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M. YOUNG, Sensory & Product Guidance, Campbell Soup Co., Campbell Place, Camden, NJ 08103 and A. Koepke.

For many years, food manufacturers have expanded the variety and number of products available to U.S. consumers. This is evident by the development of specialty shops and an increase in the number of grocery store items. Today, for example, there are 30,000 grocery items per supermarket. With this increase, many companies face the challenge of how to increase sales and marketshare in a very competitive environment. This means for most companies, the world is now a global marketplace and reaching beyond present borders is needed to acquire increased sales and revenue. At present, globalization is a unique challenge within the food industry as it is unlike other global technology markets. For example, the cellular phone—an item that we use everyday that has significantly changed the way we communicate—is an external experience. But, by contrast, food is something we consume and becomes part of ourselves. It’s a personal experience, yet highly influenced by external factors such as culture, socioeconomic status, and previous exposure. Many of our food choices are passed from generation to generation, and create yet another hurdle for U.S. companies to overcome in unfamiliar world markets. As U.S. companies look to expand globally, considerable efforts need to be made in defining the global business proposition and in leveraging existing North American knowledge. Companies need to do more than simply export their current products into world markets. In order to achieve success, companies need to understand consumer needs, product expectations, local culture, and market dynamics of the various regions of the world. This presentation highlights the various strategies implemented by food companies that build upon current North American marketplace and product knowledge in order to compete and win in the new world market.