real world marketing and messaging: what works …...real world marketing and messaging: what works...

Real World Marketing and Messaging: What Works for Fruits and Vegetables?

CIA-Harvard Menus of Change® National Leadership Summit

June 11, 2014 Cambridge, MA Breakout Session C4

Shelley Balanko, PhD, Senior Vice President, The Hartman Group

2 What Works for Fruit & Vegetables?| © 2014 The Hartman Group, Inc

F o o d C u l t u r e h a s c h a n g e d t h e c o n v e r s a t i o n a b o u t F & V , e s p e c i a l l y v e g e t a b l e s

“I was inspired to

buy kale and try it

because everyone’s

talking about it.”


1 Fresh / Less Processed: The movement towards all

things fresh has dominated the past decade’s obsession with

higher quality food and beverage experiences.

2 Globalized Preferences: The inexorable march of

globalization continues unabated. As today’s youth age,

globalized flavors will simply become a taken for granted

feature of everyday life.

3 Reimagination of Food & Beverage Experiences:

Reimagined food & drink experiences include ironic takes on

the iconic flavors of one’s past as well as the deconstruction of

commonly understood beverage processing techniques.

T h r e e M a c r o T r e n d s a r e I n f l u e n c i n g F o o d a n d B e v e r a g e C u l t u r e


Q u a l i t y f o o d = Q u a l i t y l i f e = H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s

We value personalization in our food choices

34% have tried/ adopted

special diet 1

We value “Fresh,” less processed as the mark of quality and health

2013

2010

2007

When shopping I look for food and beverages1 …

We adjust foods to our individual needs

34% have adopted special

diet in the last year1

We experiment with various food approaches/diets

1 The Hartman Group syndicated study on Health & Wellness 2013, n=2,551. 2 Hartman Group Compass 2012, n=16,194.

3 Outlook of the Millennial Consumer 2014, n = 2155 (all cohorts); n= 1438 Millennial, n = 422 Gen X, n = 295 Boomer, n = 655 male, n = 1500 female.

.

dinner occasions

involve customized ingredients or

substituted dishes2

22%

We value fresh produce

P3M fresh produce purchasing looks like…

Enjoying fresh and delicious food is the dominant consumer route to health and wellness today.

Fewer Millennials 64%

than Gen Xers 82% and

Boomers 89%

Fewer men 72% than

women 84%


F / V c o n s u m p t i o n , f r o m t h e c o n s u m e r p e r s p e c t i v e , h a s e v o l v e d f r o m o b l i g a t i o n t o c e l e b r a t i o n

THEN…

Symbol of caring (self and others)

Morally charged (guilt, pride, regret)

Power struggles with kids

Inadequate solutions for modern life

• Preparation vs. Spontaneity

• Portability

• Waste

Competing taste temptations (sweet, salty, fatty)

Poor taste, texture, appearance

NOW…

Symbol of freshness

Playful (discovery, desire, diversity)

New food ways - flexitarian

Emerging solutions for modern life

• New categories – cold pressed juice, yogurt

• Fresh prepared options

• Pack size is minimizing waste

Global cuisines are improving taste, texture and appearance


W e a r e a n E a t i n g C u l t u r e … e v e r y o n e c a n p a r t i c i p a t e b e c a u s e e v e r y o n e e a t s

77% had some/all prepared foods on last eating occasion


M o d e r n e a t i n g c u l t u r e i s m a r k e d b y f r a g m e n t a t i o n a n d a n u p e n d i n g o f t r a d i t i o n

We eat alone a lot, even in multi-person households

Snacks are as frequent as meals

We eat on the fly and fluidly – based on a whim or a craving

Anywhere, and grocery is only one of many sources to procure food

We don’t cook on a regular basis, but prefer to outsource to

restaurants, food purveyors, and manufacturers


How snacking behaviors have changed

C o n s u m e r s a r e m a k i n g c h a n g e s i n t h e i r s n a c k i n g b e h a v i o r , o p t i n g f o r f r e s h F & V a n d b e t t e r p o r t i o n c o n t r o l

MORE OFTEN LESS OFTEN

“It used to be really bad: Always cookies, licorice, sweets in

the house. Now I try and have some thing more responsible-

Lara bar is as bad as I let it get and it’s actually really healthy.

