ConAgra is eager to win back consumers after the salmonella outbreak that sickened more than 400 people and forced a total recall of its Peter Pan peanut butter in mid February.
The
Omaha-based food company won't discuss the details of its marketing plan for competitive reasons, but ultimately, it simply needs to reassure consumers and deliver a safe product. "When people own up
to it, Americans forgive," says John Lord, professor and chairman of St. Joseph's University's food marketing program.
Joe Marconi, who teaches marketing at DePaul University in
Chicago, says the Peter Pan label needs to carry a message that lets consumers know ConAgra stands behind the product, and that the peanut butter inside is new. A simple message like "certified pure,"
combined with a satisfaction guarantee on the label, might be enough for most consumers. ConAgra is renovating the Georgia plant where the peanut butter was made. Meanwhile, it has arranged for
another, unnamed company to produce Peter Pan.
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