WAUKESHA, Wis. — U.S. consumers have greater faith in activists and retail grocers than either government or food companies when it comes to providing information about food choices. That's according to a new GfK Roper Public Affairs and Media survey commissioned by Morgan&Myers, a communications firm specializing in food and agriculture.
Results from the national poll confirm that about two-thirds of consumers (64 percent) say advocates and activist groups have consumers' best interests in mind when it comes to providing information about food choices. Those feelings were even more pronounced among "Influentials" — potential thought leaders identified in the survey. Nearly three out of four (74 percent) of Influentials feel advocates and activists have consumers' best interests in mind.
Advocates and activists were among five groups asked about in a separate part of a larger GfK OmniTel consumer product quality poll commissioned by The Worldcom Public Relations Group.
Retail grocers also ranked highly (62 percent) and food manufacturers ranked third (53 percent). With consumers split at 47 percent, the U.S. government ranked fourth, ahead only of fast food companies (26 percent).
"These results support the idea that activists may have been successful in dominating discussions about food policy, and possibly engaging effectively with the important Influentials audience," said Bob Giblin, a senior public relations counselor and research director who tracks food and agricultural issues for Morgan&Myers. "Activists and advocacy groups have worked hard to appeal to consumer values. While government and industry actually are doing more to act in consumers' interests than they're getting credit for, they may not be engaging with Influentials, or using values-based, word-of-mouth strategies favored by modern consumers. Nearly a billion meals are served daily in the United States, yet the food industry and government continue to have an up-hill march to build confidence and trust."
Read more about the survey here.