marketing

How wellness marketing turned a vegetable into a potion

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From time to time, the algorithm decides which will be the new elixir of eternal youth. He did it with him water with lemon, with coconut oil on an empty stomach, with shots of weed and with apple cider vinegar. Now it’s the beet’s turn. On TikTok and in wellness magazines is presented in format shot morning that promises energy, luminous skin, sports performance and—of course—preventing premature aging. But is it really the new miracle superfood or just another example of health marketing wrapped in scientific language? All part of social networks. In just a few weeks, the so-called beet shots —the traditional beet shots—sneaked into the breakfasts of influencers and wellness devotees. The nutritionist Itziar Digón, in an interview with Vogueargued that this vegetable is “anti-inflammatory, improves circulation and helps prevent premature aging.” His recommendation was simple: a small glass, about 250 milliliters of blended raw beets every morning, to “activate the production of nitric oxide” and strengthen the immune system. The proposal did not take long to go viral. On social networks, the story fit perfectly with that modern idea of ​​quick and natural health: a miraculous molecule, a morning gesture and an almost immediate effect. The nitrates in beets, enthusiasts explained, are transformed into nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and improves oxygenation. In practice, it promised more fluid circulation, less inflammation and extra energy to start the day. Under the promise. There is some truth behind fashion. Some studies —published in Frontiers in Nutrition either ScienceDirect— have seen that beet juice can slightly lower blood pressure or improve physical performance in certain cases, especially in athletes. Also Healthline explains that its red pigments, betalains, together with natural nitrates, provide a slight anti-inflammatory effect. Besides, according to WebMDthese compounds help reduce inflammation by removing reactive substances from the bloodstream and protecting cardiovascular health. In short, beets are healthy, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals, and have real benefits for blood pressure and vascular function. However, it is one thing to include it as part of a balanced diet and quite another to believe that a morning shot will rejuvenate the body or strengthen the immune system. The other side The clinical studies are clear: there is no evidence that beets “prevent premature aging”, “reduce inflammation of the gut-brain” or “strengthen the immune system” directly. An essay collected in PubMed showed thatafter 13 weeks of regular consumption, no significant cognitive or metabolic improvements were observed. There is also no scientific basis to claim that it “detoxifies” the body. As we have explained in Xatakadetoxification is a function carried out naturally by the liver and kidneys; It does not blend in a blender. And, as if that were not enough, excess beets can have unwanted effects. According to Healthlineits high oxalate content can increase the risk of gout in predisposed people. So no, not everything natural is harmless. The pattern repeats. If the script sounds familiar, it is because we have already seen it with other express remedies. It’s not that beets don’t have benefits—they do—but because the discourse surrounding them exaggerates, simplifies, and generalizes. The mix of scientific jargon (“nitric oxide,” “microbiota,” “low-grade inflammation”) and aspirational testimonials builds an illusion of rigor that sells more than reality. Behind the craze for morning shots is something deeper than a vegetable smoothie: a culture that seeks quick, instant, and visually shareable results. In an environment dominated by immediacy, well-being becomes contained; and the content, an emotional commodity. The critical point. The beet is not the problem. The problematic thing is believing that well-being fits in a 250 milliliter glass. Incorporating it into your diet may be a good idea—because of its fiber, iron, and antioxidants—but it won’t magically make you age slower or make your cells work better. So, if you really want to take care of your body, it’s better to stick to the usual things: eat a variety of foods, move, rest and not believe everything that shines magenta in your feed. Image | FreePik Xataka | Silicon Valley’s silent obsession is not AI: it is beating death

