Symrise eyes future consumer trend analysis with new edition of trendscope

28 Mar 2024 --- Symrise has unveiled its latest proprietary tool, trendscope 2024+, a comprehensive analysis designed to decode the current and future consumer trends shaping the market. This tool combines qualitative and quantitative research methods to provide a detailed overview of the driving forces behind consumer preferences, emphasizing the increasing importance of natural, healthy and climate-friendly products.

“Consumer behaviors and mindsets change over time and so do their demands for food and beverages,” says Leif Jago, global marketing manager food & beverage at Symrise.

“Trendscope allows us to closely monitor and anticipate market shifts. This creates a basis to design solutions that deliver against these evolving needs.”

Emerging trends
At the core of trendscope 2024+’s findings is the focus on health and naturalness. The study highlights a growing emphasis on climate-smart innovations and circular consumption patterns, alongside the rapid impact of digitalization on both consumer lifestyles and the F&B industry.

Symrise has identified six global megatrends, including “digitalization,” “purposeful sustainability,” “natural goodness,” “healthy lifestyle,” “emotional discoveries,” and “premium indulgence,” each encompassing several sub-trends. 

Last month, Jago spoke to Food Ingredients First about how the interplay between physical and mental health will be a key drive for innovation this year.

Insights into consumer trends
The latest edition of trendscope 2024+ was compiled against the backdrop of a global polycrisis, highlighting how current challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic instability and environmental concerns are shaping consumer behaviors and accelerating the shift toward more resilient and adaptable market trends.

By translating consumer desires into innovative food and beverage concepts, Symrise aims to offer solutions that cater to the modern diet while promoting sustainability.

To achieve this, trendscope 2024+ combines different research techniques, including meta-analyses of consumer reports, social media screenings and insights from the Symrise Taste Treks with StarChefs. This approach is further bolstered by AI-based trend forecasting and a global analysis of urban hotspots.

The findings illustrate a diverse range of consumer desires, from the demand for plant-based, clean label products to the pursuit of mental and physical wellness and the search for indulgent experiences amidst economic pressures.

“The tool’s global scope allows us to tailor trends to regional specifics. Based on this, Symrise can develop taste, nutrition and health solutions and tailor them to consumer demands in specific regions and categories. This, in turn, helps our customers to respond to decoded consumer desires with the right food and beverages,” Jago concludes.

Edited by Sichong Wang