What is Y-Pulse?

  • Y-Pulse is an organization that calls on an exclusive panel of foodservice operators in the education market – elementary, secondary schools, colleges and universities - to evaluate new products, promotion concepts and trends related to their students.
  • Panelists include representatives from some of the country’s largest foodservice operations in the K-12 as well as college and university segments.

Why Y-Pulse?

Foodservice manufacturers of all sizes need access to credible information on marketing food and beverages to children, teens and young adults. However, there are very limited, affordable resources that provide credible research for foodservice manufacturers to learn what is on the minds of kids and young adults about food, nutrition promotion and marketing and what kind of information delivery mediums they find credible. Y-Pulse satisfies that need.

Both Sharon Olson and Tami Cline, co-founders of Y-Pulse, have extensive experience in marketing to the foodservice trade – elementary and secondary schools, colleges, and universities that are the gatekeepers who deliver meals to kids of all ages. In addition, they both have worked extensively with food and foodservice equipment manufacturers, as well as trade associations.

How it works

  • Food and beverage manufacturers commission Y-Pulse to run proprietary surveys to today’s youth market to evaluate new products, promotion concepts and trends.
  • Once a survey is drafted, it is sent to panel members to review and choose whether they wish to participate.
  • There may be some questions posed directly to the panel members and some that they take to the students they serve.
  • Types of studies available through Y-Pulse:
    • Proprietary Studies -- All client studies are proprietary and for the exclusive and confidential use of each individual client organization.
    • Multi Client Studies -- During the course of the year, Y-Pulse may field a series of multi-client studies for a small group of non-competing companies on a subject of common interest. Results of these studies are for the exclusive and confidential use of the study sponsors.
    • Industry Studies – Y-Pulse fields an annual survey of trends in the youth market that is provided to all panel members as a benefit of membership upon request without charge.
  • In addition to commissioning Y-Pulse to run proprietary studies, leading food and equipment manufacturers sponsor Y-Pulse industry studies during the course of the year to bring added insight to school and college foodservice operators.