why that bright red is pure marketing

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You are in front of the counter. On the left, a bright red, almost advertisement-like steak that screams “eat me, I’m fresh!” On the right, a piece of a duller tone, perhaps a little darker, but streaked with fine white lines. Which one do you choose? Most we launch ourselves into the vibrant red. It’s a reflex action. Although he is not always the smartest. It is something recognized by those who are in contact with this product all day, such as butchers. One of the examples is Mariano Sánchez who told La Vanguardia recognized that customers can pay a lot of attention to the color of the product, but he points out that the real key is in the fat of the fillet. This makes us have an almost obligatory question: is this a simple shopkeeper’s trick or does it have a real scientific basis? The short answer: you are absolutely right. They have been deceiving you, and a protein and a little oxygen are to blame. The myth of bright red. What we associate with “fresh meat” is nothing more than a superficial chemical reaction. The color of meat is determined by a protein called myoglobin.which stores oxygen in the muscle. In this way, when the meat is freshly cut or vacuum packed, the myoglobin is in its natural state (deoxymoglobin) and has a fairly dark purple-red color. And this is not something bad or something that should be despised. But when meat reacts with oxygen in the airthe myoglobin reacts and becomes oxymyoglobin. This compound has the bright cherry red color that attracts us so much. It is literally the ‘blooming’ that occurs on the surface. In short: the color bright red it only indicates that the meat has been in contact with airnot that it is of better quality, more tender or tastier. In fact, a vacuum-packed meat (purple in color) can be much fresher and less oxidized than the one glistening on the tray. The key is fat. This is where the butcher was completely right. What really defines the sensory experience of a good steak is not the color, but intramuscular fatpopularly known as “marbling” or “veining”. We talk about those fine streaks of white fat that infiltrate into the musclenot from the large layer of fat that surrounds it (which is also important to protect the piece, but that’s another story). And fat is responsible for the three most important virtues that we look for in a meat product. The first of them is the flavorsince fat is the vehicle for aromatic compounds, and during cooking this fat melts and releases these molecules, flooding the meat with flavor. A lean meat (without fat) It is, by definition, a meat with less flavor. Juiciness is the most obvious factor related to fat. As it melts, the intramuscular fat “waters” the steak from within, lubricating the muscle fibers and helping to retain water. It’s what makes the difference between a tender bite and a dry piece of cork. Studies on the sensory acceptability of beef show a direct and positive correlation: the more marbling, the higher consumer scores for flavor, juiciness and general acceptance. How to buy meat. So, the next time you go to a butcher shop, you don’t have to look at different points to have the best possible culinary and gustatory result. As summary points we can have the following checklist: Look for marbling: it is the number one quality indicator of a piece of meat. You should always look for pieces with a fine, well-distributed network of white fat veins. Color of fat: Intramuscular fat should be pearly white or, at most, slightly yellowish (something that indicates a step-based diet). What you have to avoid is pink, gray or reddish fats. The texture: a meat should have a firm, dense appearance and a dry surface (or slightly moist, but never sticky). If the mark disappears quickly when you press it with your finger, it is a good sign of freshness. If it is slimy or soft, that is a bad sign. Don’t focus on the color. When you see a piece with a dark, almost maroon color, you should not discard it immediately. This often indicates that it is an older animal or that it has gone through a dry-aging process. In these processes, the meat loses moisture and its own enzymes break down the fibers and increase the tenderness. In short, the color in the end, although it is the letter of presentation of a piece of meat, the reality is that it is not the only factor that directly influences the quality of the product that we are going to put in our mouths. Images | Sergey Kotenev In Xataka | Chicken meat printed in 3D and cooked with lasers: this is how these researchers see the future of meat

