Page 35 - Today's Dietitian (March 2020)

who do are presented with regular opportunities to hone that “Brands spend a lot of time and money to know their stuff, to
skill and gain meaningful experience.” know what works,” she explains. “Brands can be a really help-
The dietitian team at Meijer Health and Wellness Nutri- ful partner” for the in-store RD, Ruhs says. She has the unique
tion attended a writing class to learn how to more effectively perspective of having been a supermarket dietitian and now is
translate science-based nutrition information to general con- a corporate RD working with brands. Not only do brands know
sumers. The writing class taught the RDs that marrying short, the most current nutrition and health science regarding their
concise bullet points and attention-grabbing headlines with product but they also have a specific message they want to
science-based writing was the key to communicate nutrition communicate to consumers, and they do so in an intentional
messages to customers, says Shari Steinbach, MS, RDN, owner way. If an RD wants to write something about a product or a
and president of Shari Steinbach and Associates, LLC, of Allen- food, it needs to align with the brand’s message and use lan-
dale, Michigan, who managed Meijer’s nutrition program. “You guage that’s appropriately regulated by government agencies,
want customers to get excited about a topic,” she says. RDs Ruhs says. “A lot of times RDs have no idea they’re not writing
also need to learn that there’s a business aspect to consumer the right things,” Ruhs continues. “You can’t say, for example,
writing at retail: The topics they choose need to help drive that something is a ‘good source’ of omega-3s because there
sales and bring consumers to the store. is no Daily Value set for omega-3s. If you want to say a nut
is ‘heart healthy,’ you need to check that it qualifies as such
Tap Into Resources because those terms are regulated,” she says. It’s imperative for
Not all retail RDs realize that writing for consumers is part of RDs to be aware of FDA rules and definitions. This, and work-
the job. Even if writing isn’t an activity they enjoy, or if they don’t ing with and using brand- and commodity-created content,
have the time to write because of other responsibilities, there Ruhs says, will make nutrition reporting better overall.
are many valuable resources they can use. Many stores partner
with food product companies and have brand sponsors that pro- Retail RDs’ Huge Impact
vide RDs with ready-to-use content and messaging that align Retail dietitians also can take this information to their custom-
with editorial calendar themes throughout the year. Accord- ers to address confusing language and health claims surround-
ing to Grove at Wakefern, “Vendor-supplied RD toolkits are very ing food. Phrases such as non-GMO, organic, and keto friendly
useful, and they are a great tool for in-store dietitians. Usually are confusing to consumers, Ruhs says, but RDs are in the ideal
they contain a mix of consumer-friendly educational materials, position to help them understand and make healthful food
coupons, giveaways, and recipe cards. Some may contain con- choices because consumers look to and trust them. According to
sumer insights and trends. Avocados from Mexico, as an exam- Ruhs, the role of in-store RDs is to “bring this expertise to their
ple, provides recipe booklets, avocado slicers, and coupons to retailers and be responsible to their customers by educating and
support in-store merchandising and demos,” she says. Toolkits supporting the overall health of the customers.” According to the
can be especially helpful sources for newsletter, magazine, and 2019 IFIC Food and Health Survey, consumers with allergies trust
blog content. They’re also useful to glean tested recipes for print their health care providers first and RDs second on allergy issues.
and store demos, demo scripts with talking points, and social “Those credentials as an RD give you credibility and power,” Ruhs
media messages, and they provide timely and relevant resources says. “RDs need to be proud of that and use it effectively.”
to help in-store RDs better assist customers. There are no other RDs, except perhaps a few media dieti-
“Those resources are out there,” Steinbach says, but RDs also tians, who communicate to a larger audience, Ruhs continues.
are on the radar of food groups that provide their information Consider all the modes of communication, from in-store foot
to RDs, often by invitations to events and conferences where traffic, signage, and kiosks to ads, announcements, and every-
toolkits are shared, networking takes place, and new products thing online—even the tiniest store has huge outreach, she
are revealed. There are plenty of other resources, such as the says. This is an opportunity to work with consumers on what
Retail Dietitians Business Alliance website (retaildietitians. Ruhs calls the “front lines of education,” but it also involves the
com), which Steinbach describes as an “abundance of responsibility to be an influencer to your retail organization and
information” with links to resources that can enhance RDs’ peers. Being a retail RD means you’re a business person as well
retail business skills. Steinbach also is working with Annette as a dietitian with the influence to advance and change health
Maggi, MS, RDN, FAND, to create turnkey wellness activation and the perception of health from so many different angles. This,
kits for independent supermarkets that are members of the Ruhs says, is why brands invest so much in resources to support
National Grocers Association (NGA). The Live.Balanced. kits retail RD programs. They’re “heavily invested because RDs are
are “all about educational selling and offer content for multiple so powerful, and their potential reach is so huge.”
consumer touchpoints,” Steinbach says, and include ready- Writing is definitely the driver of communication for retail
to-go blog posts, social media messaging, in-store promotion dietitians. And now, with so many valuable resources available
concepts, demo instructions, merchandising, and intercom and ways to publish, from traditional in-store circulars to a script
messages. Kits are completed for “Meal Solutions” and “Heart for Facebook Live, retail RDs are taking their messages beyond
Health” concepts, with more themed kits to come in 2020. the supermarket. The potential, power, and credibility retail dieti-
If dietitians are working with NGA members, these kits are tians have to reach not only their customers but also an ever-
available through the NGA website at www.nationalgrocers.org. expanding audience of consumers, retailers, and peers enables
them to provide nutrition education in a consumer-friendly way,
Using Brand Expertise helping people to make more healthful food choices every day. n
One of the advantages food commodities and brands have is
what Barbara Ruhs, MS, RDN, corporate dietitian for Avoca- Lori Zanteson is a food, nutrition, and health writer based
dos from Mexico in Phoenix, calls the “intel” on their product. in Southern California.
MARCH 2020 • WWW.TODAYSDIETITIAN.COM 35