Mintel’s Global New Products Database has noted some important trends in the new products arena recently.
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Fat’s where it’s at
Fat equals flavor when it comes to food products. Flavor leads over calorie consciousness these days, which is why we see the increasing number of indulgent ice creams (think Ben & Jerry’s Two Twisted Line), candies (Snickers Crunchers), and salty snacks (Frito-Lay’s Flavor Rush line). As consumers learn to balance their diets on their own, full-fat products will continue to grow.
DIY functionality
As consumers become increasingly aware of the benefits of soy, calcium, fiber, glucosamine, and the wide range of herbs, they are mixing and matching products on their own to create their own personalized health regimen. Companies convey the information they can on the product labels, but it falls to the consumers themselves to figure out what makes the most sense for them. And it truly is a buyer beware market, as seemingly spurious claims continue to be made. Procter & Gamble’s Elations glucosamine drink claims to aide joint health; a variety of companies with super-oxygenated water, purported to boost energy; and big and small firms alike (including beer giant Anheuser-Busch) offer ginseng-caffeine-taurine energy drinks.
Kick the flavor up a notch
Bam! In the immortal words of Emeril Lagasse, flavors truly do “kick it up a notch”. The increase in flavor profiles today trends right along with a growth in ethnic flavors. Indian, African, and authentic Mexican flavors expand in the U.S. market.
Grown up grrrl power
It’s an aging Baby Boomer thing. Products formulated just for women and their special nutritional needs are exploding . These products contain folic acid, calcium, soy, and anything else of the moment that hits women’s nutritional hot buttons. Mead Johnson’s Viactiv calcium chew was the first to target women in a big way; the newest products come from Altus Foods, a joint venture between Quaker Oats and Novartis. The W.I.N. (Women’s Individual Nutrition) line contains juices, smoothies, snack bars, and cereal.
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By GlobalDataIt’s the science inside
Skincare, haircare, and cosmetic products today tout the functionality of the products and the science that goes into it. That’s a big change from even five years ago, when very few consumers knew anything about CoQ10, liposomes, keratin, or any of the myriad buzzwords now appearing on the labels of products from large and small companies. Today’s consumer press helps, by extensively covering specific skincare ingredients and their health benefits, thus better educating the consumer.
Lighten up!
Today’s scents – whether for home or body – increasingly take a lighted approach. Green tea, light florals, even lighter versions of musky scents appear now in greater numbers than some of the heavier varieties. Elizabeth Arden offers green tea personal and home scents; personal fragrances carry light, feminine names such as Miracle, Oxygene, Imagine, and Intuition.
Package category migration
Is it a half-gallon of milk or is it a breakfast cereal? Packages popular or common in one category are making moves into other categories. Kellogg did it with a big splash with its Special K Plus cereal in a milk carton. Estee Lauder has a lip gloss in a nail polish container. Even the humble bowl, usually the recipient for soup, spawned an entire new type of frozen meal – the bowl entree.
Don’t eat the nonfoods
Caffeine, algae, soy, milk, citrus, lavender, wheat germ. Sounds like the ingredients for a meal. But all these are ingredients in nonfoods, particularly in skincare products. All offer skincare benefits, such as tightening, lightening, soothing, and smoothing. And, increasingly, product labels clearly promote the food ingredient – see, for example, Almay’s Milk Plus moisturizer line.
Step by step
Taking steps out of the preparation process has been a key trend in the last several years. But we’re seeing some steps being added back in. You don’t just microwave a meal, you put it in a skillet and stir it around. You add meat to your meal, or perishable ingredients. You build your own pizza or decorate your own cookies. It’s the age of playing with your food (no matter what your age) and participating in what you’re eating.
See me, feel me, touch me packaging
Who’s doing these types of packages? Just about every company out there. Just as many of the foods we’re seeing are requiring participation, so too is the packaging. Certain products scream to be picked up. Carolina Herrara’s 212 On Ice fragrance, for example, appears to be encased in a block of ice, only to reveal two individual spray bottles inside. A Cracker Jack extension comes in a package that makes its own cup (and yes, it does come with a toy). Plus, look for products with thermographic labels (ones that change color from the heat of your hand or the product) or soft-touch packaging (plastic packaging that feels a bit like washed silk).
Established in 1972, Mintel incorporates Mintel consumer intelligence, global new products database (gnpd), and Mintel consultancy. Mintel is an independent company which operates offices in Chicago, London, and Sydney. For more information on Mintel, please visit our website at www.mintel.com.
