Food gift innovation and women: Color me pink? Or not?

Food gifts for women can encompass a wide range of occasions; however, marketers continue to leverage the color pink to underscore feminine orientation. For example:

• 1-800-FLOWERS.COM carries oodles of gifts suitable for women; however, with its floral and pink theme, the “Planted with Love Gift Basket” is a good example of one that offers a decidedly feminine slant.
• Harry & David sells “Chocolate-Covered Strawberries for Her,” which uses strawberries dipped in white chocolate to take this everyday treat and give it a feminine touch: six are completely pink and six are dipped with pink stringing.
• com sells a “Girls Night Out Moscato Collection” that includes a nice balance of food, wine and fun—and is all decked out in a feminine pink colored theme.

But the flipside is that, while pink has historically symbolized the female gender, many women may actually prefer a different color. In light of this, marketers may want to experiment with multi-color themes, from bright colors to pastels—or even the popular ombre color trend. Utilizing seasonal color trends may also help craft a more unique strategy that can help refresh and update food gifts.  

This blog is based on information featured in Packaged Facts’ report Food Gifting in the U.S., 5th Edition. View more information, including the abstract, pricing, and table of contents at: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Food-Gifting-9718632/.

-- by David Morris