MSL's 2018 Food Trends Presentation

2018Food TrendsForecastJANUARY 2018

MSL: A Food, Beverage & Agriculture Communications Leader

• Representing leaders in branded and commodity foods

• More than 100 specialists in North America

• Global reach with regional sector leads

• Culinary Content Studio at the center

• Attend more than a dozen major food conferences annually

• Networked with wide ranging food influencers

2018 FOOD TRENDS FORECAST JANUARY 2018

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About Our Forecast• Shared annually since 2012

• Subjective by nature but founded on our extensive exposure to industry data and countless conversations with industry figures

• Focused on major, economically relevant food and beverage movements

• Not fads or early-stage movements, despite their potential to break out

• Focused on North America, but potentially relevant in global markets

• Intended not as prescription but to spark insights with potential marketplace impact


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Other Noteworthy Thought Leadership

FUTURE OF FOOD COMMUNICATIONS FOOD SHOPPING IN AMERICA COPING WITH THE AMAZON FACTOR


https://www.slideshare.net/mslgroup/the-future-of-food-communications-winning-share-of-mouth-in-the-conversation-age

https://www.slideshare.net/mslgroup/the-future-of-food-communications-winning-share-of-mouth-in-the-conversation-age

Six Trendsto Watch & Act On

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Clean PackagingWith consumers chasing “clean label” foods, look for packaging to get a lot cleaner, too. White and transparent packages will declare: “I have nothing to hide.” Simple and sincere is the new, pricey premium. Meanwhile, clever easy-open and single-serve packages will further raise the bar on easy eating.



Key Drivers

• Decline of consumer trust in food companies

• Consumer skepticism over claims and their focus on ingredients

• Widely varied consumer interests

• In-store consumer access to reviews and information

• Guidance from health and social influencers

• Chance to stand out amidst retail clutter

• Impact of graphics in e-commerce and on small screens

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers• Decluttering for shelf appeal and brand

recognition/recollection

• Visual storytelling, not just product depiction

• Established icons for easy reading

• Just-the-facts callouts that matter to consumers

Sourcing (e.g., organic)

Selected nutrition facts


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Plant Milks & ButcheryWith animal and plant proteins now on nearly equal footing, funny things happen. “Butchers” carve up winter squash with the finesse once reserved for lamb chops. Seeds and nuts of all kinds are “milked” for non-dairy beverages. And whole plants are juiced so no nutrition is left behind. How about a vegan “chophouse” for dinner?


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Key Drivers• Rising interest in plant-based diets

• Ready-to-cook convenience

• Instagramability and hunger for variety and novelty

• Center-of-plate appeal

• Easy substitution for animal proteins and glutinous grains in recipes and applications

• Added-value improves retail margins and movement of produce

• Application in global cuisines

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers


• CPG brands: Craft and picture recipes using with popular veggie “cuts”

• Retailers: Add convenience with eye-catching, easy prepped fruit and veggies slices, both grab-and-go and custom butchered

• Foodservice: Move veggie “steaks” to center of plate; add flair to sides

• Commodities: Get creative with preparation tips and tools; coach retailers on merchandising opportunities

• Promotion: Tool giveaways with purchase, and as contest prizes

• Social Media: Teach and inspire with new techniques

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Instant GratificationConvenience will reach new heights as delivery puts any kind of food experience within easy grasp. Even “fast food” will feel laborious with ready-to-eat-now foods on offer at retailers of all kinds. Even cooking from scratch is now a paint-by-color experience. Food and beverage products and delivery concepts will sprint to keep up.