pop artists have turned suspense into the best marketing

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Rosalia is one of the Spanish artists who has best understood the value and possibilities of social networks and internet to promote your work. He has thus perfected a time management strategy for his announcements based on leaving subtle clues about his upcoming works so that his fans immerse themselves in speculation and constant analysis. But she had never been so enigmatic and it had worked so well for her as with the publication of the sheet music of what could be one of her next songs. Allegrissimo. The unpublished scores are for a melody titled ‘Berghain’, and he has shared them through your newsletter on Substack. Speculation immediately arose: the score suggests a possible turn in her musical style towards arrangements for strings, which increases expectations about her next album, still unannounced, and which may take the artist into unexplored musical terrain. The “leak” was followed by posters in the Plaza de Callao in Madrid, with his face immersed in musical figures and staves. What is Berghain? But there are more meanings. Berghain is the name of a highly prestigious techno club in Germany, which is considered “the current techno capital of the world”, which somewhat contradicts the idea of ​​string arrangements. A red herring? In any case, the score is written on printed pages by the German G. Henle Verlag. After shipping, changed your Instagram profile picture and tweeted “LUX: LOVE” before deactivating your account. Fans assume that ‘LUX’ will be the title of their new album. The fans play. The most interesting thing about the release of the score has been that numerous followers have been encouraged to interpret the piece with various instruments, sharing their versions on social networks, especially on TikTok. The result is fascinating, with fans giving their versions of the melody with violins, pianos, flutes and even accordions. The Twitter account @elojoquetodolov has compiled the best, including interpretations of a second page of sheet music that the artist later sent. A success before leaving: the precedent of ‘Desphá’. In July 2022, when Rosalía sang her new song, ‘Despechá’, at the WiZink Center in Madrid, it had not yet been released on platforms or for sale. But the 15,000 people in the pavilion knew it. Rosalía, knowing how to handle this type of circumstances in her favor, quickly polled the public about the best title for the song and invited 20 people who knew the choreography to dance… on social networks. When the ‘Motomami’ tour began in Spain, in Almería, no one knew it, but the videos of the concerts running around the internet did the rest. That and 35 seconds of the song that Rosalía uploaded to the internet mid-tour. By the time he arrived in Madrid, influencers like María Pombo had spread it and made it a success. They are decisions like this, and masterful information dosage strategies, like the one that accompanied the release of their album ‘Motomami’ which has turned it into a study center for marketing experts and pop sociology. Rosalía is not an isolated case. There have been multiple examples of artists using the internet and social media to create puzzles, games with fans, and cutting-edge marketing to generate buzz. BTS: For the release of ‘Dynamite’ in 2020, BTS created a web page with multiple countdowns with different dates, without showing clear information. Each countdown gave way to exclusive content such as pre-purchase links or visual previews. This tactic kept the public’s interest for an entire month before the album’s release.​ Taylor Swift: ‘Reputation’ (2017) was promoted with a complete deletion of his Instagram, followed by cryptic images and symbols, such as snakes, that anticipated a dark turn in his image. This strategy was also carried out by Beyoncé in the releases of Lemonade (2016) and Renaissance (2022) with network deletion and cryptic messages. Although Beyoncé already knew what she was doing since 2013, when she released her self-titled album without any prior promotion, breaking traditional patterns. Ed Sheeran: For her song ‘Bad Habits’ in 2021, she created a Snapchat filter with digital fangs, encouraging fans to interact with them and create their own content.​ Frank Ocean: Known for his secretiveness and his use of absence to create buzz, he disappeared from the public scene for years before releasing his acclaimed ‘Blonde’ in 2016. Before that, he broadcast a live video on his website for several days, showing a figure building a ladder in a warehouse. Sabrina Carpenter: In 2018 he deleted his Instagram and for the release of ‘Short n’ Sweet’his team designed a campaign full of “Easter eggs” with clues and teasers. Before the release of ‘Man’s Best Friend’, he hosted secret listening sessions in Los Angeles and New York, allowing a select group of fans to hear it before anyone else. In promoting his song ‘Manchild’, he launched a campaign with eye-catching and enigmatic advertising posters in strategic places, with minimal and cryptic messages such as “Hey men” and “Amen”, Daft Punk. Of course. In Xataka | Rosalía and appropriation: why “Malamente” is accused of stealing from gypsy and Andalusian culture

Your grandmother was right with Kiwi, and now science has given her marketing a powerful weapon

