Posted by Paulette Kish on Mon, Nov 16, 2009
Future Trends 2009 in Miami (Nov 2-4; IIR) was attended by a healthy mix of prognosticators (predicting what's next), practitioners (applying new techniques to see what's next), and pragmatists (translating what's next to favorable business results). Yes, frequent references were made to the core societal, lifestyle, and technology trends we've become familiar with over the years as well as some new thinking: aging populations and population growth disparity, ethnic diversity, health/wellness, gender role evolution, green/environmentalism, simplification, customization, digital connectedness, and digital/mobile technologies on the horizon.
However, sifting through the predictions, opinions, advice, and patterns, I converge on three discussion themes that wove their way through multiple sessions. Each is attributable to not one but many speakers, given voice through my interpretation below. The implications suggested are relevant beyond Food and Beverage marketers.
Theme #1: Power Trend = Value Creation
Trends derive their worth from their ability to deliver economic value: value for the consumer, the company, and at the highest order, the world we share. Cool hunting, trend spotting, and fact gathering are powerless unless the integrated insight is effectively communicated to compel action and deliver commercially viable results.
Implications: It was refreshing that the conversation reflected the need for practical business substance over the glamour of the hip and trendy, the fleeting relevance of the latest fad. We are well advised to focus our attention and efforts on trends that can seed sustainable financial impact over time. We know this, right?
Theme #2: Digital Discovery = The New "How To"
Not surprisingly, the seductive topic of the day was how to navigate the digital space to predict where consumers are going. Consistent with the increasing speed of digital evolution, experimentation with new digital and social media among attendees is aggressive. Trend purveyors and corporate players alike are vocal about connecting to social networks, following the digital conversation, and even mobily monitoring consumer behavior as methods to gain insight. Customized community circles are expanding in size and application, comprised of edgy consumers, fringe groups, super fans, and anti-users. The technologies are revitalizing immersion research and ethnography, begging for new skills to interpret the qualitative elements of this information. (Note: despite the attention paid to social media, only a scattering of conference attendees participated in the Twitter conversation.)
Implications: Is your company or brand developing an experience-based competence using digital media for trend mining and insight? Have you identified partners who can support your efforts, and keep you connected to what is working for others? Perhaps you are on the sidelines, waiting for others to pave the way, since much will be tried and abandoned over time.
However, do not confuse this with the relatively protracted adoption curves of internet interviewing and ethnographic approaches spawned over a decade ago. These first generation techniques were fueled by a few progressive industry leaders who initially operated close to status quo by converting paper-based concept testing to online execution, and focus groups to shop-alongs or in-home interviews. The more timid waited on the sidelines for internet access to reach mainstream penetration, for ethnography to prove its staying power.
Not so today. We are a much less cautious bunch these days, willing to experiment ahead of complete confidence in the underlying value, projectability, or staying power of every technology. As a result, this evolving landscape will reshape itself rapidly and repeatedly, gaining greater relevance and comfort as the digital generations step into consumer and corporate power positions.
Theme #3: Generational Shift = The New Who
The impact of the post-Boomer digital generations stood out as one trend many believe will redefine the playing field for marketers, employers, and society for years to come. The study and targeting of generations based on their shared personality traits is not new. But one can't help but feel we are at a cultural turning point not seen since the first influx of Boomers into the culture and women into the workforce.
The dividing line between generations that grow up with digital technology integrated into their lives and those that had it thrust upon them mid-stream is cited for differences in learning and working style, communication preferences, language, and social/interpersonal skills. Several speakers made reference to brain differences attributable to computers/video games, wiring later generations for multi-tasking but leaving them less equipped for social interaction and reading body language/facial expressions. Disappointingly, no one went so far as to blend this trend with other trends such as economic status or ethnic diversity, except to state that the latter is the normative social construct for these generations. Will all consumers have access to technology at the same pace, and participate in influencing the dialog equally, or will the digital divide widen?
Implications: Have you built knowledge about where to reach your different generational audiences, how to communicate to them differently, and what products and offers will appeal to them? Are you confident in leveraging the overlaps of the three generations, as well as the areas it is necessary to fragment your marketing investment? When you consider the implications for your business, are you considering all elements of generational attitudes and behaviors throughout the value chain (brand affinities, value equations, shopping patterns, packaging form and communication at shelf and at point of use, product use and disposal, company reputation)?
