The terms #foodie and, excuse us but #foodporn too, pepper the Internet. Americans’ love of food is eternal, and the food industry landscape continues to evolve. Check out the most popular trends:
- Locally Sourced. There is an increased desire by Americans to enjoy meat, seafood, and produce that are locally harvested and support environmental sustainability. In fact, 43% of consumers would pay up to 10% more for a meal from a sustainable restaurant. Locally-sourced suggests quality, minimal chemicals, and supports the neighbors – all of which make consumers feel good about their choices.
- New Flavors. From smoky, spicy, and Asian to salty-sweet, these flavors are being used in more untraditional ways. Lays Potato Chip offers a new line of flavors including Cappuccino, Cheesy Garlic Bread, and Dill Pickle to name a few, with Americans pallets obviously curious for more. Restaurants provide clientele with multiple degrees of heat adding a little kick, or absent of flavor completely. How else will the foodies keep Americans’ taste buds tingling with delight?
- Appealing to Sensitive Pallets. Gluten-free, salt-free, fat-free, sugar-free, no GMO, farm to table, you name it, it’s available in a majority of major markets. The prominence of calorie counts have found their way to public menus from Starbucks, Panera, and even McDonalds, all of whom offer customized choices as well as ready-to-serve “healthier” options. Likewise, grocers and food manufactures accommodate a plethora of sensitivities, pallets, and lifestyle choices.
- Food Trucks. Freshly-prepared food drives to you! What started as an iconic ice cream truck is now so much more. Over the past seven years, the industry has grown more than 7% to 3 million trucks. They offer variety, convenience and homemade cuisine – and many support local farmers. Convenience and healthy options are critical to today’s time-starved consumers. Almost 10% of consumers have visited a food truck at least once a week. Seems like lunch hour is driving this industry!
- Pinterest. The ultimate foodie resource for recipes and #foodporn, Pinterest is THE place to quickly find a recipe (with reviews and photos) for dinner the same evening. Pinterest boasts 57% food-related content, with more than one-third of users having purchased food or cooking items after seeing it on Pinterest. Social media searching and crowd-sourcing for tonight’s dinner is a habit that’s here to stay.
How can TRG help?
Is your go-to-market strategy integrating the latest trends and relevant messaging? The Research Group’s discovery process can help ensure your messaging and offerings are relevant to your customers. Contact us today to learn how we can provide you with innovation through discovery.