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It is a milestone for European regulation: for the first time, a fresh fruit, the green kiwi, has made the European Commission authorize you A “specific health declaration”. What your grandmother told you now comes with an official stamp and scientific support. But this also gives rise to a Great marketing network. A victory for brands. This news, which at first glance seems a victory for science and consumers, is actually a fascinating case study on how food industry, marketing and European regulation that has more recesses than it seems. The application, driven by the neozygous giant Zespri, has taken seven years to see the light and, although it celebrates a real benefit, reopens the debate on what we consider “healthy” how we sell us. A cooked health statement for years. So that A food can carry a slogan related to healththe inventiveness of a marketing team is not enough. As the Food Technologist explainsMiguel Lurueña in the country, for almost two decades the European Union demands a rigorous process to avoid misleading advertising. The first request for the Kiwi to have its recognition started in 2018 when Zespri, the world’s largest kiwis marketer, submitted a request to the European Commission claiming that the Kiwi contributes to the maintenance of normal defecation. To support him, he contributed 19 scientific studies. It is not something two days. The scientific verdict did not reach 2021, when the European Food Security Authority (EFSA) comes into play. His work is to review scientific evidence and determine if it is solid enough to give your approval. Something that arrived three years after the initial application. The next step was the politician, where the Member States of the European Union had to agree on a statement on this food and its properties. Because obviously it is something that will directly affect their citizens. A text with a small print. The official text approved is: “The consumption of green Kiwi contributes to the normal functioning of the intestine by increasing the frequency of the strokes. “The law allows simplifying it, so get ready to see ads with a clear and direct:” Help to go to the bathroom. “ But the statement will only be able to use for fresh green kiwis of the variety Hayward And the consumer should be informed that the effect is achieved with a daily intake of 200 grams of pulp, which is equivalent to about two kiwis of good size. The kiwi’s “superpower” is not so exclusive. This is where history becomes very interesting. Zespri argued that the kiwi effect was due to a unique combination of factors: its fiber, an enzyme called Actinidinephenolic compounds and other substances that They altered intestinal motility and the Microbiota. It seemed that the Kiwi had a secret formula. However, EFSA itself in its scientific opinion reaches a much less exclusive conclusion: evidence does not demonstrate that the effect of green Kiwi on defecation is higher than the one that could be expected because of its dietary fiber content. Figures can be put. Keep in mind that 200 grams of Kiwi provide approximately six grams of fiber. This is the amount that, according to studies, produces the beneficial effect. But that amount is not, much less, exclusive to Kiwi. We can get a similar fiber contribution in other foods that are often much cheaper. For example: A cup of cooked lentils (about 180 g) contains more than 15 grams of fiber. A ration of raspberries (125 g) provides about 8 grams of fiber. A comprehensive pasta dish (80 g dry) is around 7 grams of fiber. Two medium pears also add up to 6 grams of fiber. In this way we see that the Kiwi can work and is very healthy. But the approved benefit is not a ‘magical’ property, but the result of its fiber content, which is a nutrient present in many other foods. In your skin is where its benefits lies. Although a priori it may seem necessary to peel the entire fruit, including kiwis, Science tells us something different. In past studies it was made clear that Kiwi on your skin contains a fiber rich fountain and vitamin E, although it is recommended to wash it well before consumption. The same occurs in other types of fruits, where much of the fiber is also found in the shell that is in essence is viscous fiber. A guy that helps reduce appetite when gastric emptying and stimulating hormones that They promote satiety. The door open to advertising picaresque. The Kiwi case feels a precedent, but also reminds us of the strategies that the industry has been using for years. Regularization allows a product to contain a significant amount of a nutrient with an already approved health statement such as vitamin D, can use a slogan to promote it. He Most famous example is Actimel’s. Danone did not get the EFSA to approve specific statements for bacteria L. Casei. The solution? Enrich the product with vitamins D and B6, for which the declaration “contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system” is authorized. From there, to the famous slogan “help your defenses” there is a very short step and, above all, legal. Valuing food by a nutrient. This strategy that we have seen in the food industry leads us directly to the tendency to value food by a single function. In the case of Actimel only for its function for the immune system and now the Kiwi to go to the bathroom. In this way, a food is not valued in conjunction with all its nutrients. Eating two kiwis a day can help with constipation, but it will not serve as “antidote” if the rest of our diet is based on poor ultraprocesses in fiber. The great forgotten: the nutritional profiles. To prevent an industrial bun and saturated fats from being advertised as an iron source that helps diminish, simply because it is enriched, European legislation foresaw in 2006 The creation of … Read more

In the coming months, Jaén will control the world marketing of olive oil. It won’t help him

