How to Use Canned Beans: Side Dish Versus Ingredient

• Canned beans are already cooked and can readily be used in dishes in various ways; they can be used as substitutes for meat, as pure or standalone salad, as components of salads or mixed with cereals. They can as well be used in soups and burgers.
• Canned beans can be used in salads to improve salads' nutritive value and improve on their texture. Depending on consumers' preferences, canned beans can either be the main salad or be a part of the salad. They can also be used in casserole dishes with other ingredients and at times, these casseroles can be served as side dishes.
• Canned beans can be cooked with corn to make succotash and there is the option of adding other ingredients like meat to this mix. These beans can as well be mixed with onions, chilies and tomatoes to make salsas that can be served either hot or cold.
• Canned beans can be used directly as a side dish but to make them more attractive, most people add onions or bacon to the beans. They can be cooked with brown potatoes, usually the beans are added when the potatoes are near-cooked and the beans enhance both the taste and nutritive value of the meal.
• It is possible to smash canned beans to make smoothies for use on brownies and in sandwiches. Those who do not love the taste of beans can countered it by adding essences or fruits.

Why Canned Beans are Used

• Medical experts say canned beans are the best alternative to raw beans and to get the best out of them, purchase canned beans without added salt. Canned beans have the advantage of taking a shorter time to cook than raw beans. Canned beans have a longer shelf-life compared to raw beans, make ready stock for the kitchen store and are in the long-run cheaper than raw beans.
• A Market Watch 2019 report shows that the demand for canned beans among Americans is on the rise because they reduce chances of sugar and cholesterol related health challenges, they are an easy-cook option and they are a good take-away for people going to work.

Frequency of Canned Beans Usage

• Statistics show that the use of canned beans in the US is on the rise, Statista's 2019 survey report shows that there are about 217 million consumers of canned pork and beans in the US today and this figure is projected to be about 223 million in 2023. Another 2019 report by Statista indicates that the monthly consumption of Bush's best baked beans is over 106 million.
• A 2019 survey report by MDPI shows that Hispanic dominant & English dominant women consume more beans (3-4 times a week) than NHW women (2-3 times a week). The report also shows that about 16% of the respondents only bought canned beans while 50% of them bought both dry and canned beans. The report further indicates that about 74% of the Bilingual/English dominant women purchased canned beans, about 68% of NHW women purchased canned beans, about 50% of Hispanic-dominant women purchased canned beans and about half of the respondents did not have any canned bean brand loyalty.
• A search for canned beans side dish recipes on the All Recipes website brings about 39,000 results and a similar search for canned beans ingredients recipes brings about 32,000 results, implying that the demand for the canned beans side dishes could be higher than that of canned beans ingredients. A CNN 2019 report on America's most popular foods ranks baked beans as the 25th most popular food in the US.

Research Strategy

Eating Habit of Single Millennial Men in the U.S.

• An analysis of the spending habit of single millennial men and women published by SmartAsset revealed that single millennial men spend most of their annual feeding budget eating out.
• The report opines that single millennial men in the U.S. spend over $3,000 — about 64% of their $4,750 feeding budget — eating out.
• This could be linked to several reports that hints that in general, millennials are busy and tend to eat on the go, or they want to "share photos of their food and discussing dining with others." This is driven by the desire of this age group for affordability, convenience, and customization.
• When they want to eat at home, they prefer to eat balanced diets.
• At home, single millennial men eat slightly "more meat, poultry, fish, and eggs."
• About 40% of the money spent on eating at home is spent on miscellaneous foods such as "frozen prepared meals, canned soups and snacks like potato chips or nuts."
• Furthermore, the report hints that single millennial men spend about $200 per year on non-alcoholic beverages especially colas and sparkling waters.

Eating Habits Expanded to include All Millennials

• A report by USA Today reports that 57% of millennials in the U.S. think that "planning meals takes more time than they would prefer", hence, they tend to eat out more often.
• The report further hints that due to the busy schedule of millennials, they tend to snack more often as they look to eat on the go.
• Another analysis of the feeding habits of millennials in the U.S. remarks that people in this age group look to eat from any source other than their fridge.
• The report established that more than half of millennials in the U.S. eat out at least three times a week. 

Research Strategy

Overview

•  Convenience is one of the reasons people prefer canned beans because they do not require peeling or washing before consumption.
• The canned beans market is expanding due to "easy consumption, growing health concerns, and the increasing demand for healthier food."
• As the working population also increases, along with more preference for convenient food, the canned beans market will continue in steady growth.

