America’s institutions feed more than 10 million people every day. Hospital patients, school children, correctional facility inmates, and nursing home residents are just some of the people who rely on the food services industry for healthy, satisfying meals.

Companies that provide food, equipment, supplies, and other commercial kitchen necessities must target the institutional market with a specialized strategy and high quality marketing data.

Here are recommendations that MCH makes to many Food Services marketers. Keep in mind that results vary substantially based on offer, timing, and marketing methods, so it’s wise to test your efforts before a major rollout.

• Child Care Centers: Licensed daycare operations must provide meals that meet state standards. For these organizations, the Director is the primary purchasing decision maker. Target by personal name, where available. For direct mail, be sure to use a default title such as Childcare Center Director where no personal name is available.
  
  
• Churches: Most large churches have commercial kitchens used for events and gatherings. We recommend testing efforts to market to mid-size and larger churches, targeting the Pastor (or related title depending on the religion) by name where available.
  
  
• Correctional Institutions: Prisons and jails provide three meals a day to more than a million inmates. For direct mail, default to the title Food Services Director or market to the Correctional Facility Administrator by name.
  
  
• Hospitals: Most hospitals have large kitchen operations that feed patients, visitors, and staff. Direct your marketing efforts to the Food Services Director by name.
  
  
• Nursing Homes: Like hospitals, the Food Services Director is the key purchasing decision maker.
  
  
• Schools: Select the Food Services Director by name where available and default to that title elsewhere. Food Services Directors at schools may requisition smaller purchases as part of their budget, and are likely to influence larger purchases that are controlled by a district administrator. In elementary schools, the Principal has a large degree of purchasing power, so it may be worthwhile to include that additional target in your campaign.
  
  Don’t forget other potential buyers of food-related products in schools. Family and Consumer Science (FACS) programs often include cooking instruction and maintain kitchens in the classroom.
  
  
• School Districts: Most school food programs are coordinated by a district administrator. Market to the Food Service Director by name where available. For mid-size and larger districts where a personal name isn’t available, default to the title Food Service Director. In smaller districts, it’s unlikely that there will be an administrator solely for food services, so target the Superintendent by name.
  
  For offers appropriate for classroom kitchens, the FACS Curriculum Director should be included in your plans.
  
  
• Other Institutions: Meals are also served by a variety of other institutions. Be sure to reach out to the Director or other top administrative position at Adult Day Cares, Community Centers, Red Cross Chapters, Runaway and Homeless Shelters, and Summer Camps.