It’s got dried fruit, and they’re absolutely incredibly healthy

bars, I think it’s got 5 ingredients.” ~Debbie, 50, New York City Ethnographic snapshot: A healthy go-to snack

Source: Hartman Eating Occasions 2013, n=624. “In what ways has your snacking changed in the past five years?“


T h e r e i s m o r e c o m p e t i t i o n f o r F / V c o n s u m p t i o n a s w e b e c o m e l e s s m e a l c e n t r i c a n d m o r e d r i v e n b y d e s i r e

Market to Key Trends to keep F&V central to the FLP movement:

• (Bio)Diversity

• Flexitarianism

• Plant-protein power

• Nutrient density

• Eat your vitamins

• Sweet to savory format flexing

• Classics with a twist

• Ugly is sustainable

• Experience exposition

• Local leanings


D i v e r s i t y : t h e a n t i d o t e t o s o u l c r u s h i n g m e d i o c r i t y

Beyond Natural, Organic and Local is the Rise of Seed Preservation

• Heirloom and heritage symbolize taste and transparency to the forward leaning consumer concerned with GMOs

• Reviving old foodways is a reaction to the narrow variety of commodity crops that are perceived as less delicious and not as nutritious as heirloom and heritage foods

Farmer Chef Connection Dan Barber

Bringing Terroir to Beer

Culturally, uniformity is no longer a marker of quality but signifies the plague of sameness

Renegade Microbakers


F l e x i t a r i a n e a t i n g a l l o w s f o r d i v e r s i t y i n c e n t e r o f p l a t e

Flexitarianism

From Meatless Monday to Eataly’s

vegetable butcher, consumers are

interpreting this era as vegetable-

focused, rather than the days of

vegetarianism defining one’s

identity.

• Consumption of meat has not gone away

• Flexitarianism is the act of conscious consumers cutting back on meat in their diet but still enjoying a good serving of animal protein when the timing is right

of home cooks

(Millennials and Gen

Xers) report sneaking

vegetables into non-vegetable

dishes

79%

SOURCE: allrecipes.com


P l a n t B a s e d P r o t e i n s l e a d f o o d s e r v i c e t r e n d s

Restaurants and foodservice locations around the U.S. that are not strictly vegetarian are moving plant-based cuisine forward and wowing die-hard carnivores in the process.

A Vegetable-Inflected Future:

• Bringing plant-based foods to the center of the plate

• Meat = a seasoning or condiment

• Flexitarianism is not denial, but a celebration of new flavors

• Health and animal welfare concerns are primary drivers too

Source of the Movement:

• Progressive chefs creating smaller plates, sourced locally & cooked globally

• Non-vegetarian restaurants

“ The dimension of flavors you find in vegetables is so much more exciting than the three or four animals we eat all the time.”

Rene Redzepi, Noma, Denmark

Beef & Vegetable Bibimbap @ Crunch, Berkeley


S m a r t e r s n a c k i n g : n u t r i e n t d e n s i t y

Snacking Wisely

• Forward-leaning consumers are growing concerned over excess food processing and stripping of nutrients

• WHAT: There is a sizeable shift away from traditional meals and toward increased snack consumption

» With that, consumers are looking to more natural, fresher, nutrient-rich foods and beverages on everyday occasions

• WHY: Counting calories is becoming less important than the quality of calories

» As supplement usage plateaus, Health & Wellness consumers are looking to less processed, nutrient dense snacks to meet nutritional needs

What does it mean to be nutrient dense?

• Implicit nutritional attributes

• Functionality is inherent

• Consumers look for:

Protein

Novel whole grains

Good fats

Alternative sweeteners

Produce


T i m e t o t o s s o u r v i t a m i n s ?

According to new research, there is scant evidence of supplement effectiveness

• There is a seismic shift happening where consumers are looking to real food as a source for health, rather than the fragmented versions found in supplements and fortification.