Key Drivers• Screen time leaving us time starved, dependent on

easy, one-handed meals

• Delivery gold rush keeps raising the bar on convenience

• Entrepreneurs peppering consumers with offers; consumers glad to try for free or discounts

• Grocery perimeters swelling with ready-to-eat foods

• Highly mobile Millennials want food and drink options whenever, wherever

• Hunger for variety and experience far outpacing cooking skills

• Shrinking apartments and kitchens leave many consumers with limited pantry space

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers

• Promote “speed to mouth” benefits where operations allow

• Experiment with multiple delivery and meal services – not all will survive and some will better match your consumer’s preferences

• Work with retailers to move to the perimeter and into “fresh” cases

• Share pairing ideas with prepared and delivered meals


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Regional Artisan DairyDairy products, like wines, have a terroir. Local grass and local cultures will make us newly fascinated with this ancient food. Usually in full-fat versions that feel revelatory after decades of fat deprivation.



Key Drivers• Consumers returning to long-feared fat, and

many will favor the flavor

• Reevaluation of saturated fats, while still controversial, is waiving a green flag

• New awareness of the microbiome reinforces the appeal of cultured dairy

• Our flaming love affair with Greek yogurt set off a search for the next big thing

• Artisan cheeses present endless opportunities for discovery, sharing, and entertaining conversation – much like wine

• Consumers and chefs seeking authenticity in global dishes

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers• Use storytelling to emphasize regional origins and

terroir of dairy products

• Highlight artisanal and regional dairy in recipes, menus and serving suggestions

• Find a place for your products on cheese platters – an easy way to promote sampling

• Restaurants can demonstrate their authenticity by using characteristic cheeses in global cuisines

• Draw in consumers who experience or fear lactose-intolerance with cheeses naturally low in lactose

• Help match consumers with yogurts offering the qualities they favor


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Retail ExperimentationPanicked food marketers will react to Amazon’s expansionism by getting really creative. Expect them to try anything and everything to defend their turf: Amazing deals, dazzling in-store experiences, a variety of meal kits, and more premium private label products. Consumers will have the upper hand in this buyer’s market.



Key Drivers• Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods has

implications for a wide swath of the food industry: retail, delivery, foodservice, meal kits, etc.

• Meal kit makers now number in the dozens, and retailers have moved to match their offers

• 3X growth in the premium products sections has the sector innovating to compete aggressively for premium buyers

• Smaller and esoteric brands are finding favor for their novelty and exclusivity

• Mobility challenges in urban areas and the anticipation of autonomous vehicles has the sector positioning for future relevance

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers• Benefit from e-tailing’s ability to deliver timely

understanding and access to your consumers as well as rapid testing of innovations

• Work with retailers to elevate both their in-store and e-commerce experiences

• Keep innovating and brand building to stay ahead of private label

• Better link social media and sales-driving promotion• Speed product innovation or risk obsolescence


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Ultra-personalizationConsumers believe their nutrition needs are unique, and food makers are keen to meet them, no matter how esoteric. Picture dinner parties with each guest served their custom dish, and products built to order for your genetics, allergies, food philosophies. Data management and artificial intelligence make it a piece of cake.



Key Drivers• Advice from social influencers and the

rising availability of personal health metrics

• Technology making it possible for consumers to express, and industry to anticipate, individual needs

• In a globally connected world, personal needs and preferences are a sign of an individual’s distinction and “specialness”

• The rise in solo dining and snacking are making the “common table” an increasingly rare occasion

• Interconnectivity giving rise to special-needs communities

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Opportunitiesfor Marketers• Treat every consumer’s needs as unique and offer a

partnership as they decide now best to meet their needs

• Share recipes, menu items and good ideas that are highly

customizable

• Provide a high level of transparency on ingredients and

sourcing to avoid unnecessary consumer rejection

• Compose and promote products for their ability to reach

large groups of micro-constituencies

• Anticipate the impact of DNA test-driven nutrition

recommendations


Discussion

CLEAN PACKAGING PLANT MILKS & BUTCHERY INSTANT GRATIFICATION

ULTRA-PERSONALIZATIONRETAIL EXPERIMENTATIONREGIONAL ARTISAN DAIRY

Copyright ©2018 MSL Group. All rights reserved. All information contained herein is confidential and proprietary to MSL Group.

Thank you.

For more information:Steve BryantFood, Beverage & Agriculture Sector Lead, North America

[email protected]