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THE IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WELLNESS TRENDS ON MARKETING Health and wellbeing—it’s on everyone’s radar lately. The trend has been building in the area for years, the pandemic has only accelerated consumers’ desire for cleaner, healthier lifestyles. But the pandemic has shifted the lens through which consumers view health and wellbeing. It’s no longer confined to diet and exercise: they want it integrated into every aspect of their lives. This means that consumers are now looking across industries for a healthy lifestyle. For example, interest in organic food increased by 20% in 2020, 1/3 of UK consumers want nutritional supplements to deliver functional benefits to their pets, and 36% of consumers said they would choose natural skincare options over more effective ones. As wellness and organics trends continue to amplify their market share, we examine how this trend is specifically impacting three verticals: food, pets, and beauty.
FOOD: SHIFT TOWARD PLANT-BASED MEATS. Diet has always been a key part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and consumers have realized that “healthy” doesn’t have to mean boring and flavorless. Plant-based proteins, which have become increasingly available over the past few years, offer consumers meatlike options while providing everything from health benefits to positive environmental benefits. According to Mintel, as pandemic lockdowns forced people to cook more at home, there has been a rise of “flexitarians,” consumers who don’t necessarily identify as vegetarian but look to limit their meat consumption for myriad reasons, including an increase in meat prices.
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GLOBAL RETAIL BRANDS / OCTOBER 2021
So, how are brands responding? Dutch brand Unox identified an opportunity to tap into this growing demographic by introducing vegetarian sausage. The Unox brand is synonymous with Rookworst, so introducing a meat substitute was somewhat controversial. SGK leveraged this as an opportunity to design an on-brand yet unexpected solution by promoting the distinctive “U” shape of the Rookworst but in a more modern graphic style. The ‘U’ not only helped the pack stand out from the rest of the Unox range on shelf but can also be used flexibly as a new range architecture to aid future vegetarian product launches. The use of bright green works to clearly communicate the product offering as vegetarian while the brown paper style hints toward traditional butchers’ paper and string packaging. The simpler, more contemporary design is purposely surprising, appealing more broadly across consumer groups to indicate that Unox products are in line with changing consumer preferences for simplicity without alienating their loyal consumer base.
PETCARE: THE BEST FOR OUR PETS.
As consumers examine the choices in their own health journeys, they’re simultaneously assessing the health and wellbeing of their pets. The increasing premiumization of pet foods, treats, and supplements has been driven in part because of consumers’ desire for their own healthy lifestyles to be reflected in what they give their pets. eMarketer reported in a March 2021 survey that pet owners in China ranked product quality as the most important attribute when buying pet care products. And this trend is truly global in nature as pets are increasingly thought of as family members around the world. With this in mind, here are a few trends impacting the pet care category. • C ustomized nutrition is highly sought after to ensure longevity and quality of life for pets. A Packaged Facts survey found that 42% of pet owners like the idea of refrigerated and fresh-made food. They’re seeking specialized, pre-portioned, and highquality ingredients modeled after human-grade food.
