User:JenRobb/Personal sandbox

Topic: Stouffer's

To-do items

Anyway, folks, like your online ambassador, can't access links to our databases in any case. So for sources such as these, please give regular citation info (name, title, publication, date) so others can look them up independently. Webster Newbold (talk) 16:51, 9 March 2012 (UTC)

I'VE ADDED SOME COMMENTS BELOW. GOOD START BUT MORE TO DO! —Webster Newbold (talk) 03:01, 20 March 2012 (UTC)

Ambassador comments

Looks OK so far. The list of products is really long and is something that probably doesn't need to be included, it'd be seen as indiscriminate information, especially in its current form. Most of the content lacks what we call in-line references, which looks something like this: "Barack Obama is the President of the United States." This helps people that read the article find out where the information came from. The other thing the article needs is a lead section, which summarizes the article. You'll find information on how to structure this at the blue link provided to the left. Lastly, it's important to write things in your own words, and if you do use the words of someone else (like in a quote) surround it in quote marks. I hope that helps a bit. Steven Zhang ^{DR goes to Wikimania!} 02:09, 21 March 2012 (UTC)

Instructor Comments

We're coming down to the wire, folks, and there's still more to do before the article can be published. Building on Steven's comments, here's what I suggest:

The history section can be based on the sources listed but it needs to be paraphrased in your own words. I would say start fresh from the main source and give the account of how Stouffers was founded and expanded. References will need to be inserted after the sentences where the info is used. If you need help, ask other group members or I could help with final referencing.

Marketing section is in good shape, but links can be deleted since they appear in the references.

Products section--According to the feedback you got, the list will have to go. Good idea to do an introductory section, but more work needed to make it more meaningful and to take away any appearance of bias, such as saying it is a "strong" brand. The goodguide.com source has a lot of info about the products. Say how many there are in all, then I suggest talking about maybe the top 5 and some of the details of their evaluations--how they are rated for nutrition, environmental impact, etc., as Goodguide rates them; and hit the worst one, too.

Legal Dealings--still a bit thin. Is there more relevant information in those two sources? If not, maybe there are some more that can provide information. The federal government has reprimanded them several times for false advertising.

—Webster Newbold (talk) 01:09, 27 March 2012 (UTC)

History

The Stouffer Corporation started with Abraham and Lena Mahala Stouffer once they said goodbye to their creamery business in Medina, Ohio in 1922, which was located within a building shopping center in downtown Cleveland. There the Stouffer's provided dairy products such as buttermilk along with samples of crackers. After some time, they reaped the benefits of a successfully run deli. Then later on, Mrs. Stouffer’s Dutch apple pies and coffee were added to the menu options. They were able to keep their dairy inventory stable with a farm in Richfield, Ohio, just south of Cleveland by 28 miles. Their oldest son Vernon graduated from Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania in 1923 and returned home to assist in his parents’ expanding business. With the leadership provided by Vernon and Gordon, the Stouffer’s second son, the company opened chains of diner businesses within Cleveland, Detroit, Pittsburgh, New York City, St. Louis, and Philadelphia. Through the 1950s to 1960s, Stouffer’s restaurant placement in Chicago began with business in the Prudential Building, the highest standing edifice of Chicago during that period.

Marketing

The use of marketing is a tool found in Stouffer’s campaign to sell their product and reach out to their consumers. In order to accomplish their goal, different campaigns have been incorporated into their advertising technique in order to add appeal to their product. In order to appeal to their audience, Stouffer’s underwent a packaging change in 1995. In order to compete with the blossoming restaurant market, Stouffer’s created the Take Home meal, which feeds two. In order to appeal to customers, Stouffer’s attempted a new marketing strategy that revealed a beige colored package and the classic Stouffer’s ribbon, which now contained the word “refrigerated.” Stouffer’s pushed this change in an attempt to remove itself from their classic frozen food emphasis. This change pulled them away from their normal red packaging, which is often associated with frozen foods, and pulled them toward a different image.

