In the ever-evolving consumer landscape, staying ahead of the game is crucial. As the world has become increasingly data-led, insights, marketing and R&D professionals are increasingly swamped with options. Traditionally, survey and sales data have taken the front seat when informing strategic decisions. However, even these most reliable options have limitations, and brands must look to alternative data assets to understand the consumer world.
Search data is a treasure trove for market research, offering unparalleled insights into consumer behaviour and preferences. By analysing search queries, businesses can uncover trends, identify emerging needs, and understand the language customers use when looking for products or services. This real-time data allows companies to stay ahead of the curve, tailor their strategies, and create more targeted and effective campaigns and innovations.
Enter TrendEvaluate, Kantar’s groundbreaking tool that combines AI and advanced digital analytics to identify consumer trends before they even happen.
Understanding the landscape to reinvigorate your core offering
TrendEvaluate doesn’t just scratch the surface; it digs deep into the consumer psyche. Imagine having a crystal ball that reveals not only what’s trending now but also what will trend next. Brands can reinvigorate their core offerings by aligning them with emerging trends. Whether it’s a shift in consumer preferences, an emerging lifestyle choice, or a cultural movement, TrendEvaluate deciphers the signals and provides actionable insights.
Stretching beyond boundaries to surface new use cases
Innovation thrives on exploration. TrendEvaluate stretches the boundaries, pushing brands to think beyond their comfort zones. It surfaces potential new use cases for existing products or services. Suddenly, that breakfast cereal isn’t just for mornings – it’s a late-night snack, a post-workout boost, or even a creative ingredient in recipes. By identifying these cross-category opportunities, TrendEvaluate helps brands expand their reach and relevance.
Breakthrough innovations and unravelling signals
The holy grail of innovation lies in breakthroughs. TrendEvaluate unravels signals that point toward these game-changing moments. Whether it’s a niche trend gaining traction or an unexpected convergence of interests, the tool identifies the sweet spot where breakthroughs happen. Brands armed with this knowledge can leapfrog competitors and create products or services that capture imaginations and wallets.
Putting TrendEvaluate to work for the food industry
The food industry has been in constant flux since the advent of mass production and industrialisation in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This period marked a profound transformation from artisanal and local food production to large-scale, mechanised processes. This made food not only more affordable and accessible, but also introduced new nutrition and safety challenges.
Fast-forward to the 21st century, and the digital age has introduced another wave of transformation. The introduction of social media, data analytics, and now artificial intelligence have reshaped everything from supply chain management to personalised nutrition. Consumers today are more informed and demanding than ever, with expectations for transparency, sustainability, and health driving innovation across the industry.
With TrendEvaluate, we can identify the latest emerging developments that will begin to shape the future of the food industry.
Understanding the landscape to explore sensitive needs
The rise in searches for the Indian plant, Ashwagandha, offers an insight into new substances emerging in the consumer psyche. The plant has been widely positioned as a stress reliever which can help with anxiety levels, improve sleep, and reduce fatigue. The growing searches for terms such as ‘Ashwagandha’ and ‘Cortisol’ indicate a rising curiosity in this sphere.
However, there are often sensitive topics that consumers do not like to voice publicly. For instance, searches for Ashwagandha and its effects on libido have been steadily increasing.
Whilst publicly being marketed as a substance for stress relief, search data tells us that consumers are interested in Ashwagandha because of unlaying motives. This is not uncommon. Consumers often rationalise interest and purchase decisions through one lens when the real drivers are much more nuanced and multi-faceted.
This range of more sensitive needs reflects a shift towards a more holistic view of health, with consumers looking for products that offer a wide range of long-term health benefits rather than short-term gains.
Identifying these motivations can give brands a material edge to innovate product lines and inform communication strategies. Tailoring activities to speak to the motivations that consumers are not comfortable with voicing themselves (or perhaps are not even completely aware that they are important to them) offers brands a powerful inside track.
Stretching beyond boundaries on weight loss and health
Concerns about weight and body composition are nothing new. Fad diets aimed at those wanting to lose weight began in the 19th century and have seesawed in and out of fashion ever since. Therefore, it is no surprise that ‘Diet’ and related queries continue to be searched for in large volumes.
But as technology and nutritional understanding advances, the lenses through which people evaluate their diet have also changed.
Probiotics and prebiotics have been in the public consciousness for many years. Brands like Actimel popularised them by promoting their benefits for the immune system, highlighting how their products can support overall health and well-being.
However, Kantar’s TrendEvaluate tool shows that we are moving to a new stage in consumer understanding of probiotics. Consumers are no longer simply looking for pre/probiotic products but rather have expanded their interest in the wider world of the microbiome.
With high YOY growth in interest, and continued momentum, microbiome is now disrupting how consumers view the precision nutrition space.
As interests become more specific and consumers become increasingly educated, brands have the opportunity to re-evaluate their existing positioning and overall proposition. Brands that pivot towards this cultural shift will be best placed to weather changing needs and unlock new growth.
Breakthrough innovations and emerging technologies
It is not just increased access to information and evolving consumer interests that brands need to pay attention to. As technology advances, the mechanisms through which people use to manage their diets and health evolve with them.
Tirzepatide and Semaglutide are both antidiabetic medications used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but following FDA approval for ‘chronic weight management’ in the USA, interest in the drugs has been growing rapidly.
The rising interest in Tirzepatide and Semaglutide signals a significant shift in consumer attitudes towards diet and health. This trend reflects a growing preference for medical interventions over traditional diet and exercise methods, highlighting a desire for more immediate and effective weight management solutions.
For brands in the food and diet industry, this shift presents both challenges and opportunities. Brands must adapt by offering product ranges which align with this new consumer mindset for weight-loss shortcuts. There is an opportunity for brands to innovate in a way that caters to the needs of consumers using these medications. This could involve creating meal plans and snacks designed to enhance the effectiveness of Tirzepatide and Semaglutide. We are already seeing how brands ahead of the curve respond to this demand. Nestle introduced their ‘Vital Pursuit’ range – a new line of foods designed to complement GLP-1 weight loss medications and support consumers focused on weight management.
Kantar’s TrendEvaluate is more than a tool; it is a strategic compass for brands navigating the turbulent seas of consumer behaviour.
In today's fast-paced world, staying ahead of trends is crucial for success. TrendEvaluate empowers you to uncover what drives consumer interest at scale, leveraging extensive consumer-led natural interest data. TrendEvaluate allows you to track trajectories in consumer needs, identifying what's on the rise and what's declining, giving you the insights to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition.
With its predictive prowess and cross-category insights, it’s time for marketers to ride the wave of trends, not just chase them. Join the industry leaders already benefiting from this game-changing tool. Contact us today to learn more and start transforming your business with data-driven insights!