For a conference agenda visit: http://www.iirusa.com/futuretrends/future-trends-2009.xml
To discuss how future trends influence innovation and your business, or to ask about TNS digital capabilities, visit: http://www.tnslandis.com/ or call 561-630-9500.
Posted by Paulette Kish on Mon, Oct 05, 2009
A birthday cake was nowhere to be seen, supplanted by homemade cupcakes in flavors like lemon curd, chai latte, and chocolate macadamia nut. The effect on the partygoers was magical. People who didn't know each other became fast friends, sharing favorite childhood memories and debating the best way to eat a cupcake for maximum enjoyment.
This contemporary cupcake obsession traces its roots well back to the 90's, with enthusiasm showing no sign of abating. Martha Stewart Living tagged over 60 cupcake recipes the first three quarters of 2009, more than three times the number in 2008 and 2007 combined. Gourmet cupcakeries continue to spring up and expand coast to coast. Sprinkles Cupcakes, born in Santa Monica and the claimed vice of many a celebrity, now spans four states and has plans to grow domestically and internationally. In cupcake circles, the only question is whether the result will be the next Starbucks or the next Krispy Kreme.
For trend watchers, these miniature cakes are an interesting microcosm of many trends influencing consumer choices:
- total sensory experience, including food as visual art
- personal indulgence plus permissible portions
- social connection plus individual choice
- discovery and adventure plus contemporized nostalgia
For purveyors of culinary experience, the cupcake phenomenon also reflects the connection between the senses and emotions: the tastes, textures, sights, sounds, and aromas of food and beverage can awaken dormant memories. Sit back for a moment, close your eyes, and consider the foods and beverages that have the power to transport you without warning to a specific time, place, event, or person in your past. Does a whiff of hot cocoa take you back to distant occasions? Or perhaps the sight, sound, and aroma of popcorn popping triggers pleasant memories of times spent with friends. For many, a piping hot bowl of soup prompts memories of nurturing people (often grandparents).
The mouth to memory relationship is so universal, so enduring, it has long been a source of literary and artistic reflection. In the early 1900's, French novelist Marcel Proust captured the power of food to trigger remembrance.
"No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through my whole body, and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me... Suddenly the memory revealed itself... Immediately the old gray house on the street... rose up like a stage set... and the entire town, with its people and houses, gardens, church, and surroundings, taking shape and solidity, sprang into being from my cup of tea." The Remembrance of Things Past
More recently the ability of food to conjure childhood memory is visualized in the contemporary animated film Ratatouille by Pixar, in which the titled dish produces a transformational effect on the food critic Ego during the first sixty seconds of this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDK2azVSE5Q
When our experience of a product or brand evokes pleasant memories, the motivating and staying power of the brand can be strengthened, reinforcing brand relationships within and across generations. Do you still twist and separate a sandwich cookie, dip your grilled cheese sandwich in your tomato soup, eat the frosting on your cupcake first or make sure you get frosting with every bite? If you are a parent, you very likely pass along some of your own fondest brand experiences to your children, perpetuating brand relationships and customs across generations.
Which brands and products bring childhood memories to the surface? How can marketers leverage the magic of memories? Return shortly for The Child in All of Us Part II.
But before that, I must go in search of... a cupcake!
To preview the brands that evoke childhood memories, download the FoodTrends.com Brand Bite, The Child in All of Us.
Posted by Paulette Kish on Wed, Sep 09, 2009
Recently three unrelated groups of friends voluntarily went airborne - skydiving, bungee jumping, and rainforest zip-lining. This sudden spark of daring was part midlife crisis (the last of the Baby Boomers passing the mid-forties); part "bucket list" phenomenon (retirement-ready Boomers clicking through a predetermined checklist of planned impulsivity); and part desire for small but intense pleasures in defiance of recent economic pressures.
I was drawn to parallels with "Beyond the Ordinary" experiences in food and beverage, one of the forces shaping the present and future market landscape for food and beverage consumers and marketers. (More on these forces at a later date.) This influence remains relevant despite economic retrenchment and belt-tightening measures. In addition to provoking comfort-seeking behavior, stress often motivates the opposite: pursuit of elevated experiences in food, beverage, and everyday life to raise optimism and seize control.
