Third Annual
Soyfoods Symposium
Proceedings

 

Marketing Soyfoods in the Next Millenium

by Linda Gilbert

The 1998 HealthFocus Survey

• Identifies current issues in consumer health and nutrition behavior and attitudes.
• Assesses the trends in consumer priorities regarding nutrition issues, such as fat, calories, vitamins, etc.
• Understands where consumers are headed in the behavior towards their health and diet.
• Shows what nutritional issues will be important over the near horizon.

Where We Are, Where We're Going

1. Trends in consumer priorities.

• Taste rules.
• Looking for modest dietary and lifestyle improvements.
• Redefining low fat to include low calories and high energy.
• Shopping for natural.

2. Changing consumer markets.

• Form an Investor and Healer driven market to a Manager driven market.
• Forget generational marketing. Target lifestages and health conditions.
• Environmental influences: aging, new technology, more solutions available, ongoing nutrition research, media and advertising.

3. The next evolution of "better for you" is "good for you."

• Positive nutrition.
• Preventative and functional benefits.
• Natural.

Consumer Priorities

• Taste rules.
• The fresher, the better.
• Fight Fat.
• Look good and feel good.
• Energy Management.

8 Key Trend Opportunities ­ All Good News for Soyfoods!

1. Fresh, fresher and freshest.

2. Natural foods move mainstream.

3. Aging boomers drive new product positionings.

4. Extra nutrition insurance.

5. Functional foods.

6. Vegetarian and vegetarian-aware shoppers.

7. What shoppers look for in organic.

8. Natural food store shopping.

The Vegetarian-Aware Phenomenon Has Staying Power and Will Grow

• The market for veggie alternatives to meat and dairy products grew from $138 million in 1989 to $286 million in 1994 and is projected to reach $662 million by 1999. (Packaged Facts)
• 42% of shoppers are eating vegetarian foods such as meatless pastas or salads weekly in 1996, up from 13% in 1990.
• 15% are eating meat substitutes such as Grillers or Harvest Burgers weekly in 1996, up from 9% in 1994 and 7% in 1992.
• 5% of shoppers use soyfoods such as tofu or tempeh weekly in 1996, up from 4% in 1994 and 3% in 1992.

Purchase Priorities	Future Direction
Taste	Not willing to sacrifice. Beware of the Nutritional Zone of Indifference.
Price Sensitivity	Will become more of an issue. Consumers do not understand why healthy costs more.
Brand Loyalty	Is diminishing unless the brand clearly stands for something and delivers.
Nutritional Content	Moving toward positive nutrition and food-medicine connection.
Health Benefits	Diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension, cardiovascular, etc. ­ Healers/Investors. Digestion, energy, appearance ­ Managers.
Distribution Channels	Look for ways to reach an "eat where you are" society.
Freshness	Increasing standard for freshness. Imagery counts.

Managers	Investors	Strugglers	Healers	Unmotivateds	Disciples
49%	25%	13%	9%	5%	1%
See positive, daily results from eating healthy.	Make healthy choices to ensure future good health.	Yo-yo between healthy and unhealthy eating.	Feel compelled to eat healthier due to health problems.	Don't believe diet impacts health.	Believe diet is very important. Compulsive about their choices.
Won't give up taste or convenience for health benefits.	Won't give up taste or convenience for health benefits.	Vulnerable to promises of quick-fixes.	Compromise taste and convenience for health benefits.	Taste driven. Make weight loss choices but for variety not health.	High awareness of leading edge nutritional issues.

Wizard Managers 7%	Savvy Managers 27%	Casual Managers 16%
Believe in the magic of food and nutrition	Need some convincing.	Know eating well makes them feel better now.
Very confident in their beliefs and extreme in their attitudes	Feel knowledgeable, have heard nutrition news.	Younger, typical in awareness and knowledge of health issues.
See a strong connection between food and medicine.	Aware of leading edge healthtopics and want to learn more.	Less proactive and more reactive.
Have alternative health interests (herbal remedies, homeopathics).	Interested in disease prevention and health enhancements	More focused on weight control and physical performance.

There are four primary benefit platforms.

Functional Nutrition
Prevention	Performance	Health Enhancement	Cosmetics

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