HEALTH MEGA-TREND #10: disciplined consumerism

Food stress and anxiety is a growing problem among consumers.  But their aims of moderated consumption and healthier choices are confused by contradictory information and the tendency for carefree consumption.

That is today’s topic on one of the mega-trends reported by Datamonitor.  Its recent study outlines the most important issues shaping global consumers' buying behavior both now and in the future. 

Here are the goals of consumers in the area of “moderation” – along with the challenge for marketers that they indicate.

Goal:  formalized dieting, with regimented eating for weight management

Challenge:  consumers experience difficulties in pursuing sustained dietary plans

Goal:  dietary control, means exercising dietary restraint as a key demonstration of moderation

Challenge:  brand marketers must answer consumers’ needs for general healthy eating choices

Goal:  “satiety”, which is an appetite control concept with much potential

Challenge:  consumers’ understanding of satiety lags behind other areas of health and wellness

Goal: vegetarianism and meat reduction have spread among consumers, feeding the market for alternatives

Challenge:  respond to consumers’ meat reduction behavior with meat alternatives and responsible portion control marketing

Goal:  avoid skipping meals, a widespread consequence of modern consumers’ time-pressured lives and unhealthy routines

Challenge:  solving mealtime fragmentation means closing the gap between consumer attitudes towards main meal consumption and actual behavior

Goal: moderating alcohol consumption is a trend gaining some traction, although consumers trade off health for indulgence

Challenge:  create some influence over consumers’ alcoholic drink choices

Goal: abstinence and restraint in tobacco consumption

Challenge:  look at meeting the needs of moderating or ex-smokers with alternative healthy products

I’m sharing these mega-trend insights because I believe that good trend-watching is about taking the bigger-picture approach. Adopting a broader global perspective to trend-tracking facilitates better decision making by overcoming “category myopia.”