weight and get in shape. I guess the well meaning thought process of wanting to get a little healthier doesn’t hold too much weight (pardon the pun) when you have a tray of donuts or banana fosters sundae presented to you. This is closely followed by quitting smoking, learning something new, getting out of debt, saving money and the list goes on.

But one easy resolution to get behind is a little more focus on food safety. It doesn’t really matter where you are along the journey of your food safety plan, we can all commit to assess where we are at and reach a little higher.

The NICRA organization has enjoyed our partnership with the Safe Ice Cream Group for past couple of years, and we are now really starting to see the fruit of this work. There are many tools, resources, and methods of assistance to help us achieve this New Year’s resolution before the season gets into full swing.

In this edition, we hear from Tim Stubbs, who by strange co-incidence is our guest on the most recent NICRA podcast guest. His New Years Resolution is to help you achieve your New Year’s resolution. He has a great passion for food safety, and I would highly recommend you read and listen to his counsel.

Our early NICRA committee meetings for the year also have a great feel of enthusiasm and energy, with some great national and regional events being planned. I hope your January and beyond is laced with optimism and if there anything that we can do from the office here to put a pep in your step this month, please reach out.Happy New Year to you and yours

Steve Christensen

Executive Director NICRA

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If you have employees or team members on the Members Only Facebook Page please make sure they are listed as a sub account on your membership record.

As we process names and additions to the page we look for matching membership records. If there are no matching membership records we cannot grant employees or team members access.

Click over here to see how its done:

Going beyond what you thought you needed in a point-ofsale system.

Prolific’s easy-to-use system lets you modify every menu to perfectly fit your business type.

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Welcome to The National Ice Cream Retailers Association Terry Rastetter Skoops Ice Cream Barberton, Ohio

John Smotryski Wicked Lick Key West, Florida

Bo Loyd Kraze Frozen Treats Jacksons Gap, Alabama

Mona Eissa Natureland Kuwait

Olivia Pearson Leejay Lee Riverbend Creamery Sweet Lee's Ice Cream Lincolnton, North CarolinaOlympia, Washington

Stephanie Carlson Enjoy Park Rapids, Minnesota

James (Dave)Sassman Crystal City Creamery Crystal City, Missouri

Tracy Berry Boondocks BBQ and Creamery Lithia Springs, Georgia

FOOD SAFETY SUPPORT HOT-LINE FOR

SMALL/ARTISAN DAIRY PROCESSORS Not sure where to start? Our network of food safety experts from Universities across the US are here to help you take the next step by providing free one-on-one plan consultation and review.

315-787-2600

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Dairyfoodsafetycoach@cornell.edu

Make Food Safety Your New Year’s Resolution As we all take stock of 2020 and look forward to a better 2021, this is a great time to plan and set priorities. We know you’ll have many priorities in 2021 which may include family, friends, running a successful business, and delighting your customers. This is also a great time to commit to being a little better in all aspects of your business - including Food Safety.

Feel like you have good programs in place?

Not sure where to start?

Regardless of where you are in your food safety journey, please join us in making a Food Safety Resolution. A good first step is completing a self-audit/food safety assessment, you can use these simple checklist and self-audit templates to take a look at your programs and facility. This exercise should help you assess for risks related to pathogens, allergens, and extraneous materials. Throughout 2021, NICRA and a group of volunteer food safety experts will continue to provide additional tools and trainings through this “Food Safety Corner” feature, podcasts, and on the Safe Ice Cream Hub. We hope you will join us in committing to a better 2021 and specifically to sharpening your food safety programs.

You may also want to take advantage of the online Food Safety Basics For Ice Cream Makers course which is free for NICRA members or review www.safeicecream.org for additional training, tools and easy to use templates. If you have specific questions, you can reach out for free, confidential oneon-one food safety support by contacting the food safety hotline at Cornell DairyFoodSafety@Cornell.edu or (607) 2553459.

We look forward to taking this journey with you and wish you a safe, prosperous 2021!

