TakeAway: Grappling with product content and marketing approaches in the face of growing consumer concerns about obesity and other chronic health problems will continue to be one of the biggest issues affecting global food and beverage makers’ product development and marketing strategies in 2011, according to a new, category-spanning CPG trends analysis by Mintel.
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Excerpted from Marketing Daily, “Transparency Issues Among Top ’11 CPG Trends” By Karlene Lukovitz, November 5, 2010
Major CPG trends continuing or growing in importance into 2011:
* Redefining “natural”, related to ongoing trend of transparency. In addition to the success of products featuring “no high fructose corn syrup” on their labels (such as Yoplait’s Simply … Go-Gurt), one factor driving the success of certain “retro” products (another key CPG trend), like Pepsi Retro, is use of sugar instead of HFCS.
* Shift from covert to overt marketing of formulation changes, but will depend on ingredients and geographic region.
* Professional products for amateurs (e.g. carpet cleaners to hair-care products). Products enabling consumers to DIY instead of paying professionals continue to grow in number.
* Less is more, redux. On the food/beverage front, lifestyle simplification tied to convenience and economical solutions (with environmentalism playing a secondary role) both ties into and counterbalances the more-professional-at-home-cooking trend. Examples include Starbucks’ Via or beverages positioned as full meals in a can or bottle.
* Econo-chic. Luxury is making a comeback, but in limited, selective ways. CPG products positioned as “small treats” stand to gain.
* Instant results, particularly in the personal care category.
* Simplicity for older consumers. On the other hand, Baby Boomers and pre-Boomers increasingly want products that deliver simple but realistic results, rather than ones promising instant miracles.
* More cradle-to-grave marketing. Example: the Nestle Nesquik line spans products targeted to children under six up to a Gourmand variety for adults.
* Blurring categories. Many CPGs can no longer be slotted readily into a single category — shifting the focus from labels and branding to benefits, and creating opportunities, along with some confusion. Examples include Sunkist Solar Fusion (a fruit-flavored, carbonated drink with caffeine) and L’Oreal’s Perfect Clean Foaming Gel (featuring an integrated “scrublet”).
* Personal hygiene comes out of the closet. More open marketing of what were once considered highly personal items.
* Sustainability still focused on basics. Consumers continue to reduce, recycle and reuse, and continue to be interested in buying “green” products — as long as they don’t cost more.
Edit by AMW
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Full Article:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=138944
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