Read All About It

Public relations practitioners are always reading. From newspapers and specialty publications to white papers and annual reports, PR pros constantly have some sort of document in their hand or open on the computer screen. Reading is a great way to understand industry trends, keep up with beat journalists, and stay on top of current events.

As I became more interested with the food and beverage consumer packaged goods and retail industries, I knew that the best way to learn and stay informed of developments was to read. With a little research, I found an abundance of resources. Today, I get my industry news from a myriad of outlets, mostly online, and my e-mail inbox is full each morning. Below, you can find my comprehensive reading list, sorted by industry.

Beverages

• American Beverage Association Smart Brief
• Beverage Industry magazine
• BevIndustry Insider
  

Candy and Snacks

• Candy Industry featuring Retail Confectioner
  
• National Confectioners Association Smart Brief
• Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery magazine
• Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery Operations Weekly
• Sweet & Healthy (organic and all-natural confections)

Dairy

• Dairy Foods featuring Dairy Field Reports
• Dairy Product Innovations
• International Dairy Foods Association Smart Brief
  

Food Processing and Engineering

• Food Online
  
• Food Engineering

Food Retailing and Wholesaling

• Food Marketing Institute Daily Lead
• Grocery Manufacturers Association Smart Brief
• PL Buyer e-Report (private labels)
• Prepared Foods
• Progressive Grocer magazine (digital edition)
• Progressive Grocer newsletters
• SupermarketGuru.com Food & Health Newsflash

Frozen Foods

• The Fridge e-Newsletter
• Refrigerated & Frozen Foods Retailer
• What's Hot in Cold Newsletter

Ingredients and Specialty Foods

• Food Navigator-USA (sign up for newsletters at the bottom of the page)
• Gourmet Retailer
• Organic Consumers Association

Meat and Deli

• Fresh Ideas
• Meat & Deli Retailer
• The National Provisioner and Independent Processor
• Prime Provisioner

Packaging

• Brand Packaging Unwrapped
• Flexible Packaging
• FlexPack Report
• Food & Beverage Packaging
• Food Packaging Insights
• In-Store Marketing Institute
• Packaging Strategies (link includes multiple sustainable packaging subscription options)

Retail

• IDC Retail Insights
• International Council of Shopping Centers Smart Brief
• International Sign Association Smart Brief
• Kantar Retail
• National Retail Federation Smart Brief
• National Retail Federation Global Smart Brief
• National Retail Federation Shop.org (Digital Division)

Related Industries

• National Restaurant Association Smart Brief
• ProChef Smart Brief (Culinary Institute of America)
• Smart Brief for Nutritionists

Know of other e-publications that industry pros shouldn't miss? Leave a comment and add the link to your favorite online periodical.