We have known since time immemorial that eating and drinking nourish both body and soul. Initially it was merely a matter of satisfying hunger; enjoyment and health were secondary. And today? Food has become an important part of our life, especially once basic needs have been met. Compared with centuries ago, people are far more concerned these days with what they are eating, how it affects their health and whether their eating habits are socially acceptable. The industry must constantly up its game and adapt to new trends.
For Symrise, this means continuously monitoring and analyzing consumer behavior in the Taste, Nutrition & Health segment, to provide our customers with the best solution for their products in order to satisfy consumers. This applies to small food startups and global food companies alike. Our trendscope™ report, conceived in 2007 originally for the beverages market, is intended to serve precisely this purpose. “Our customers and internal departments found the results so helpful that we have continued to develop the report and now include other food categories,” says Regine Lueghausen, Vice President Global Marketing in the Food & Beverage division at Symrise and head of the Taste, Nutrition & Health segment’s Marketing Excellence.
The trendscope™ team now draws on a large number of qualitative and quantitative approaches combined with a variety of different data sources. “For example, we analyze consumer reports about food that we find online or on social media,” says Leif Jago of a significant part of their research. He is Global Marketing Manager Food & Beverage at Symrise and since 2021 has been one of the people responsible for the report. The team also analyzes studies, market reports and other surveys in order to better understand consumer behavior and preferences. The research also looks at the new products being launched by the food and beverages industry. “Many trends emerge in the world’s urban hotspots. In twelve of those, including Shanghai, Berlin, Tokyo and New York, we have conducted interviews with food bloggers, journalists and trendspotters,” says Jago. The findings are shared and discussed with Symrise colleagues from marketing and product development at sites all over the world, who contribute their expert knowledge of local trends. “We also take this opportunity to find out which concepts are in particularly high demand among our customers at the moment, to be sure their side is also reflected,” explains Regine Lueghausen. This holistic approach goes even further: The research provides the basis for individual reports for the beverages, food, dairy products, snacks and confectionery product categories. Even the Pet Food division benefits from the report because product ranges for pets are often influenced by food trends.