Many industry trade associations are developing campaigns to protect or enhance the share of the consumer's dollar being spent on their particular products. Has your company thought through its strategy in this whole ``discretionary buying'' area?

The trends have been in evidence for many years -- population shifts to the Southwest and Far West, and from city to suburbs. These shifts will continue in the next 10 yr.. Have you considered the implications of continuing geographic shifts in terms of sales force allocation, strength of distributor organizations, and even plant location?

We have already witnessed great changes through mergers and acquisitions in the food industry -- at both the manufacturing and retail ends. Instead of relatively small sales to many accounts, there are now larger sales to or through fewer accounts.

The change may require different products, pricing, packaging, warehousing, salesmanship, advertising and executive attention -- practically every link in the marketing network may have to be adjusted. Have you examined these trends, forecast the effects, and planned your marketing strategy to compete effectively under changing circumstances?

In the area of private label competition, it is logical to expect a continuation of trends which have been under way during the first decade. As mass dealer and distributor organizations grow in size, there is every reason to expect them to try to share in the manufacturer's as well as the distributor's profits -- which is, in effect, what the sale of private brands tends to do.