Symrise Expands Consumer Focus for Taste for Life Platform

Schaper: With taste for life we are introducing an authentic change in perspective of our industry. We no longer speak first about molecules or technologies, but instead have the consumer in mind.

Sep 22 2010 --- Consumer preferences are not only changing more rapidly than ever before, they are also becoming increasingly versatile. With respect to lifestyle and nutrition this means that today’s consumers are longing for a balance between ho-listic health and pure pleasure, which are by no means mutually exclusive.

With its taste for life platform, flavor company Symrise says it is helping customers to position their brands and products in this middle ground. taste for life highlights which trends and con-sumer needs the industry is serving with its brands, where there are gaps in the product portfolio, where the competition is positioning itself, where line exten-sions would make sense, and much more.

In the process, Symrise’s core competence is at the focus of attention: taste the aspect in which the consumer accepts no compromises. Cloe Croixmarie, EAME Marketing Director Flavor & Nutrition, explains: “taste for life provides the conceptual framework for what a product should achieve. But whether the product promises health benefits or offers complete pleasure – it must always taste good.”

Heiner Schaper, President Flavor & Nutrition EAME, elaborates: “With taste for life we are introducing an authentic change in perspective of our industry. We no longer speak first about molecules or technologies, but instead have the consumer in mind. We take the consumer’s perspective into account when de-signing our products and ask ourselves: how can our product innovations satisfy the preference of the end consumers and how can we align our products with the requirements and brands of our corporate customers? The industry needs not only service providers but also strong and creative partners for innovation. With taste for life we are once again honoring this claim.”

The new taste for life strategic platform is an evolution of the previous one which was introduced successfully in 2006 and emphasized on product solu-tions for health only. Now taste for life encompasses all of Symrise’s taste so-lutions. It connects in a single branded platform the consumer desires, the re-quirements of the industry, and Symrise’s comprehensive and multifaceted competences and expertise.

The consumer needs of “Holistic Health” and “Pure Pleasure” constitute the cornerstones of this concept.

In the area between, Symrise has currently identified five pillars for positioning their product developments:
• “Stay Vital” – Taste solutions that create functional value for an ac-tive, healthy lifestyle
• “Lighten Up” – Solutions for lighter food items with full flavor and at the same time reductions in salt, sugar, fat, and flavor enhancers
• “Be Natural” – Taste solutions made from natural ingredients
• “Just Enjoy” – Solutions for authentic taste and maximum enjoyment
• “Get Excited” – Exciting solutions for sensory pleasures and unusual taste experiences

The expertise of the Flavor & Nutrition Division stands behind this conceptual framework:
• Expertise in technology (incl. bioactive ingredients, sensory attributes, new forms of delivery systems)
• Expertise in marketing (incl. consumer insights, branding)
• Expertise in operational excellence (incl. development, application, sourcing)