Tim Stubbs NICRA Volunteer VP Food Safety at the Innovation Center for US Dairy

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Conecon 2021 Save the Date Date: 7th, 8th and 9th of November Location: The Rosen Plaza in Orlando, Florida Conecon 2021 is scheduled for the 7th, 8th and 9th of November this year!

We will be providing updates and timelines on Convention and Trade show activities over the next few weeks.

If you are a interested in having a booth at NICRA Conecon 2021 Trade Show please reach out to the NICRA Office at info@nicra.org

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Video Training We have reset the password for the online training videos. To access all of the online content click below

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Year in Review: Top Digital Marketing Updates from 2020 Target Market

As 2020 comes to a close, it’s hard to ignore the pivotal way a pandemic impacted this past year’s digital marketing and social media updates and trends. While cities and states were implementing lockdowns and safety precautions and people adjusted to new normals, social media platforms were also making adjustments of their own.We saw big shifts in e-commerce features, remote and live-streamed events took center stage, and TikTok gained a whole new audience during quarantine. Here’s a look back at some of the top social media and digital marketing updates and trends from 2020: E-commerce Features As non-essential businesses, both large and small, were forced to close their doors to foot traffic in the midst of the pandemic, new life was breathed into existing social media ecommerce features as new features continued to roll out to meet the needs of businesses and users.

In May, Facebook launched ‘Shops’ on Facebook and Instagram. The feature allows business owners to set up a single online store for users to access and shop on Instagram and Facebook. Most recently, Instagram added shopping tags to Reels, their short-form video feature that also launched this year.

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Pinterest also upped its e-commerce game by adding new shopping tools to the platform. In March, they rolled out their Verified Merchant Program which adds a ‘verified’ blue checkmark to brand profiles that have met certain e-commerce requirements. Then in April, they launched options for Pinterest users to shop from boards with product recommendations based on their Pins. They also launched a shop from search option with the introduction of a new ‘Shop’ tab in search results as well as a shop from Pins option in their ‘Shop Similar’ button that allows users to find items that are in stock and can be purchased online.

Facebook and Instagram Live Although the Live feature on the two platforms wasn’t new in 2020, Facebook and Instagram’s Live features were utilized in a whole new way this year. We all became very familiar with remote meetings and virtual happy hours on Zoom, Facebook’s Messenger Rooms (new in 2020) and Google Meet, but once industries realized that large gatherings were out of the picture for a while, adjustments were made to fit this new remote lifestyle.

Large conferences streamed their updates with virtual keynote speakers through Facebook Live and bands and musicians

sold tickets to live-streamed sets and shows from their homes and studios on Facebook via Facebook’s newest paid live event feature.

Runway shows were no longer invitation-only as designers opened their audience-free runway shows to the public via Instagram Live.

And although many in-person graduation ceremonies had to be sadly canceled, the class of 2020 could choose from a wide array of famous commencement speakers to watch live on the platforms. This year has come with a whole host of challenges, but the resilient (and creative) nature of people shone through as we figured out a brand new way to utilize Facebook and Instagram Live.

TikTok Although the short-form video app was first released in September of 2016, TikTok reached new heights in 2020. In April this year, the app surpassed 2 billion downloads globally. In the first quarter alone, the app had more downloads than any other app in a single quarter.

We wrote about TikTok here and analyzed whether it was the right move for your brand.

But no matter if the app is a good fit for your brand’s presence or not, there’s no denying the skyrocketing success organic content has seen on the platform.

Once seen as an app for Gen-Z, 2020 has proven that there is indeed a place for other generations on TikTok as well. In addition to the sponsored content and shoppable content that are available on the app, niche organic content is not lost to an algorithm and can be found on the ‘For You Page’ of users with similar interests.

Looking Ahead to 2021 While 2020 seemed to simultaneously be the longest and shortest year that presented numerous challenges, social media platforms stepped up to the plate. They saw a need for change and adjustments to the “normal” way we operated on social media and they

delivered. We look forward to 2021 and we’re excited to see what this new year brings to the digital marketing industry.

