Did you know that there are now over 3 million #yogurt posts on Instagram, 60 million #breakfast posts and over 64 million #delicious posts. Brands are, more than ever before, in the spotlight and with this shift comes new opportunities and challenges. No one wants to eat a bad yogurt, but consumers will share bad experiences. They will also share great experiences. Brands must therefore ask themselves, how do we stand out as a preferred choice while managing the risks?
A growing market for healthy snacks
Changing lifestyles have led to a breakdown in the structure of meal times, with more people snacking and grazing throughout the day, rather than having the more traditional three meals per day. It has also led to a blurring of the boundaries between snacks and meals. Snacks are no longer confined to confectionery or potato products, but are more likely to include yogurts, meat snacks and vegetables, and more likely to be healthy, protein-centric and fresh.
The rise of social sharing
Meals used to be social occasions, but it is becoming more common for people to eat alone, out of choice or necessity. Technology is filling the social gap, with consumers interacting with devices while eating at home, whether alone or with family, and with restaurants starting to cater specifically to lone diners. People seek affirmations of their experiences and use pictures of their food as a way of conveying their experiences both positive and negative. This can put brands in the perfect spot for free social marketing or at risk if their products are no longer ready for a close-up.
Chr. Hansen’s FRESHQ® range is a natural way to protect your yogurt against spoilage and extend shelf-life. Make sure consumers can share the goodness of your yogurt every time they eat it also on the go and when sharing it on social media.
Source: How We Eat, The Changing Face of Global Mealtime, Euromonitor 2016. Chr. Hansen Study 2015, Nielsen 2016.