Canned Bean Brands and Moms' Loyalty

• According to a study of culturally-diverse and low-income US women in Iowa, 66.5% of them purchase canned beans for their families.
• While 41% of the women pointed out that taste was significant to their choice of canned bean brands, 58.7% of Non-Hispanic White (NHW) women's choice of canned bean brands was dependent on price, versus 41% of bicultural/English-dominant women and 20% of Hispanic-dominant women.
•  30.8% of bicultural/English-dominant women's choice of canned bean brands was also centered on tradition, more than that of Hispanic-dominant women (20%) and NHW women (8.7%).
• However, 49% of these women could not recollect the specific brand of canned beans they bought. But for the 51% of these women who remembered the brand of canned beans they purchased, the generic brand was the most frequently mentioned with 14.3%, followed by Bush Brothers and La Costeña, both with 8.6% each.
• While Goya's brand accounted for 7.6%, La Preferida was 6.7%, and a blend of other brands accounted for 5.6%.
• Bush Brothers and Company is regarded as the "oldest and most renowned canned beans manufacturer producing about 80% of the canned baked beans in the US with annual sales crossing more than USD 400 million."
• According to the United States' census data and Simmons National Consumer Survey (NHCS), "106.07 million Americans used Bush's Best Baked Beans in 2019."
• Other brand usages by Americans in terms of numbers are as follows, Store's brand (30.35 million), Campbell's Pork and Beans (29.9 million), Bush's Best Grillin' Beans (28.35 million), and other Bush's Best Beans (25.42 million). Others are B&M's Baked Beans (23.22 million), Van Camp's Pork and Beans (21.33 million), Goya's Beans (19.58 million), Van Camp's Baked Beans (15.34 million), Ranch Style's Beans (14.62 million), and Heinz's Beans (6.71 million).
• With 159.84 million (addition of Bush's Best Baked Beans, Bush's Best Grillin' Beans, and other Bush's Best Beans users) Americans using the Bush Brothers and Company's brands, it appears American moms are typically highly loyal to this specific brand. More so, the typical loyalty of moms to this particular brand is coupled with the fact that Bush's brands rank among the top two brands preferred by American women, and they account for "80% of the canned baked beans in the US."

Facts About Moms Brand Loyalty

• A survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF) indicates that millennial parents (moms and dads in their late 20s and less than 40 years old) become loyal to a brand than parents of older generations once they are won over by the brand.
• According to the survey, "millennials are parents to half of today’s children, and more than a million millennial women become new mothers every year."
• There is an emotional connection with a brand from 64% of women and 59% of shoppers go with brands they trust.
• While 38% of moms trust recommendations of brands from other women on Facebook, 44% of millennial parents patronize brands that identify with their values (social or political) compared to 23% of parents of older generations.
•  49% of millennial parents are more prone to identify with brands that have cheaper options than parents of other generations (30%). While 52% of millennial parents remain unbothered with more convenient options from competitors, only 35% of parents in older generations remain loyal.
• Also, 64% of millennial parents (versus 54% of parents of older generations) said that "they shop a brand to which they’re loyal before looking at a competitor."
• While parents of any generation are concerned about price and quality from brands, excellent customer service is far more critical to millennial parents than convenience and loyalty programs. The latter is "twice as likely to back out of a purchase for lack of it (excellent customer service)."

Research Strategy

Social Media

• Food is among the top categories on Instagram and 50% of women post their recipes or seeks cooking inspiration on the platform. YouTube is also an important destination among women seeking cooking inspiration.
• Beyond Instagram 68% and 60% of women go to Facebook and Pinterest for recipe content. Also, 70% and 35% of women share their recipes on Facebook and Pinterest, respectively.
• According to data by Sprout Social, the majority of social media users in the United States are women of child-bearing age, or those old enough to be mothers. Taking all factors into consideration, then social media would among the most common sources of cooking inspiration for moms.

TV Shows

• Food Network is the top food/cooking-dedicated network and among the top television networks in the United States by viewership.
• About 64% of Food Network's viewers are women and 34% live in households with at least one child.
• Additionally, the entirety of the network's audience is made up of adults with the majority aged between 35 years and 55 years. This means that all the women viewers are either old enough to be women or within child-bearing age.

Food Magazines

• About 69.4% of the readers of Food Network Magazine are women aged between 18 years and 49 years. About 45.3% have at least one child.
• About 76% of Cooking Light readers are women with a median age of 44.4 years. Also, about 62% of the women more than five dinners at home monthly.
• About 69% of EatingWell readers are women with a median age of 40.4 years. Combining all three data sets, most of the women who read cooking/food magazines are likely to be mothers.

