This week we are looking at our second Consumer Lifestyle Trend – Keeping it real. Real products, made from real ingredients, by real people are increasingly important anchors for consumers in our ever more digitalised, intangible and shifting world. Both the increasingly globalised market place and the rapid pace of technological change are leaving consumers swimming in a sea of overwhelming choice and change. Simple and traditional ingredients and production processes are playing an increasingly important role in reassuring and ‘grounding’ consumers, connecting them to the tangible and unchanging aspects of life.
At the same time, trust in food and drink brands continues to be compromised by product safety scandals. Searching for products with total transparency about origins and ingredients has become an ever more important consumer coping strategy – no longer just a desire, but a necessity.
‘Keeping it Real’ remains an absolutely central trend for Irish food and drink companies. However, brand activity in this space has become crowded, and in order to succeed brands must have clear values and stick to them 100%. But to really stand out, brands need to do more than just talk about origins and tell stories about provenance; they need to find ways of allowing consumers to experience the joy and simplicity of products for themselves.
There are five subtrends within the Keeping it real Trend:
• Naturally Authentic: Desire for products that are ‘as nature intended’
• Do it Yourself: Learning new skills and relying on yourself to achieve satisfaction and save money
• Remixing Tradition: Taking the best of tradition and heritage to meet modern tastes
• Craftsmanship: Rising interest in the people and artisan skills behind the product
• Genuine Provenance: becoming the ultimate marker of quality
To recap, the six Consumer Lifestyle Trends are Busy lives, Shared experiences, Responsible living, Keeping it real, Health & wellbeing and Personal value seekers.
For further information on the Keeping it real Trend or any of the other Trends click here.
Source: BordBia – Consumer Lifestyle Trends – Keeping It Real
