Brands will need to connect with consumers to increase food sales in 2020, Innova Market Insights predicts. Plant-based and sustainable food products are also expected to see significant growth.
LuAnn Williams, the director of insights and innovation for Innova, shared the results of the market research’s firm annual top food trends for 2020 in a recent webinar.
Storytelling: winning with words
Consumers are increasingly swayed by the story behind how a food is produced – they want to know where the ingredients came from and the culture behind a product or company. In fact, 56% of global consumers say that the stories around a brand directly influence their purchasing decisions.
“Storytelling is going to be absolutely crucial to success in the market going forward,” Williams said. “If you are not telling stories, you will have to start because consumers are definitely interested.”
The plant-based revolution
Plant-based products – also known as plant-based proteins or meat alternatives – are growing in popularity. Customers believe these new alternatives offer health and environmental benefits over standard meat products.
In fact, a quarter of U.S. consumers and nearly half of U.K. consumers responded yes on a recent survey asking whether they had plans to cut down the amount of meat they consumed.
In addition, expectations around sustainability are higher than ever. Most global consumers (87%) expect companies to invest in sustainability, Williams said.
“We know that different generational cohorts care about different aspects. For example, millennials care about social causes and now we see every coffee shop promoting some kind of social or ethical cause. Gen X cares about food waste and we see a lot of stories about this as well,” Williams told www.foodingredientsfirst.com
Other food trends predicted for 2020 include:
- The right bite: consumers want food that is both good for them and makes them feel good to eat.
- Tapping into texture: texture makes food feel like a more interesting experience.
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