Nutrition Trends

Now here is a refreshing trend - the move towards healthier eating. The American Dietetic Association recently released the results of their "Nutrition and You: Trends 2008" which was conducted earlier this year. The study separated people into 3 groups based on their attitudes on maintaining a healthy diet and regular exercise routine. The groups were "I am Already Doing It" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and regular exercise and trying to life that lifestyle); "I Know I Should" (people who believe in maintaining healthy eating habits and getting regular exercise are very important, but may not have taken steps to achieve this lifestyle), and "Don't Bother Me" (people who are least concerned with healthy nutrition and regular exercise and are not making an effort to life a healthy lifestyle). Since 2002 there has been a definite decrease in the latter group. There is a shift towards taking more interest and even action towards a healthier nutrition and exercise routine. 40% of people now report that they actively seek information about nutrition and healthy eating, which is up from 19% in 2000.

Why is this important to you? Because your consumer wants knowledge and they want help as they try to feed their families healthier foods. They want to know how to fit the products they love into a healthier lifestyle. You can talk about the nutritional benefits of your product on pack, on the web or in your advertisements. You can show consumers how to incorporate your products into a healthier diet for their families by featuring nutritionally balanced recipes on pack or on your product website (don't forget to include that nutritional information at the bottom of your recipes!).

Now don't get me wrong. I am not saying you should totally change your brand positioning to be a health brand if that is not who your brand is. What I am just advocating is that your brand keep up the the healthier lifestyle trends that consumers - find ways to fit in. Help educate your consumers on how your products can fit. You can also keep nutritional benefits in mind as you develop new products to launch. Give consumers lots of reasons to believe in your brand.

Healthier Eating in 2008

It is no secret that America has a weight issue. According to an IRI Times and Trends report, nearly two-thirds of U.S. consumers are overweight to obese. The good news for our ever growing waist lines is that as many as 75% of consumers report that they are making changes to their diets in effort to eat healthier (sometimes referred to as the Better-For-You trend). Of course we know that what consumers say they are going to do and what really do are two different things, but that is a separate issue.

While I would not suggest that you should totally revamp your brand to match the Better-For-You trend (that would be a much larger branding question than what I am addressing), but you should consider adding a few healthier recipe and usage suggestions to your marketing arsenal. For example you could develop recipes that incorporate your product into a salad or a vegetable side dish or use whole grains like barley in the dish. Not only can these new healthy options draw in new more health conscious consumers who would have never considered using you product, they can keep you product relevant to consumers who may be considering healthy lifestyle changes.