One expression of 'Beyond the Ordinary' is "Discovery and Adventure," where the destination IS the exploration and pursuit of new flavors, textures, ingredients, spices, and preparation methods. We are not talking about extreme eating, but about the pleasure of discovering a new enjoyment to incorporate in the mix - and in the conversations that follow.
The seeds of culinary discovery were planted years ago, and are visible and evolving in the marketplace today. Consider how the following all serve to encourage low-risk exploration and discovery on the part of consumers:
- Mainstreeting: Sushi and exotic produce in mainstream grocery channels, gelato and oileries (olive, not vehicle!) in the heartland, beer bars boasting hundreds of craft/import beers;
- Sourcing: Exotic/tropical fruit juices and globally sourced coffee beans that transform everyday breakfast and coffee breaks into something a bit beyond the ordinary;
- Globalizing: Ethnic cuisines from Central and Latin America, Russia, Viet Nam, and Korea;
- Flighting: Wine flights and dessert flights that create exposure, trial, and variety;
- Entertainment: The elevation of food and beverage as a spectator sport, with online recipe resources, celebrity chefs, and cook-off competitions providing armchair entertainment.
Not every consumer is ready to drop from dizzying heights, or for that matter to stray from familiar food and beverage routines. However, two consumer segments,* Upbeat Food Explorers and Culinary Enthusiasts, are predisposed to try any unusual or exotic food or beverage at least once, and to be first to try a new food, beverage, or restaurant.
Despite compelling examples and interested segments, the retail environment offers few products among the 600 we've examined that consumers agree are "Great for People with Adventurous Tastes."
- The products that do offer adventure tend to possess an exotic, international flare, unusual name, or source from less common ingredients.
- Adventuresome products are more about forms appropriate for individual enjoyment, even when consumed socially. Sushi, imported and ethnic dips/cheeses, specialty juices and adult beverages, and ancient grain side dishes, tend to be personal selections that supplement mainstream choices when in shared settings.
- Only two brand names cross the 50% agreement hurdle: Chipotle and Naked Juice. Other brands evoke a somewhat more modest sense of adventure; they also tend to come in liquid forms like other exotic fruit juices and spirits, or bring spicy flavor profiles and ethnic heritage to the table in the form of frozen Mexican dinners.
If you are inspired to leap across the adventure gap, be sure to consider three aspects of this trend.
1. Explore emerging global migration and sourcing opportunities across ingredients, flavors, spices, and even preparation methods. This force reflects the global market more than most.
2. Consider each phase of consumer discovery in the context of your market: the moment of culinary enjoyment (consumption experience), the process of hands-on involvement (preparation experience), and the elements of vicarious entertainment (armchair spectatorship).
3. Reflect on how your offering permits a personal experience through packaging and form, even if consumed during a shared social moment. After all, while my friends' adventure-seeking expeditions were shared with buddies, their jumps were uniquely personal and each individual remained in control of his/her appetite for adventure: to jump or not to jump!
Interested in seeing more brands that consumers rate high & low for adventure? Download here.
*Source: TNS Landis U.S. Consumption Universe reports
Copyright 2009 TNS Landis, All Rights Reserved
Posted by Food Trends on Fri, Sep 04, 2009
What is it about food and beverage trends that captures your imagination, motivating you to seek out insight and inspiration about where consumers are headed? For us at FoodTrends.com we share your passion for the exploration of consumer relationships with foods and beverages.
In any given year, we connect with thousands of consumers about the what, when, why (and why not) regarding purchase and consumption occasions. We interview consumers about their behaviors at home, away from home, and on-premise; their consumption in the morning, afternoon, evening, and late night; and their needs (met and unmet) for hunger, thirst, indulgence, nutrition, social connection, or solo enjoyment. Maybe we talked to you at some point!
Because we can't resist talking about food and beverage, we'd like to share some of our insight, ideas, and projections about consumers and the brands they choose. Occasionally provocative, sometimes entertaining, but always informative.
So check back soon, return often, we will be here shortly!
FoodTrends.com
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