These are the trends and changes we expect to see in 2021: E-commerce Features As we mentioned earlier, Instagram released multiple e-commerce tools that helped struggling small businesses bring their business online. Brick and mortar stores are embracing the new normal as numbers are continuing to rise with online processes.

According to the Social Media Examiner, it’s predicted that “your local gym and yoga studio will offer classes online in a range of formats—from free Instagram Lives, Zoom calls, or their own integrated and propriety platforms. Grocery stores will have 1-hour turnaround online shopping, professional services like banks and lawyers will offer online meetings, and your favorite retail stores will offer local delivery or curbside pickup.” Overall, if you haven’t started yet, all brands should consider the following: Sign up for Facebook Shopping and link your products and services.

Sign up for Instagram Shopping and link your products and services.

Survey your audience and set up retargeting ads for their wants and needs.

Focus on your website usage and make sure you are optimized for mobile, running at a fast speed, and that your checkout and return processes are running smoothly.

Instagram Reels What was Instagram’s response to the overtaking TikTok took in 2020? Instagram Reels. While this is still a fairly new feature the connection with the community and businesses is expected to grow. Millennials and older generations have been making moves on the app as numbers are rising

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We are seeing a large shift into short-form video which is catching the attention of those with shorter attention spans. We look forward to brands showcasing their products and services in new and creative ways!

Instagram’s latest feature, Instagram Guides, is expected to hit the ground running in 2021. This user-friendly service gives the ability to create gift guides with an interactive way of sharing content with your viewers. Once exclusive to a limited number of health advocates, Guides are now available for all to put into use!

According to Later.com, you can choose from three different guide formats: Places: Recommend places in your city and beyond.

Products: Recommend your favorite products from your own shop or others.

Posts: Recommend posts you’ve created or saved.

SEO Trends Besides the e-commerce tools, Reels, and Instagram Guides being something big that marketers should take advantage of in 2021, Instagram is now becoming more search-friendly without the use of hashtags. Now, if you search for a keyword in the search bar, content such as posts, profiles, and videos will start populating.

This will occur over time, so we recommend implementing keywords into your captions moving forward. To further increase SEO on your Instagram account, rework your bio to include keywords related to your industry.

There’s no doubt about it, 2020 was a year that gave us all some challenges and during this time we saw that social media and

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online connections were key to most brands surviving.

But, it’s safe to say that we are looking ahead to 2021 as we anticipate these new marketing trends and features ahead. If you haven’t gotten on board with these changes occurring, the time is now!

TargetMarket

Adding Frozen Drinks into Your Menu Evan Waldt- Slices Consession If 2020 has taught us anything it has been that store owners need versatile menu items and equipment that allow them to embrace various seasons, trends, products, price points, and volumes of sale. Frozen drinks allow for more ways to serve customers and their diverse tastes. They are a great sippable addition to any menu, and they can easily be taken to go. Frozen drinks entice people to your store who maybe aren’t “ice cream folks.”

When most of what is available are cold or iced drinks, smoother frozen drink machine beverages bring your offering to a new level. Frozen drink machines deliver a quicker product that is tastier and with better mouthfeel than one made in a blender.

Using a quality machine allows for quick ticket times. Employees need only pull the handle and draw the product. By producing the base or the mix in bulk, you can easily achieve quality and portion control.

As a simple starting example, let's look into frozen lemonade: It is a very inexpensive product to sell and make. People love this refreshing drink, and its profit margins are high. The ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store or supermarket, and they are rarely out of stock. (see picture below for cost breakdown)

When it comes to selling frozen drinks, you can easily sell a 12 oz cup of frozen lemonade for $3 to $4, and your costs of making it will be under 10 cents per cup. Adding seasonal fruit purees to the lemonade will differentiate your product even further in the market.

