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01.10.2007

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6 From 2006: The Best of Hartbeat

As we come to the end of 2006, all eyes are on the coming year.

With the stroke of midnight on December 31st, we closed the book on another year. Having sifted through the archives of our most widely read HartBeats of the past year, we see 2006 through the eyes of consumers as the year of the Redefinition of Quality.

Whether it was the death to soda, questioning the value of organics, marketing to today's moms, understanding consumer culture and the future of organic usage, identifying four hot food trends or looking at the impact of baby boomers' lifestyle traits on the marketplace, the common thread woven through each is how the consumer redefinition of quality is reshaping the marketplace.

What this means for the coming year(s) ahead is that companies wishing to keep pace with consumers must make a shift in understanding what the consumer redefinition of quality means.

As we move into 2007, and as these "6 from 2006" attest, keep in mind that consumer lifestyles will continue to evolve as consumers pursue new levels of interests and preferences that transcend products and brands.

Now, here are 6 from 2006...

The Death of Soda - 03.15.06

Last Thursday (3.9.06) was something of a watershed moment for those of us with ties to the CPG business. We're referring, of course, to the much-publicized announcement that carbonated soft drink (CSD) sales were down for the first time in over 20 years. This announcement lead to a flurry of questions about the fate of CSDs.

How long will this trend continue? Will interest in traditional CSD brands return? Can we counter this trend by fortifying traditional CSDs?

Find out what's behind the consumers' fickle relationship with CSDs...

Marketing to Today's Mom - 05.11.06

Everyone has one. There seems to be an image of Mom as the icon of domestic efficiency and tranquility. Superhero of the household, Mom calmly carries out the routine chores of everyday life: shopping, cleaning, getting kids off to school, preparing meals, etc. Perhaps this image of the always smiling, cool-under-pressure, everything-under-control mom became part of our collective psyche due in no small part to television shows of the late 1950s and early 1960s, such as Leave It To Beaver. Family shows of that era gave us a role model for what a typical family life was supposed to be like.

But that was then, what is it really like today?

Find out the new truths and consequences of marketing to today's mom...

Experience vs. Products: What Is the Value of Organics - 06.07.06

Organics continue to be front page news in the mainstream press and a "must read" on bookstore shelves. Organics has provoked inspired debate on many levels, from the board room to the kitchen. Whether to add more tinder to fuel the debate or provide intelligent insight to help strategic decision-making, we offer the following two points of view on the importance of not losing sight of organic relevance.

Wal-Mart's move into organics may send chills up and down many retailers' (and CPG companies') spines.

Find out why some may owe Wal-Mart a bit of thanks in the end...

4 Hot Food Trends - 08.02.06

When the subject turns to dieting, Atkins and South Beach are (still) out. In technology, many wonder whether or not iPod will weather the approaching "Zune" storm (we say yes). In wine, the recent buzz is about Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and Malbec from Argentina, while producers in Europe are busy destroying millions of bottles of wine to address the global wine glut. Who could have predicted...

The Hartman Group reveals four hot trends in food and lifestyle.

Find out why some today's children now choose sushi over candy for a treat...

Baby Boomer Lifestyle Traits and Trends - 08.23.06

Their every breath and move is seemingly scrutinized and quantified. They are the most documented generation in history, not to mention the largest generational segment. What clothes they wear, medications they take, how often they go to the movies, dine out, where they travel, what make of car they drive, and on and on makes headlines. Who is this "they" we are referring to? Why Baby Boomers of course.

Find out what traits and trends influence Boomers' purchase behavior...

Consumer Culture and the Future of Organic Usage - 11.01.06

Has organic peaked? If the recent AdAge article is any portent of things to come, it would seem the newest trend would be to bash the viability of organic. The Hartman Group does a little crystal ball gazing of its own as we weigh in on the future of organic.

Find out why the consumer will ultimately decide organic's fate...

Here's to another great year for HartBeat insights and analysis!

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