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BREAD TRENDS I Love Bread How GFF and BEMA joined Oprah Winfrey in inviting the nation back onto the grain train. by Matt Hamer, Baking & Snack If you're in the baking industry, and maybe even if not, you probably just sang along with the headline of this article. And there are several people to thank for that. On Jan. 26, 2016, media mogul Oprah Winfrey set records and padded her pocketbook when she declared "I love bread" in a tweeted video for Weight Watchers, a company in which she held a 10% stake of at the time. The video promoting the health benefits of bread immediately went viral, causing stock prices to soar and earning her an estimated $12.5 million from the single tweet. It even prompted parody videos from SNL alum Maya Rudolf and YouTube personality GloZell Green. This kind of high-visibility, bread-positive messaging was exactly what the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF) and BEMA were waiting for. "We literally called an emergency special meeting of the board, and it was go, go, go," said Kerwin Brown, BEMA president and CEO. GFF and BEMA committed a combined $125,000 toward a targeted social media campaign brandishing the slogan. The American Society of Baking (ASB) also latched onto it, rebranding its entire BakingTech 2016 conference a mere month after the tweet. Banners, buttons and declarations from ASB's main stage generated energy and optimism that a change might be occurring in the American consumer consciousness. "Remember just a few years ago, it was Oprah who urged Americans to take the bread basket off the table - and they did," said Christine Cochran, GFF executive director. "This kind of reversal from a mega-influencer like Oprah was something that got our attention imme- diately. We saw a great opportunity to leverage this rallying cry for bread lovers everywhere." After a brainstorming session with advertising firm MullenLowe, GFF and BEMA approached Emmynominated musician Parry Gripp to propose a collaboration on a high-energy, lighthearted music video about loving bread. Mr. Gripp already had significant online success with goofy songs about food items such as tacos and "20 kinds of dipping sauce," so he was more than up to the task. "Parry Gripp was a great partner throughout the entire process," Ms. Cochran said. "From the very beginning, he was excited to be able to highlight one of his favorite foods by creating a song all about bread. We're excited to be working with him on another original track that will showcase sandwiches to be released in the coming months." Mr. Gripp's "I Love Bread" video garnered over 140,000 views on YouTube as of September, and overall response to the campaign has been overwhelmingly positive. "We were really pleased; GFF said it was the most successful social media campaign they ever had," Mr. Brown said. "People are picking the song up and sharing it, and kids are dancing to it. People even want a karaoke version." Ms. Winfrey has yet to publically comment on the campaign, though its core message was directly inspired by her own exuberant love for bread. "We haven't heard from Oprah's team," Ms. Cochran said, "but we hope she is singing along to 'I Love Bread' as much as we are!" * IBIE 2016 / PreShowGuide / 111

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IBIE - 2016 Special Edition & Show Preview

IBIE - 2016 Special Edition & Show Preview
Table of Contents
IBIE PERSPECTIVE - Challenges Amid Attractive Conditions
STATE OF THE INDUSTRY - Well Positioned for Growth
Fuel for the future
PARADE OF PROGRESS - Bakers and exhibitors say they go to IBIE because …It's About the Future
EQUIPMENT TRENDS SURVEY - Good Vibrations
IBIE TECH - Must-have Mobile
ENGINEERING ROUNDTABLE - Putting it on Automatic
ABA PERSPECTIVE - Election 2016: The Stretch Run
Getting the Message Out
‘Premiumization’ opportunities abound
B&CMA, ABA - Pathway to the Future
Cookie-cracker education at IBIE
FSMA & THE BAKERY - Proof of Validation
SANITATION & SAFETY - Signs of the Times
How to collaborate, a PMMI protocol
PACKAGING - One-stop Shop
COLD STORAGE LOGISTICS - Securing Smooth Sailing
INGREDIENT CHOICES - The Big Questions
Go ahead, eat, it’s safe
TAX RELIEF - Go Ahead, Spend
SOCIAL MEDIA - Plugged into Consumers
INGREDIENT TRENDS - Favorable Forecast
INGREDIENT TRENDS: FATS & OILS - Deadline: 2018
WORKFORCE GAP - A New Paradigm
BREAD TRENDS - I Love Bread
bake - Special Edition
Retail Perspective - Road to Recovery
Retail Perspective: Equipment - Innovations Abound
Retail Perspective: Cake - Standing out from the crowd
Retail Perspective: Education - School in session
A World of Opportunity
INTERNATIONAL INSIGHT: BAKED FOODS - Global Growth: It's Not Easy
ALL-AMERICAN TAILGATE - Kickoff IBIE 2016
VEGAS GUIDE - Something for everyone
Off the beaten path
Ad Index

IBIE - 2016 Special Edition & Show Preview