• Weight managers echo this sentiment as well, saying less processed foods are more satisfying and help them stay on a weight management plan more easily.

“The money on supplements can be better off spent on food such as

wholesome fruits and vegetables that pack

vitamins, minerals and nutrients”

-Roberta Anding, American

Dietetic Association

Consumers today are less inclined to believe supplements can compensate for poor eating habits.


E a t y o u r v i t a m i n s : F o o d s t h a t p a c k a n u t r i t i o n a l p u n c h

Ingredient Benefits Artifacts

Aronia Berry

Insanely tart, it packs twice as many antioxidants as cranberries

Juice chain Juice Generation offers Aronia All-Star smoothie

Mulberry A fruit with a floral sweetness, mulberries are fiber-rich and help regulate blood sugar

Gone Nuts! Has a blend of brazil nuts, mulberries, hemp and date clusters

Lucuma The flavor of maple meets butterscotch. Lucuma boasts protein and iron, a rarity in a fruit. Also a potent anti-inflammatory

Los Angeles’ Moon Juice offers a Sesame Ginger Lucuma Moon Milk

Sea Beans Also known as samphire, these briny and crunchy greens are superstars of the mineral world

Following the pickling movement, sea beans are finding their way on to charcuterie plates at progressive eateries

Pichuberry Tastes like a cross between a passion fruit and a tomato. Rich in Vitamin D and B12

Picuberry Infusion juice at Whole Foods CA & AZ


J u i c e R e v i v a l E l e v a t e s F r u i t a n d V e g e t a b l e C o n s u m p t i o n

(Nearly) Raw Recalibration

HPP (high pressure processing) offers consumers fresh while retaining idea of “near raw.” Juicing and botanicals are seen as liquid vitamins, displacing heavy supplement usage

Less-processed juice and “juicing” interest has peaked over the past year for reasons including:

• To recalibrate both physically and mentally

• Increased interest in vegetable and lower-glycemic fruit consumption

• Adjunct to caffeine-laden coffee beverages

• A salad in a bottle that can be “quaffed” instead of laboriously “chewed”

• Makes cheeseburgers taste even better “post-cleanse”

I do a juice cleanse when I start to feel… gross. Naomi, 32

“

Cold-pressed juices.


L e s s s w e e t m o r e s a v o r y : v e g e t a b l e s t r u m p i n g f r u i t

Savory Vegetables Yogurts

• Blue Hill at Stone Barns brightly hued grass-fed yogurt spiked with fresh purees of beets, carrots, tomatoes, sweet potato, or butternut squash

• Offers endless culinary possibilities from dressings to smoothies

Beets on Trend from Beverages to Snacking

• Changing things up with vegetable juice instead of fruit. Beet juice lends an earthy depth to margaritas…and a cardiovascular boost

For the mainstream consumer, vegetables were once only attributed to savory meals. However, vegetables have triumphed, allowing all varieties to creep into non-traditional

food and beverage types


V e g e t a b l e s a n d f r u i t a r e r e i m a g i n i n g d e s s e r t s

Thanks to high-end scoop shops and innovative chefs creating genre-bending flavors, there’s a cool culinary revolution afoot

Who is Raising the Bar in Frozen Novelties?

• Farm-to-cone at Salt and Straw in Portland, Oregon and Jeni’s (nationwide) uses small batch cream for its culinary creations that include pear with blue cheese and sweet potato with torched marshmallows

• Mexican paletas (popsicles) are the star at Huahua’s Taqueria where the take on elote (roasted corn and queso) delights Miami diners

Traditional classics will continue to be modernized with culinary values, global flavors and unique formats


C h o c o l a t e g i v e s v e g e t a b l e s a t w i s t

A spoonful of sugar makes medicine go down; does chocolate do the same for veggies? Some say vegetables and chocolate actually heighten each others flavors. Others argue that the chocolate is hiding the flavor of vegetables. Either way, delicious combinations abound…

Eggplant and chocolate http://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/q-jbf-award-nominee-brooks-headley

Black bean brownies http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2012/09/06/no-flour-black-bean-brownies/

Beet Chocolate Cake http://www.marthastewart.com/857644/chocolate-beet-cake


F o r t h e l e s s a v a n t g a r d e u p d a t e t h e t r a d i t i o n a l s a l a d w i t h g l o b a l l y i n s p i r e d f l a v o r s

Salads have become increasingly relevant in food culture as flexible vehicles for various combinations of fresh ingredients.