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While I write these lines, according to the data of the Ministry of Agriculture, there are 773,596 tons of oil in the country’s oil mills. Practically half, they are in Jaén. There is more oil in the Jienenses oil mills than those that all industrialists, packagers and refiners have. A lot more. Almost double. That is what turns Jaén into the gravitational center around which the entire international olive oil industry is going to turn. The big question is if he will know how to take advantage of it. We’re So Back. Let’s do A quick review. After a pair of nightmare years, at the end of March, the Jiennese wineries accumulated about 369,245 tons. That placed it (with a lot) as the main producer of the world. Córdoba follows (with 135,865 tons) and Granada (with 74,124). And a little further back are Seville (44,158) and Malaga (13,590). Castilla – La Mancha adds about 81,700 and Extremadura still has about 27,000. There are, if the figures are fine, reserves of 773,593 tons until the oil of the next season arrives. And we are selling it very fast. As we said a few days ago, According to data from the Information and Food Control Agencyonly in March, “135,000 tons have been marketed (including imports) to an average of 3.62 euros in all categories.” That is, we are selling oil at a rate that is not sustainable: that it will not reach us until the next campaign. It is not a problem for consumption because everyone knows that the boom of sales and low prices (which are causing losses of more than 270 million euros in the sector) is due to a concatenation of problems and circumstances: The commercial chaos of American tariffsthe delicate financial situation of the producers and the expectations that the price can continue to fall (for the rains). The situation is problematic because it does not allow companies to clean up their accounts, but cannot be sustained too much in time. And then? That is the big question. Because, as we see that it has happened in the banana, the Spanish countryside is getting used to passing one problem to the other without any transition period. Given this scenario, most Great challenges of the olive grove They remain in the air. And it begins to be A bad time not to make the right decisions. Image | Juan Moreno In Xataka | The price of olive oil in origin has returned to “normality.” What everyone wonders is what happens to supermarkets

Holy Week has become a huge marketing campaign. Now you have even board games

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The Easter week It is not only a meeting point for Catholics throughout Spain, which They share a faith and customs indicated in cities such as Seville, Malaga or Zamora. It is also a key moment for the country’s economy: promoted by institutions, backed by tourism and in constant evolution in search of new commercial forms, Holy Week also moves millions. And commerce, services and, now, internet, know it well. Economic engine It is absolutely indisputable that Holy Week is an economic engine for different cities in Spain, which receive income in sectors as diverse as tourism and hospitality (with Figures in Seville that are around 95% occupation and influx of two million people), trade, crafts and, of course, the expenses derived from processions, such as rental rents. In Seville there is talk of 415 million euros In income these dates, in Malaga 393 million And in León, 5 million. Complex relationship. There are, of course, tensions between those who defend recollection and religious feelings as keys to living Holy Week and those who see it as a unique possibility of economic impulse. But this conflict is not new: Already in 1972 A critic to the situation denounced that “there is a tourist map, a commercial gear that lacks any point of contact with faith”, so it can be said that we are facing a clash that comes from afar. But now it is taking new forms. New ways to explain Holy Week. The arrival of new forms, beyond the traditional ones, to commercially exploit the holidays is also the result of a change in the perception of Holy Week. Few have known how to read that change in tradition as the Channel 101TV from Seville, which of course is broadcasting live multiple processions, but that has found a particular dialectic with The ‘A Cielo’ program. It is a kind of chiringuito of jugones in the brotherhood where a group of experts in images, brotherhoods and traditions analyze with a light tone but very felt the Holy Week … throughout the year and with the viral apollo of the social networks. Boarding Board Games. Among these new ways of getting commercial performance of Holy Week highlights the new industry of board games. They are very simple games, often with an innocent point, but in other aspects they have some complexity and even adapt mechanics of non -religious games. Artes Cañete is the brand that is responsible for the simplest and most handmade, such as the Oca brotherhe Party Game Cofrade meetingthe card game inspired by the rhythms and codes of the steps There it was And my particular favorite, the Who is who cofradewith editions for seven Andalusian cities and where you have to identify a wide variety of images of steps. One step further. But of course, Holy Week gives for a lot of fun, and we have recently seen games of a certain complexity: The Holy Meeting It is a game of charges of collecting and stealing steps. Certain similarities have Processions and Cofrade Citywhere strategy and resource management are involved in a struggle to be the most noticeable brotherhood. And finally, there is the elegant GO CERC a skill game with die -cut steps and in which you have to go collecting promises with a throne miniature. Products for all. It is debatable if Holy Week and its relationship with industry and tourism has not been, for decades, a commercial product. But it is clear that the last times, new technologies and the Internet have taken a special turn. Only then have they been able to be born Escape Rooms Holy Week theme, Immersive experiences 360 or 3D printing businesses Brotherhood products. The market continues to evolve so that the passion does not vain.

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