Let’s assume, just for a moment, that geopolitical tensions ease. That energy markets stabilise. And that the pandemic continues to wane. What, in this normalized world, does the future hold for creatives working on food and drink briefs?
What buzzwords, doublespeak, jargon, or even, genuinely important language will strategists sprinkle through their documents and expect you to understand and convert into compelling creative solutions?
We turned to the futurists at Mintel for an insight into the themes and memes likely to dominate between now and 2030.
Here’s our take on their food and drink trend predictions.
We hope it helps.
ACTIVATE ACTIVISM
Consumers will look for real, and meaningful, results-oriented activism.
When it comes to important societal issues, they will expect your clients to be leading the way on environmental issues, ethical practices, public health and animal welfare. How committed a brand (and its marketing) is to these issues will ultimately determine the success or failure of a product.
CONSCIOUSLY CONSUME
Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin famously had a conscious uncoupling.
Now consumers will consciously uncouple themselves from brands that fail to facilitate a more mindful approach to lifestyle and diet. They will instead support companies that make them feel better by just buying a product, knowing that they are making a small but important statement about environmentally friendly packaging and the use of precious resources in food production, distribution and retail
EAT THE PLANET BETTER
Consumers are hungry for change.
Generation Z is well aware that they have the planet’s future in their hands, and are determined to make a difference both personally and globally. To their mind, and rightly so, a healthier planet will only emerge if they switch to a healthier diet. Brands that show how they prioritise a consumer’s health and welfare and the planet’s future over short-term profitability will be rewarded with loyalty for years to come.
HYPER SMART FOOD
The once revolutionary smartphone is now ubiquitous. Next up for transformation is the concept of smart diets – hyper-individualised approaches to eating better.
Sharing their personal data with a multitude of Internet of Things-enabled devices,
consumers will customise their eating preferences. Recipes and meals designed around their personal flavour, taste and texture proclivities will become the norm, and home devices such as Amazon’s Alexa and Nestlé China’s personal smart speaker XiaoAI will evolve and provide brands with huge opportunities to collect data and influence consumer choices.
FEAST ON DATA
Mental health is coming out of the closet; and food has a big role to play in our future emotional well-being.
Consumers will use data and biological tests as essential ingredients in their diet plans. Modifying their food choices to improve brain health, their state of mind and their mood. Brands that harness this trend will create individualized meal kits, mood-enhancing nutritional drinks, customized diet plans and even personalized products
HARVEST TECHNOLOGY
As resource shortages strain supply chains and hurt yields of conventional agriculture, science and technology will play an increasing role in feeding the world.
And consumers will overcome their fears to see the value and necessity of lab created or engineered foods. Already indoor vertical farming in environments more akin to high-tech factories is transforming the inner-city supply of herbs and vegetables in New York and London. Soon premium grocery brands will open branded indoor farms to offer just-picked freshness.