• Salad plays a critical freshness role in food retail as (typically) a preparation made of entirely fresh/raw ingredients

• Dressings form an important opportunity to make flavor distinctions

A balanced offering of traditional and progressive salads…

• Salads can lean more heavily toward new flavors than some other menu categories, through subtle additions or tweaks

Traditional Enhanced Traditional

Traditional Caesar Salad

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Fresh Greens Garden Salad

Greek Salad with Olive Oil, Red Wine Vinegar, Feta, Kalamata Olives and Oregano

Southwestern Chicken Salad

Spinach Salad with Poppy Seed and Strawberry Avocado Vinaigrette

Spring Mix with Roasted Beets and Valencia Oranges

Romaine and Radicchio with Artichoke Hearts and Grape Tomatoes


O r g a n i c i s i m p o r t a n t i n t h e s a l a d c a t e g o r y , b u t b e i n g n a t u r a l , f r e e f r o m a d d i t i v e s o r p r e s e r v a t i v e s , i s e s s e n t i a l

Consumers prioritize organic spending on foods they consider the building blocks of a healthy body

• As such, consumers feel justified spending the organic premium on these foods

• Consumers expect salads to be healthy and natural

• Any unnecessary additives or preservatives will be viewed suspiciously by consumers

• Consumers are most likely to buy organic vegetables and fruits that have thin skins, leafy greens, and items on the “dirty dozen” list

• Because salad is inherently viewed as healthy, keeping all ingredients – including salad components and dressings – all natural is essential

Source: Natural and Organic 2012


B e y o n d S a l a d s | M a r k e t F r u i t s a n d V e g e t a b l e s f o r I m m e d i a t e C o n s u m p t i o n e s p e c i a l l y t o M i l l e n n i a l s

Millennials account for 40% of IC occasions not at restaurant, and currently

• Millennials living at home with no kids buy more fruits (95%) than vegetables (87%), and they are the least likely among Millennials to purchase vegetables

The demand for fresh convenience in perishables is growing and so is the demand for smaller portion sizes

• Pre-cut fruit cups in single serving size packages (served with a fork)

• Cut vegetables and hummus snack packs

• Fresh takes on bento (e.g. hardboiled egg, cheese and fruit combos)

Starbucks Protein Bistro Box features fruits, vegetables

eggs and nut butter.

Whole Foods’ fresh veggie spring rolls

Source: Outlook of the Millennial Consumer 2014. Qf3.1 Which of the following FRESH PRODUCE ITEMS have you purchased during the past 3 months? Fresh Fruit. Fresh Vegetables. n = 972 (Millennials only); n = 300 Millennials without kids.


R e t h i n k i n g f o o d w a s t e o f f e r s a s u s t a i n a b i l i t y a n g l e

The Daily Table in greater Boston will sell pre-pack chopped vegetables and milk at or past its sell-by date for as low as $1 a gallon — a price that makes it competitive with soda

The idea is to take food “waste” — perishables at, near, or past their expiration date that supermarkets throw out daily — and turn it into healthy meals priced like a McDonald’s Big Mac.

• Across income levels, Millennials earning $35,000-50,000/yr (71%) are the most likely produce purchasers

• More Millennials earning <$15,000/yr purchase fresh vegetables (88%) than fresh fruit (83%)

Starting a conversation about less-than-beautiful produce will encourage consumers to rethink the issue of value and food waste

Attaining Affordable Nutrition with the Urban Food Initiative

Saving Ugly Vegetables From Rejection

Source: Outlook of the Millennial Consumer 2014. Qf3.1 Which of the following FRESH PRODUCE ITEMS have you purchased during the past 3 months? Fresh Fruit. Fresh Vegetables. n = 972 (Millennials only); n = 175 Millennials earning $35,000-$50,000, n = 123 Millennials earning < $15,000.


