Natural blueprint: Consumers want reassurance that ingredients are real and authentic

Proportion of consumers who say that they are more conscious about their immune health as a result of COVID-19 (February 2021) How important is it to you that food and drink products are 100% natural? (2019)

47%

6% 15% 12% 20%

Very unimportant Unimportant Not sure Important Very important

Source: Clean label and naturalness survey – 2019 (2,000 respondents)

Why is it important that food and drink is 100% natural? Consumers who say it is important food and drink is 100% natural Natural food and drink is…

Healthy Better for the environment

Tasty Better quality 42%

37% 53%

50%

Source: Clean label and naturalness survey – 2019 (2,000 respondents)

44%

of consumers in China say that they are now more attentive to locality claims as a result of COVID-19 (2021)

Source: COVID-19 survey – February 2021 (2,000 respondents)

Taste first, think second: Consumers in China want products that challenge their sensory perceptions

Over the last couple of decades, the middle class in China has grown considerably, meaning that they have more money to spend on products deemed non-essential. In addition, dietary habits have also changed considerably, with consumers being exposed to more choice of products from around the world than previous generations. This is something that has significantly impacted on traditional dietary habits, with consumers wanting experimental products from around the world. At the same time, exposure to more choice than ever before also means that consumers in China are more difficult to impress from a new product development perspective.

Consumers deem themselves to be adventurous and want food and drink that mirror this attitude and outlook on life. As a result, consumers are seeking out experimental flavours within product categories. A variety of different types of flavours appeal to consumers, such as flavours they have not tried before, flavours that are not synonymous with certain product categories, as well as flavour hybrids. Additionally, consumers also show favourable perceptions towards flavours from around the world and from specific regions within foreign countries.

As consumers become more experimental, they are also becoming more premium orientated, especially as they seek out products which they feel reflect their good taste and sophistication. This means that consumers will want to see examples of craft-style production techniques within indulgent product categories, wanting hand-selected ingredients, specialised recipes, and artisan production techniques when choosing food and drink. Again, this shows the importance of story-based marketing to offer authenticity and educate consumers about the history behind the products they are purchasing.

When launching new and innovative flavours, it is important to remember that consumers also want more premium products, even when it comes to everyday items. As such, it is crucial that innovative flavours are perceived as more than just a novelty and, instead, are seen to enhance the sensory aspect of consumption. Failure to do this creates the risk of novel flavours de-valuing a brand, and even potentially a category.