Examining the 'Fresh Not Fake' Trend

It goes without saying that there has been an over-arching health and wellness trend in the food and beverage space for the past several decades. Of course, over the years as healthcare professionals, manufacturers and consumers have become more educated, the factors that define "healthy" foods have evolved. These days, the trend seems to have shifted from low fat and low cholesterol to benefits including organic, high protein and gluten free, just to name a few.

The current trend many manufacturers face is the "fresh not fake" trend. This can be a more complex consumer need to address than removing or adding an ingredient, especially when companies are in the business of manufacturing foods that maintain stringent quality standards within complex and national distribution channels. The definition of fresh may not even be clear to consumers or manufacturers (similar to many terms used in the health and wellness space). However, it appears to be contributing to the noticeable decline in sales for categories including breakfast cereals and frozen meals. In the morning meal occasion for instance, consumers are increasingly seeking higher protein offerings - benefits delivered by eggs and Greek yogurt more so than ready-to-eat cereal. Similarly, consumer perceptions of frozen foods as highly processed products full of sodium and preservatives likely contributed to the decline of frozen meal sales: between 2009 and 2013, U.S. sales of frozen meals fell 3 percent to $8.92 billion, according to Euromonitor International.

The "fresh" trend presents food manufacturers with a number of challenges and therefore opportunities to innovate. However, this trend is unique in that consumers may not exactly understand what they are asking for or know quite what to expect when it comes to "fresher" foods. For this reason, innovating in the "fresh" space is as much about communicating and educating consumers as it is reformulating the actual products themselves.

Take as an example the Capri Sun story - in the past year, some parents began to report finding mould in the beverage pouches, which may have occurred at least partly as a result of the lack of preservatives in the product (i.e., a "fresher" product). Kraft reacted with a 2-prong strategy: first, package innovation which yielded a clear bottomed pouch allowing consumers to see the product and verify there is no mould. Secondly, they sought to educate consumers (through social media channels such as Facebook) on the impact of fewer/no preservatives, which includes the (admittedly limited) possibility of mould developing. Kraft even took this as an opportunity to position the packaging changes as a direct response to the request of moms (as noted in the communication on the Capri Sun Facebook page).

In the frozen foods category, many manufacturers are reformulating their products to be "fresher" by reducing or eliminating preservatives and sodium levels. The American Frozen Food Institute also launched an advertising campaign earlier this year to address consumer perceptions of frozen foods. On their website, the organization is working to dispute common misperceptions about frozen foods, including the thought that all frozen foods contain preservatives and that proven foods don't contain "real" ingredients.

These are just a few examples of the ways in which manufacturers are not only attempting to deliver "fresher" products, but also educate consumers on what fresh can mean. There are several ways Ipsos can help manufacturers efficiently identify how to continue to evolve in this "fresher" world. As mentioned above, it's worthwhile to understand what consumers even think "fresher" means in a particular category and their expectations for "fresh" products. As an example, Ipsos recently conducted a mobile survey among purchasers of frozen foods to understand freshness and shelf life expectations in the category. Within 24 hours, we had consumer insight as to consumer expectations regarding "freshness" of frozen foods and how changes in that category might/might not further communicate "fresh". Mobile research even allows us to shop along with consumers and understand what "fresh" looks like to them during their typical shopping trip. As an example, Ipsos can send surveys to respondents while they are at a grocery store, for in-the-moment context. You are able to get that much closer to understanding the foods, ingredients or aisles that are or are not perceived as "fresh". Consumers could even scan barcodes or take pictures of the items purchased which most communicate "fresh".

Alternatively, the concept of freshness can be explored using our on-line panel. We have engaged and dedicated members with lots of opinions and a passion for innovation. We can invite these individuals to participate in idea exchanges or live chats as creative, interactive venues for sharing ideas on a variety of client challenges. In the U.S, we recently talked with these members about their thoughts surrounding the organic and gluten free trends to understand their honest opinions on the benefits of these trends and what it means to their families. This is another great opportunity to understand what fresh means to your consumers - what do they think fresh means? What foods, visuals, sights and sounds communicate freshness? And ultimately, are they prepared to accept a world where fresher foods aren't always what they expect (e.g., impact to shelf life or texture for instance)?

The benefit of these approaches is quick, consumer-driven insight into what consumers expect from fresh food and beverages, even when they are manufactured. These insights can drive PR and communication strategies, priority for on-pack benefits and ultimately pack and product innovation.

And even more importantly, this information can be captured in a matter of days for less than the cost of a focus group. That's what we call fresh insights for a fresher world.