M o r e t h a n a t r a n s a c t i o n : c o l l e c t i v e e x p e r i e n c e s a n d t h e t e l l i n g o f f o o d

There is something primitive (i.e., conviviality, collective experience) within us that responds to the narrative, whether we’re shopping at Whole Foods or Grocery Outlet, or dining at McDonald’s or Chipotle.

HARVEST DATE

Invites the consumer along

as an active participant on the journey of fresh discovery

Retailers and foodservice providers are embracing innovative ways to engage consumers in the telling of food

Farm Burger, Atlanta


W h i l e n o t a t t h e t o p o f t h e l i s t , c o n s u m e r s s t i l l c o n s i d e r l o c a l i n g r e d i e n t s i m p o r t a n t h e a l t h f a c t o r s

Source: Culture of Wellness 2013. V1. Please read each statement and indicate how well it describes your own behavior regarding shopping for food and beverages. – Net-Describes me well. Base: n=2551-2013; n=2744-2010; n=2978-2007. Note: 2007 phrase was “that are fortified with vitamins and minerals”. ^Not asked in 2007/2010

Minimally processed, recognizable ingredients, locally grown and shortest ingredient lists are cues that consumers use to determine higher-quality foods

19% of consumers look for

non-GMO certified foods

16% of consumers look for

organic labeling


T h e i d e a o f l o c a l s t i l l r e s o n a t e s w i t h m a n y c o n s u m e r s t o d a y

Most consumers like the idea of local and many aspire to eat local products because they are fresher, taste

better, as well as support the local economy.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables are the categories in which consumers are most concerned

• Local foods taste better and look as they should

• Consumers talk about local as a means to strengthen the economy close to home and keep jobs in the community, and in that it also connotes community support, economic efficiency and environmental stewardship

• Local also communicates quality through origin narratives, personal connections to ingredients and the freshest possible products


L o c a l b r i d g e s n a t u r a l a n d o r g a n i c v a l u e s a n d i s t i e d t o c o m m u n i t y , e c o n o m y a n d e n v i r o n m e n t

Consumers’ boundaries for local vary widely. Local is…

neighborhood gardens, a place you can visit personally, anywhere you can drive

in a day, states of residence, geographic regions, and, for some, anything grown

in the USA.

Source: Organic and Natural 2012

Local is backyards, farmers’ stands and anything grown close to

consumers’ definitions of home.


K e y T a k e a w a y s

• The FLP macro trend plays to F&V strengths

• Message to snacking and immediate consumption as these shifts in modern eating culture are a challenge, especially for vegetables

• Diversity (e.g., flavor, species, heirloom seeds, flexitarianism, etc.) is the spice of life so share flavor and origin stories

• Health & Wellness trends favor plant-based proteins, nutrient dense whole foods, and cold pressed juicing – vegetables are taking center stage

• Showcase fruits and vegetables in atypical categories and preparations with global flavors and formats to feed consumer needs for discovery and exploration

• Speak the language of savory experiences as consumers are less captivated by “sweet”

• Fresh convenience remains critical to keep pace with the harried pace of modern life and fluid eating

• Local/fresh is still a powerful story to tell, and consumers control the definition


ABOUT THE HARTMAN GROUP

The Hartman Group, located in Bellevue, Washington, blends

leading-edge customized research and consulting to understand

the subtle complexities of consumer and shopper behavior. Since

1989, Hartman Group has provided unique perspectives on the

underlying motivations and behaviors that move the needle for

our clients. To learn more about how Hartman Group stays sharply

focused on how consumers live, shop and use brands and products

visit:

www.hartman-group.com

Sign up for our consumer insights briefing: www.hartman-group.com/hartbeat

THE HARTMAN GROUP, INC

3150 RICHARDS ROAD, STE 200 BELLEVUE, WA 98005

TEL (425) 452 0818 FAX (425) 452 9092

real world marketing and messaging: what works …...real world marketing and messaging: what works...

Documents