Culinary
Visions Panel, a food focused insight and trend forecasting firm based in Chicago. Has released its view
of what themes will be successful in the
coming year. They are:
Deliciousness as a Lifestyle Choice: Food has to be delicious to
appeal to consumers -- from the value conscious to the gourmet. When consumers
are asked to list the most delicious foods, that list often includes some of
the most notorious processed foods of minimal nutritional value. Yet when
consumers are presented with provocative menu descriptions that focus on taste,
flavors and ingredients, they will often rate the more healthful items as
highly desirable. At the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association Conference
this year, chairperson Voni Woods, senior director of deli at Giant Eagle, inspired attendees with her
personal commitment to helping consumers of all income levels understand that
there are no evil ingredients; balance and mindfulness of portion sizes can
inspire all consumers to make deliciousness their lifestyle choice.
Seeking
balance: Consumers want to be
in charge of balancing their choices and enjoy the freedom to indulge when they
choose as part of an overall healthy lifestyle. Culinary Visions Panel research
shows that consumers evaluate various types of food venues differently when
they balance their choices. The research covered away from home venues
including quick service, casual dining, convenience stores, cafeterias at
school and at work, gourmet retail and supermarket delis and bakeries.
Escape
from deprivation: The concept of
banning foods does not work on school and college campuses and it fails in the
commercial market as well. Identifying “villainous” ingredients is on the way
out. The future is about reformulating, and many food manufacturers are making
subtle changes to product formulations to create more healthful profiles
without compromising enjoyment for consumers.
Minimalism: When consumers look at labels, they
want to see ingredients that sound more like a recipe than a science formula.
“Homemade” is the term used often by young consumers and adults to describe a
high-quality experience. Scale and uniformity are not in style as consumers are
enjoying foods that look less processed, or more like they have come from a
kitchen than a factory. Clean ingredient statements are often at the top of the
criteria list for manufacturer product development teams. Just look to some of
the leading private brands to see what’s trending with mainstream consumers,
words like "real," "pure" and "simple"
abound.
Invisibly
healthy: Seductively healthy
foods that provide the satisfaction of “junk” food are finding favor with
consumers. Fun packaging and contemporary marketing are adding new appeal to
healthy produce snacks like blueberries and carrots. The salty, crunchy
satisfaction of packaged snacks is now available in a variety of sizes and
includes many different types of vegetables like kale and sweet potatoes.
All-day
satisfaction: College campuses
are on the cutting edge of understanding the consumer of tomorrow. Few
professionals are as adept at the all-day balancing act as those that must
satisfy customers who sometimes shop on campus five to six times a day and
expect fresh food at all times. In a spirited discussion at an industry
conference this year, a college operator warned her commercial colleagues that
when today’s students graduate they will bring their high expectations for
quality and service with them. On college campuses, the day and night dichotomy
of indulgence is commonplace. During daytime hours the demand is for healthy,
mindful eating, but when the sun goes down indulgence is what sells.
Idealism
meets reality: More mindful of the
realities of embracing eating local, consumers are learning that integrity can
still exist with some mindful compromise. When large food companies and
restaurant chains get involved in supporting their local communities, they are
finding favor with mainstream consumers who want to enjoy their meals and have
a clear conscience.
Mindfulness
of brand language: Consumers use many
criteria to evaluate healthfulness, including ingredients, emotion and social
concern. Traditional free-from claims are moving to more contemporary claims
that sell fresh and homemade with clean ingredient statements. Ethical food is
becoming a cue for healthy. Descriptive words without a standard of identity
have proliferated to the point that they have become meaningless. Consumers are
more inclined to seek out the source and understand their food philosophy
rather than pick up products with unsupported claims like natural or artisan.
Leading food manufacturers and food retailers are making it easy for consumers
to connect with their philosophy in statements on their website and practices
in their businesses.
Marketers
mindful of earning consumer trust:
Trust is a significant factor in brand choices. Consumers want companies they
trust to deliver nourishing, great tasting food with respect for those who
produce it and the planet. Millennial consumers in particular are evaluating
companies not only on their products and their brands, but also on their
corporate conscience. Today’s consumer is active and in charge when it comes to
the foods they like and the places they like to eat. When surveyed about
sources they trust, friends, family and social networks outrank marketing
messages. Savvy marketers have learned how to stimulate or join the conversation,
not just react to fallout.
Transformation
of the consumer: Technology has made
everything “smart,” empowering consumers with information to fuel their
decision making and helping them make more mindful choices about what they
choose to eat and drink. Economic conditions have created a new scrutiny of
value by consumers across every socio-economic level. Enabled by technology and
social networks, consumers are smart and connected.
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