There are quality NICRA suppliers who offer bases and flavorings if you do not want to make your own base or recipe. You probably already have most of the supplies needed for frozen drinks in your store. If you embrace fruit-based frozen drinks you can also buy more fruit in bulk from local providers or farmers to lower your production cost on all your menu items. We all know how much more easily “local” products and especially fruit sell. While experimenting with making innovative ice cream flavors can be costly, you can test new concepts or flavor profiles with your frozen drink program to see if certain flavors will work in your market with less cost or risk than making ice cream. It's a great proving ground for your dipping cabinet.

The diversity of frozen drink offerings is almost limitless - from the classic slush or frozen lemonade to more gourmet and unique flavors. Frozen drink machines can be used to produce both water-based drinks and dairy-based drinks (or those using dairy alternatives), such as smoothies, frozen drinks, frappes, and adult drinks.

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You can also cater to your “locavore” customers. If you are in apple country, try some apple cider slushies. If you’re based in the south, a peach smoothie or peach lemonade can be a delicious spoonless, sippable treat. Want to sound fancy? Call your frozen drink a granita, and use Italian blood orange. Up in cherry country, concoct a cherries & cream smoothie or a cherry cola style drink. In the fall, spice up your drinks and try your hand at a frozen horchata or a pumpkin frappe. For the superfood lovers, use Acai for smoothies, drinks or Acai bowls bases. Keep in mind that single barrel does not limit you to serving only a single flavor. You can combine your frozen beverage products with your ice cream to make unique floats and layered mixed drinks. Imagine layering your soft serve with your frozen beverage product in a clear glass for a colorful layered effect. Or you can make a neutral slush base and then use products and equipment you already have to offer many combinations. For instance if you use IQF fruit and simple syrup purees, you can offer all kinds of fruit based drinks. Your employee would draw the neutral slush base and then add the apportioned mango or strawberry purees.

Two seconds in a blender and then you have a vibrant fruit drink that can easily sell for 45 dollars and have a food cost of under 2575 cents depending on the fruit. The options are limitless, and you can avoid food waste and cut down on purchasing costs across the board.

Frozen drink machines can also be used to make innovative smoothies that are dairybased or non-dairy. The vegan mixes you may already use from NICRA members will work just fine. If you have partnerships with local coffee companies, you can make fantastic coffee frozen drinks as well. While the kids may want ice cream, maybe mom

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could use a caffeinated pick me up that she can sip as she corrals the young ones.

If you’re looking to outshine the big box coffee chain, make a Vietnamese coffee drink with condensed milk and powdered Vietnamese coffee. Or consider a New Orleans inspired drink using Cafe Du Monde Coffee with chicory.

Wanting something with more kick than coffee? Offer themed adult drinks that change with the seasons and reflect the holidays. Even if you don’t have a full liquor license, you can work with a supplier who makes liquor bases that don't require a liquor license (just a beer or wine license). Think eggnog smoothie in the winter and spiked sweet tea in summer.

Chocolate & Mint St. Paddy's day smoothie in March and Mango Margarita in May. For the tropic lovers, imagine a Mai Tai inspired mocktail.

If your location has the ability to sell liquor based drinks, then the profit doors open even wider. With choices ranging from old-standbys like Frose, Margaritas, and Daiquiris to the lesser known Frieslings and Negronis, your customers will be buzzing with joy. If you offer wedding or event catering, you may be able to work with the other caterer’s liquor license.

Many frozen drink machines are 115v and can be carried by two people, and you can take this to your catering accounts. Now you can offer wedding parties an ice cream bar and an adult frozen beverage package, increasing your brand’s visibility and profits.

You or the manager will make the product in five gallon batches, thus ensuring exact pour costs. The recipes are usually a combination of simple syrup, citrus, and the base spirit. They look great and very “Instagramable.”

Most of the equipment suppliers for NICRA offer frozen drink machines. It is very important to note that the “clear bowl on top” style of frozen drink machines are inefficient and unreliable.

