The fact that increased income leads to greater use of canned tuna^ and 

 the fact that consumer incomes on the average have been relatively higher in 

 the post-World War II years must account for some of the increased demand 

 for canned tuna„ 



In addition J, the influence of advertising should not be discoantede 

 There have been mudi greater expenditures for direct advertising by the 

 tuna processing industry in recent years „ Estimates of their direct 

 advertising expenditures are shovnri in table 15 » Advertising and sales pro- 

 motion can help to shift the intensity of demand upward ty influencing 

 the tastes of consumers o An increase in consumption can be gained by in- 

 troducing new consumers to canned tuna and raising the per capita consump- 

 tion of present consumers. The latter is now being attempted by promoting 

 dishes which lift tuna frcm the strictly salad or sandwich category,, How- 

 ever » because of the many competitive foods on the market it would appear 

 that gaining new consumers might be more fruitful. Through advertising 

 the intensity of demand for canned tuna might be further increased by 

 changing slightly the food habits of consumers not now using canned tuna. 



Analysis of Canned Tuna Consumption Trend 



As has been indicated, there are many factors affecting the demand 

 for canned tuna. To attempt to analyze all would have been a time-con- 

 suming and never-ending job. Yet, it is desired to make some judgment 

 as to the marketing trend on a quantity basis. In this connectiai one 

 further analysis is presented. Figure 11 shows the trend in consumption 

 of canned tuna over the past 24 years ^ based on an average calculation 

 which excludes the influence of the war years 1942-1945 « These years were 

 excluded because a great part of the larger boats in the fleet had been 

 commandeered for war use by the armed forces. The actual apparent coasump- 

 tion data graphed in figure 11 are also shown in table 6„ Affecting the 

 trend v*iich is shown on the chart are all the factors involved in the demand 

 for canned tuna with no one of them specifically isolated. This trend 

 indicates that in I960 apparent consumption of canned tuna will amount to 

 292 million pounds. Taking 19o5 pounds as a conversion factor to standard 

 cases this would amount to about 15 million standard cases as compared 

 with slightly over 11 million standard cases in 1952, That is to say, if 

 the same factors which have been at work in the past continue to operate 

 in the future the estimate of 15 million standard cases should be valid. 



Consumption of canned tuna can be expected to increase. It is inter- 

 esting to note that on the basis of the estinated increase in oar population 

 canned tuna consvunption may be expected to expand by about 10 percent from 



95 



