'All the rest of your natural life' / Advertisement for Betty CrockerCompanies that produced food and drink represent a large proportion of The Institute of Motivational Research’s clients, and documents within this industry cover a vast range of groceries, packaging and modes of consumption for world markets.

The housewife dominates these reports as the target of research and advertising in her position as the buyer of groceries (such as dairy products, meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, tea, coffee and bread) as seen in Housewives' attitudes toward mushrooms. Even reports from companies such as Pepsi, Mars and Kellogg’s, creating products for younger consumers, recognise the importance of the parent and their decision-making processes (Do children (not teen-agers) influence the brand of bread or packaged sweet goods items that are purchased by parent shoppers?). This industry also encompasses alcohol, marketed to a male-orientated adult demographic, with interesting analyses of regional loyalties (particularly for beers and breweries such as in A motivational research study on a name for the distributor of Molson beer in the city of Quebec) as well as studies on whiskey, gin, vodka and cocktails.

Across the demographics we can see a trend towards convenience with reports on ready-made products such as stock cubes and soups from Oxo and Knorr, frozen foods and the cake and pie mixes of Betty Crocker (A psychological research study on the effectiveness of Betty Crocker in promoting General Mills products). The introduction of low-calorie and diet foods is notable (Diet packed foods) as is the contrast in the product manufacturing evinced within these documents and how marketing campaigns consciously moved towards presenting products as natural and wholesome on The Institute’s advice.