Consumers want excitement!

The growing influence of convenience and health means that hedonistic consumption, the most important trend associated with food, is often overlooked. In fact according to the latest report* by independent market analyst Datamonitor, in the United Kingdom, this is becoming increasingly important as post materialist consumers look for more excitement and sensation in life.

Greater exposure to new regions and cultures means that new and exotic foods are being sampled with greater intensity than previous generations. More frequent and diverse holiday experiences are resulting in shoppers trying to integrate cultures that they deem favourably into everyday life. Furthermore, immigration patterns are having a profound impact on food and beverage choices as migrant group preferences become normalized in the culture/country to which they migrate. However, the desire to try new and exotic flavours is being counteracted by a longing for more traditional and nostalgic flavours. Willingness to sample new and unique groceries is also influenced by the sensory appeal that a products attributes has.

Innovative marketing techniques are offering higher levels of pleasure and sensation

Attitudes towards food and drink are not influenced by taste alone. Indeed, the sight, texture and smell of a product all influence perceptions about how enjoyable a food will be.

Manufacturers are developing unique marketing campaigns to elicit an emotional response from consumers. Realizing that the sense of smell is extremely important in shaping perceptions about the quality of a good, techniques like “scent-sory” branding have been developed to engage with shoppers on a sensory level and encourage emotional buying. Industry players are also using voices, music or functional sounds to distinguish a brand with greater regularity. The method, known as sonic branding, is designed to trigger an emotional response by linking a product with a happy memory. These marketing methods will become increasingly important as contemporary consumers seek higher levels of experiential pleasure and sensation from products.

Michael Hughes, consumer analyst explains, “Sensory branding - if executed in the right way - should result in deeper producer-consumer relationships because the senses are so closely connected with emotions.”

New and exotic flavours are being sought with greater intensity

Current flavour trends are reflective of the increasing exposure to new regions and cultures. Datamonitor research** found that 41% of European and US consumers have tried food with new and exotic flavours in the last 12 months.

The broadening of consumers' palettes has occurred as a result of changing holidaying trends and migration patterns. People are travelling further around the world and are being introduced to new foods with greater frequency. These groceries are often associated with the positive experience of the holiday, and are therefore viewed in a favourable manner.

Changing migration patterns are also resulting in ethnic foods, once confined to specialist stores, now featuring prominently on the aisles of supermarkets. “Retail stores are recognising, and responding to, the potential spending power of migrant groups by stocking more varied ethnic dishes. However, the growing desire for new and exotic flavours has resulted in certain ethnic foods being incorporated into a country's staple diet” explains Hughes.

The desire to try new and exotic flavours is counteracted by a longing for more traditional or nostalgic flavours

A longing for familiar and traditional flavours that are associated with safety and stability is counteracting the desire for new and exotic flavours. This polarization of flavour preference is emerging as consumers are seeking out comfort from the past, especially from their childhood. This is leading to a surge in demand in nostalgic groceries or “retro food”.

Datamonitor research** found that 20% of consumers had bought grocery items on the basis of their nostalgic appeal either “slightly more” or “much more” in the last year. Senior consumers in particular are driving this trend, seeking to recreate the “good old days” because of the rise of me-centric individualism.