Stouffer’s also launched the Let’s Fix Dinner campaign around 2010. This campaign focused on bringing families together around the dinner table in order to share a meal. Stouffer’s used a variety of marketing techniques in order to help gain awareness for this new campaign. The use of the Internet and print ads was incorporated in order to hit a wide audience. An online survey, webisodes, blogging round table, Facebook, and Twitter were all used online as a way to spread the word. This marketing technique used social media websites as a way to better market their new campaign. A Let’s Fix Dinner Challenge was also created as a way to help families reach a goal concerning their dinner habits. This campaign built on the emotions of their audience as a way to sell their product. Commercials revealed families eating together, and research was also provided as a way to prove the benefits of family dinners. Stouffer’s commercials also directed its viewers to the website www.letsfixdinner.com in order to gain more background information and research concerning this topic.

A newer programmed launched in 2012 titled Stouffer’s Sautes for Two “Put the Two Back in Tuesdays.” This campaign is focused on helping couples reconnect by providing a delicious meal that really does not take much time to prepare. The use of Facebook has been incorporated into this program in order to provide Facebook fans with discounts and coupons that will make these meals more appealing. Stouffer’s presented this campaign as a six-week program to challenge couples to connect over an easy dinner.

Products

Stouffer's has a variety of different refrigerated product options for consumers, taking into account their different taste preferences and how many people they are eating with. They offer foods in both individual and family-size portions. A full list of Stouffers products can be found on the Products page of their website.

Various organizations have rated Stouffer's products. One uses the categories of healthiness, environmental and social impact; Chicken Alfredo is Stouffer's most popular product with a 7.3 overall score: 10 points for healthiness, 6.3 for environmental impact, and 5.5 for social impact. The second place item, Stouffer's Beef Stew, gets an overall ranking of 5.9: 6.1 for healthiness, 6.3 for environmental impact, and 5.5 for social impact. Their lowest ranked product, Stouffers Pot Pie, Turkey White Meat, got an overall score of 4.5: 1.8 for healthiness (due to high saturated fat), 6.3 for environmental impact, and 5.5 for social impact.

Another organization rating entirely on calories gives Stouffer's Chicken Alfredo a C- with 320 calories, 16g of fat, 4.5 of saturated fat, 30mg of cholesterol, and 890mg of sodium. Stouffer's Beef Stew receives a C with 280 calories, 9g of fat, 3.1g of saturated fat, 40mg of cholesterol, and 1000mg of sodium. Stouffer's Pot Pie, Turkey White Meat, receives a D with 570 calories, 31.9g of fat, 12g of saturated far, 55mg of cholesterol, and 1170mg of sodium.

Legal Dealings

Over time, Stouffer's has not had an above-average amount of legal problems. Not many notable issues have arisen, despite false advertising or contaminant complaints common to all food companies.

One such false advertising claim occurred in 1991. The Federal Trade Commission issued a complaint that Stouffer Foods had misrepresented sodium content in their Lean Cuisine entrees by stating that they were low in sodium. Stouffers argued that the campaign had focused on good taste and controlled sodium, fat, and calories. They also argued that the sodium claim was relative, reflecting a lower amount of sodium, not necessarily that the entrees were low sodium. However, the Administrative Law Judge ruled in favor of the Federal Trade Commission.

Another instance related to advertising occurred in 2003. Applebee’s sued Stouffer’s for trademark infringement of their marketing term “Skillet Sensations” back in 1997. Applebee's had a line of "Skillet Sensations" of their own and claimed that it caused confusion for customers that believed the Stouffer's line was linked to theirs. The U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board ruled in favor of Applebee's.

On March 14, 2011, a recall was placed on Lean Cuisine spaghetti and meatballs. Consumers reported finding pieces of plastic in their meals, and subsequently over 10,000 pounds of the product were recalled.