Decoding consumer desires: Symrise tips premiumization and naturality trends

25 May 2022 --- Symrise has updated its Trendscope meta-analysis, highlighting that premiumization alongside naturality, health and climate-friendliness remain pivotal in food and beverage formulation.

The meta-analysis offers comprehensive details on trends as well as five dedicated reports for the beverage, culinary, dairy, snacks and sweet categories. It also highlights items manifesting these trends, such as product examples and emerging flavors and ingredients.

“Trendscope allows us to continually observe consumer behavior and to examine current trends,” says Leif Jago, global marketing manager of food and beverages at Symrise.

“We consider this very important since consumer wishes for food and beverages change over time,” he remarks.

“Trendscope allows us to understand the changing demands and to react to them. Using our technological expertise, we can develop the corresponding taste, nutrition, and health solutions for our customers’ products.”

Twelve consumer trends identified in four clusters
Symrise has identified twelve consumer trends in total, which are subdivided into four clusters. 

“Natural Goodness” focuses on consumers who want to make a positive contribution to protecting the environment and the climate with their nutrition. These consumers increasingly value regenerative agriculture and biodiversity. Symrise conducted 24 interviews with trendsetters.

In line with this demand, industry leaders have been adjusting course. Unilever recently spearheaded a regenerative agriculture fund with aims to invest €100 million (US$105 million) and merge industry, risk and financial expertise to drive structural change.

Another cluster relates to “Healthy Lifestyle”. “Today, many consumers want to live healthily and to use their nutrition to improve their gut health or immune system. At the same time, they want products that add fun, pleasure, and convenience to healthy eating,” Symrise highlights.

Plant-based protein is evidently one such product category that ties into the “Healthy Lifestyle” overarching theme. Symrise recently developed a system called ProtiScan, which analyzes and characterizes diverse protein sources to help customers balance off-notes and achieve the optimal flavor release.

Additionally, the “Premium Indulgence” cluster represents the third trend. Brands driving this theme meet ethical as well as environmental criteria. Personalized offerings are also getting increasingly important.

Targeting this trend, global ice cream company Froneri recently launched Cadbury Darkmilk ice cream stick with a flavor profile and positioning targeting UK adults who prefer the hybrid chocolate variety.

Lastly, Symrise’s “Emotional Discoveries” cluster is ultimately concerned with navigating the effects boosted by the pandemic. The COVID-19 crisis has led many people to lean toward comforting tastes that provide both a sense of security and taste adventures for their inner child – which continues even after the pandemic.

“The coronavirus pandemic accelerated the development of trends and strengthened existing consumer wishes,” says Jago. 

Synergies of analysis methods
Trendscope relies on a combination of different methods of analysis. 

The qualitative research contains a meta-analysis of consumer reports, start-up screening and social media listening. 

The quantitative research comprises a meta-analysis of existing studies and market reports as well as surveys related to consumer behavior and mindsets. This goes hand in hand with an analysis of global urban hot spots. 

For this, Symrise conducted 24 interviews in 12 locations with selected trendsetters like food bloggers, journalists, and trend scouts.

“This combination of analysis makes it possible to precisely decode and validate trends. The tool’s global scope also allows it to tailor trends to regional specifics,” the company states.

Symrise, which prioritizes “science-powered flavor creation,” has previously taken its research a step further by leveraging predictive and AI modeling to decode 40,000 ancient Chinese recipes to identify new potential materials with taste balancing capabilities.

By Benjamin Ferrer