6/16/2020
Working for a health-focused food or beverage brand, you understand the benefits of aligning your brand with experts. But, you’re not a dietitian and likely don’t know how or where to find them.
Your first instincts probably lead you to Google or Instagram (#rdeats, #rdchat, #rdapproved). These are great places to start but can take hours of mindless scrolling and may not get you very far.
Below are a few other places you can consider checking out to find more nutrition experts. Before beginning your dietitian outreach, consider these top mistakes we see brands making all the time!
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
Here you will learn more about the dietetics profession. Use the Find an Expert tool to search experts in certain zip codes. - Attend Dietitian Conferences
The main dietitian conferences are Today’s Dietitian Symposium and FNCE. Dietitians attend these for networking, continuing education credits, and to learn about and try new products.
Today’s Dietitian occurs each spring and attracts about 700 RDs. The smaller size allows for more conversations and relationship building. FNCE is hosted by the Academy and attracts over 10,000 nutrition professionals each year and has a large expo hall.
There are other state and specialty conferences as well. Look into various Dietetic Practice Groups (DPGs). Many have annual conferences or sponsorship opportunities to get seen by RDs. If you are interested in retail RDs, The Shopping for Health Conference is also highly sought after. (All of these conferences, contacts, and full pricing will be available through LINK). - Grocery Store RDs
Your sales team likely has relationships with a few retailers. Have them ask your retailers if they have in-store RDs you could speak with.
Many stores, both national chains and smaller stores, have RDs on staff who counsel customers, offer grocery store tours and food demos, work on nutrition communications for the store, and are often engaged in community events. - Ask them to come to you
Use your brand’s social media presence to put a call-out to nutrition professionals. Create a sign-up form to learn more about them and how you can partner with them. - Ask other RDs for introductions
The RD community is fairly tight-knit. Most RDs know a handful of other RDs and would be happy to make introductions. - LINK
LINK (coming soon! brands can sign up here) is the ultimate hub for finding and connecting with RDs. This is the easiest point of contact and one-stop-shop for all of your RD outreach needs.