RESEARCH STRATEGY

Percentage of Moms who Prepare Separate Meals for Children

• BabyCenter, a California-based parenting resource provider, recently polled over 1,000 moms and found that most moms "feel like short-order cooks, making different versions of the meal for different family members." Fifty percent of moms say at least one of their children is a picky eater.
• Based on this same survey, nearly 80% of moms say all or nearly all of their dinners are homemade, and over 80% of moms say they are in charge of nearly all the meal preparation.
• Uber Eats has its own survey, "How America Eats," and this survey shows that 30% of parents with children under 18 often or always cook two or more meals to satisfy their children's varied food preferences, while 54% of parents with children under 18 sometimes cook two or more meals to satisfy their children's varied food preferences
•  Around 20% of parents with school-aged children or pre-teens prepare a separate dinner for their children on a regular basis, according to an article published by Today's Dietitian, a Pennsylvania-based magazine for nutrition professionals.
• Given that moms do the majority of the meal preparation, it can be assumed that around 30% of moms often or always cook two or more meals to accommodate their children's varied food preferences or picky eating habits.

Frequency of Family Meals

• Based on BabyCenter's survey, 90% of moms say their families eat dinner together several times in a week.
• On the other hand, a study by The Hartman Group reveals that American families, on average, eat breakfast together 2.8 times a week, eat lunch together 2.3 times a week, and eat dinner together 4.7 times a week.
• This study also indicates that, on average, the frequency of families eating meals that were prepared at home is as follows: breakfast (2.3 times a week), lunch (1.6 times a week), and dinner (3.5 times a week).

Frequency of Separate Meal Preparation

• Given the aforementioned statistics, it can be assumed that around 30% of moms with children under 18 cook a separate meal for their children around 2.3 times a week for breakfast, 1.6 times a week for lunch, and 3.5 times a week for dinner.
• It can also be assumed that around 54% of moms with children under 18 cook a separate meal for their children on a less frequent basis.

Research Strategy

Fun Flavor Ideas

• One of the most consistent themes of discussion related to Serious Bean Co. across social media, online retailers and the general press is excitement over the company's fun, adventurous flavors.
• Although Serious Bean Co. has a relatively limited level of engagement on Instagram (325 followers), Facebook (756 followers) and Pinterest (37 followers), the company regularly receives positive comments about the unique and interesting flavors it offers.
• For example, a customer on Pinterest recently commented about how you can "spike your chili with spiced rum" or add a "Dr. Pepper" flavor by using Serious Bean Co. products, while a user on Facebook added that the product flavors "sounds delic!!!"
• Similarly, customer reviewers on retail websites such as Amazon and Walmart praise how Serious Bean Co. helps them to "be adventurous" and stop "adding condiments" because the flavors are so interesting.
• Moreover, reviews by more formal outlets including local lifestyle newspaper the Shepherd Express assert that Serious Bean Co. "puts the fun in baked beans" with the company's creative flavor combinations.

Delicious Solo or within a Recipe

• Similarly, many commentators across social, online and more traditional media emphasize that Serious Bean Co. products are generally "delicious," whether on their own or as part of a recipe.
• For example, customers on Pinterest often post their favorite recipes that incorporate Serious Bean Co.'s products, while customers on Facebook have discussed adding a can to a "pot of chili" or just "having them for lunch" without further embellishment.
• More generally, many users across social media as well as online retail sites including Amazon and Walmart note that Serious Bean Co. products are "so good," the "easiest lunch idea ever!," "G-R-E-A-T!!!" and "kind-of a luxury delish."
• Moreover, traditional media often highlights that the taste is "amazing" in combination with other items.

Execution Issues

• However, a broader look at overall ratings and commentary suggests that many first time customers are dissatisfied with Serious Bean Co.'s bold flavor choices.
• Notably, reviews for Serious Bean Co products on Amazon range from only 2.5 to 3 stars overall, while reviews on Walmart have a slightly broader but still disappointing 1.5 to 3.5 star range.
• The less favorable reviews in these cases appear to be driven by surprise and distaste for the more intense product flavors, comparing them to "cough syrup" or adding that, while the Dr. Pepper product "really tastes like it," the flavored beans are too sweet.
• Additionally, many users discuss some issues with the consistency of the beans, including reviewers online as well as more traditional media outlets.

Research Strategy