Nutiani uncovers “unmet demand for sustainability and product information”

07 Feb 2023 --- Nine in ten consumers view health holistically and believe it is crucial to adopt a well-balanced diet, but they have different approaches to healthy eating. That is according to new research commissioned from Fonterra’s well-being nutrition brand, Nutiani.

As part of the findings, Nutiani concludes that brands looking to appeal to health-conscious consumers can draw on new segmentation data to offer more personalized solutions. Results also reinforced the need for brands to overcome common barriers to healthy eating, such as taste, cost and convenience.

Nutiani partnered with Ipsos to survey 5,950 people across seven global markets on their perceptions and behaviors toward health and well-being for the second volume of its Global State of Health and Wellbeing report. 

Based on respondents’ engagement, awareness, motivations and attitudes toward well-being and nutrition, the research reveals five distinct consumer segments:

• Proactive Pursuers make up the most significant proportion of global consumers. They adopt a scientific and highly disciplined approach toward food and are prepared to pay more for products they believe in.

• Relaxed Cosmopolitans are too busy to worry about diet and do not feel sufficiently knowledgeable about choosing the right healthy foods, but try to consume natural, unprocessed foods.

• Practical Worriers are concerned about their physical and mental health but focus on making manageable changes to their lifestyles. They prefer to adopt a simple and traditional approach to eating healthy.

• Activity Seekers prefer to manage their health through physical activity and view nutrition as fuel for exercise.

• Balanced Seekers recognize there are factors beyond their control, so they take a practical and balanced approach to health to keep doing the things they enjoy.

Common barriers and priorities
Although consumers are more informed than ever, four out of five segments feel they need to be more knowledgeable about healthy foods to make the right choices, resulting in barriers to managing their nutrition.

Findings reinforced the need for brands to overcome common barriers to healthy eating, such as taste, cost and convenience.The remaining Proactive Pursuers are held back by conflicting information on available products. Incomplete and discrepancies in data are likely to have contributed to trust emerging as a significant concern across all segments, especially concerning health claims and food safety. 

In addition, consumers are increasingly seeking sustainably-sourced and produced products, believing manufacturers are responsible for creating environmentally friendly value chains. 

This expectation may also contribute to most segments’ preference for natural and less-processed foods, which are known to have a lower environmental impact.

“Although consumers are recognizing the importance of nutrition to achieve holistic health, existing solutions are not adequately addressing gaps in trust and information as well as emerging sustainability preferences,” explains Dan Luo, director of Active Living at Fonterra. 

“The commonalities in these unmet needs offer opportunities for innovation and consumer education to encourage them to adopt healthy diets.”

Is a tailored and targeted approach necessary?
The report also dives into individual markets, examining the impact of macro-environment factors such as cultural norms, reliance on social media and perceived challenges on consumer attitudes and behaviors.

Western markets tend to have a higher proportion of the Balanced Seeker segment, reflecting a more balanced approach to nutrition, health, and well-being. On the flip side, Proactive Pursuers make up the largest proportion in South Korea and China, both of which have a long-standing culture of consuming medicinal foods for well-being.

“We can see through this research that our target consumers are unified in taking a holistic approach to health. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. The five segments not only have different motivations and barriers but also turn to different sources for information – from social media and online reviews to endorsement by healthcare professionals,” underscores Charlotte Ortiz, global brand marketing manager at Nutiani.

“Brands need to develop tailored solutions with products and strategies that speak to consumers’ unique motivations while addressing the challenges they are facing.”

Edited by Elizabeth Green