We don’t recommend them to anyone trying to achieve any kind of real volume or quality. You want the type of machine that has a hopper that feeds directly into a freezing cylinder. This is because the “clear bowl style” takes much longer to produce (up to 45 minutes longer), they do not make the best consistency, and they cannot make large serving sizes. The hopper and freezing cylinder style are much more reliable and can serve higher volume numbers. They allow for more product expansion and have more viscosity control. This means your product will have a better texture and mouthfeel and you will be able to serve your customers faster.

Cheers to your 2021, and always feel free to reach out.

Evan Waldt

Cost n w o d Break Total Costs: $6.31 -Numbers are based on 3 gallon batches Water: about 67% of the recipe, costs $0.01 for 2 gallons of water.

Sugar: $0.80 for 3lbs of sugar which is about 0.68 gallons (23% of the total ingredients needed).

Lemon Juice: costs $5.50 for 42 Oz (0.32 gallons) which is about 10% of the entire recipe.

Total Profit: $121.69 -32 cups x 12 Oz = 3 Gallons Price Per Cup Sold: Each cup is sold at $4 per each 12 Oz serving.

Revenue: $128 revenue per 3 gallon batch.

Net Profit: $128 (revenue) - $6.31 (costs) = $121.69 profit per 3 gallon batch.

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G N I L E E F ?

D R A O B

NICRA is looking for members interested in contributing time and ideas on our Board of Directors.

If this interests you please contact the office at info@nicra.org

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MARKETING CALENDAR JANUARY 2021 Daily Holidays New Years Day: 1 National Chocolate Covered Cherry Day: 3 World Braille Day: 4 National Keto Day: 5 Whipped Cream Day: 5 National Shortbread Day: 6 National English Toffee Day: 8 National Bagel Day: 15 Bald Eagle Appreciation Days: 16-17 Popeye Day: 17 World Snow Day: 17 Pooh (Winnie The) Day: 18 Popcorn Day: 19 Inauguration Day: 20 National Cheese Lovers Day: 20 National Day of Service: 20 Get to Know Your Customers Day: 21 National Pie Day: 23 National Peanut Butter Day: 24 National Irish Coffee Day: 25

National Peanut Brittle Day: 26 National Geographic Day: 27 National Kazoo Day: 28 Rubber Ducky Day: 28 National Puzzle Day: 29 Croissant Day: 30 Grammy Awards: 31

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MARKETING CALENDAR FEBRUARY 2021 Daily Holidays Candy-Making Day: 1 Decorating With Candy Day: 1 Crepe Day: 2 Groundhog Day: 2 Feed The Birds Day: 3 Facebook's Birthday: 4 Bubble Gum Day: 5 Wear Red Day: 5 Weatherman's [Weatherperson's] Day: 5 World Nutella Day: 5 Canadian Maple Syrup Day: 6 International Frozen Yogurt Day: 6 National Ice Cream For Breakfast Day: 6 (First Saturday): Link (Different than International observance on Feb. 18.

Play Monopoly Day: 6 Link National Periodic Table Day: 7 Popcorn Day: 7 Super Bowl LV (55): 7 Extraterrestrial Visitor Day: 9 National Pizza Day: 9 Toothache Day: 9 Chinese New Year 2021: 12 No One Eats Alone Day: 12 Galentine's Day: 13 National Cheddar Day: 13 World Radio Day: 13

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Valentines Day: 14 National Gum Drop Day: 15 Presidents Day: 15 IHOP National Pancake Day: 16 National Almond Day: 16 International Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day: 18 Chocolate Mint Day: 19 National Grain Free Day: 21 George Washington's Birthday: 22 National Dog Biscuit Day: 23 Girl Scout Cookie Weekend: 26-28 World Pistachio Day: 26 International Tongue Twister Day: 27 National Tooth Fairy Day: 28

A NOTE FOR OUR SUPPLIER MEMBERS Hey there, Supplier Member. Hopefully by now you have seen quite a few changes in the way NICRA is improving member benefits and communicating with our members.

Our main method of communication is still our monthly Bulletin published on the 10th of each month. Up until recently, the NICRA Bulletin has struggled to attract advertisers and we have been offering free ads to those supplier members who contributed an article.

THE GOOD NEWS IS.....

We have recently put extra effort into increasing the effectiveness of the Bulletin with the following functions: Full Color Front Cover President and Executive Director Messages Monthly Food Safety Articles Marketing and Event Calendars More Links to articles and online content.

This has led to high engagement through open rates and link clicks.

With this higher engagement, we are having more inquiries by Supplier Members about advertising to our members again in the Bulletin. For this purpose, we are publishing the NICRA Bulletin Advertising rates for 2020.

Please find them as follows: 1 issues 3 issues

6 issues

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issues 1/4 page

$70

$65

$60

$50

1/2 page

$90

$85

$80

$70

Full Page

$160

$150

$140

$120

DISPLAY ADVERTISING Frequency rates are based on the total number of insertions used within a twelvemonth period.

Space Reservations: 10th of month preceding publication Material Deadline: 15th of month preceding publication.

Please direct any questions to Steve Christensen, Executive Director at the below contact details.

743 Spirit 40 Park Dr, Suite 121, Chesterfield MO 63005 636 778 1822 * Toll Free: 866-303-6960 E-Mail: info@nicra.org * Web: www.nicra.org

NICRA OFFICERS 2020 President Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, W Vice President Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream, Richardson.

TX Treasurer Charlie Wilcox, Marianne’s Ice Cream, Santa Cruz, CA

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Secretary Kelly Larson, Sweet Temptations, Grand Haven, MI Immediate Past President George Xouris, Andia's Ice Cream, Cary, NC Executive Director Steve Christensen, Chesterfield, MO Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2021 Bob Hearn, Hearn’s Ice Cream, St Mary’s ON Canada Zach Burton, Nielsen Massey, Waukegan IL Christine D’Amico, Over the Top, Pleasant Hill IA Terms Ending Annual Meeting 2022 Charlie Bomboy, Bomboy's Homemade Ice Cream, Havre De Grace, MD Dirk White, The Alaskan Creamery, Sitka, AK Kyle Cameron, Joy Cone Company, Wirtz, PA Rick Pizzi, Pizzi Farm Ice Cream, Waltham, MA Jill Curran, Kimball Farm, Inc., Westford, MA 2020 SUPPLIER OFFICERS

Convention Committee Dave Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Membership Committee Patti Otte, Sweet Firefly Gourmet Ice Cream, Richardson. TX Ice Cream Clinic Committee Christine D’Amico, Over the Top, Pleasant Hill IA Scholarship Committee Sue Kloter, Kloter Ice Cream Barn, Ellington, CT NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY NICRA is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination in all of its endeavors. To that end, NICRA shall not tolerate any words or acts of discrimination, harassment or any inappropriate behavior in general against any person affiliated with NICRA, including its members and guests, with regard to race, sex, color, creed, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status or sexual orientation.

President Ben Keser, Novelty Cone, Pennsauken Township, NJ Vice President Evan Waldt, Ice Cream Equipment Spec. Reno, NV Secretary/Treasurer Nichole Theriault, I.Rice & Company, Inc.. Philadelphia, PA Chairman Kyle Cameron, Joy Cone Co., Hermitage, PA

This Bulletin is published by: National Ice Cream Retailers Association 743 Spirit 40 Park Dr., Suite 121 Chesterfield, MO 63005 George Xouris, Chairman Publications Committee Steve Christensen, Executive Director, National Ice Cream Retailers Association.

COMMITTEES AND COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN Executive Committee David Deadman, Chocolate Shoppe Ice Cream, Madison, WI Nominating Committee George Xouris, Andia’s Homemade Ice Cream, Morrisville, NC

This issue of the NICRA Bulletin is now available online at http://www.nicra.org. Click on the Members Only button and enter your Username and Password. If you cannot find your Username and Password, call the NICRA office at 866-303-6960 or send an e-mail to info@nicra.org requesting the information.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please “LIKE” us on Facebook using your personal Facebook page (not your business Facebook page) in order to receive our comments in your News Feed.

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