04.04.2007

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The Next Generation of Wellness Consumers

With so much attention given to Boomers and the growing number of elderly consumers, no one would argue the economic clout that these huge segments of our population has on influencing marketing initiatives. From this perspective, some would argue that because of the sheer size of this market, it is the seniors who represent the future. We would suggest a word of caution here; there is another generation demanding attention - literally. While these children haven't quite entered the marketplace as consumers, they soon will, armed with different taste preferences and brand experiences that are re-shaping the health and wellness world.

Many of these are kids who've never tasted Wonder Bread or Ho Ho's, and for whom natural/organic brands are the only brands experienced at home. These children might never have experienced the orange finger stains left by cheese-flavored corn chips and are youngsters who have lived the wellness lifestyle since birth. This new generation of wellness consumers thinks that it's normal to eat organic vegetables, free range eggs, grass fed beef and drink hormone-free milk. Inevitably these children will grow up and their high standards of living a healthy lifestyle could have a large impact in the world of health and wellness products.

Protecting children's health and wellness is an increasingly important concern for parents in today's marketplace. As our consumer research has born out over the years, healthy living is rooted in the home and begins at an early age. In fact, having children is the primary trigger that catapults consumers into the World of Wellness. And, food is the most obvious entry point. Expectant moms start by eating more of the "good stuff," avoiding the "bad stuff," and taking prenatal supplements. For some, this might be a first foray in to supplementation. After baby is born comes the first in a lifetime of questions: "Breast or bottle?" Such dilemmas encompass so much of what goes into parents' decision-making processes as they embark on a quest to "give baby the best." What constituties the best is different for different parents at different points in time. For example, for one parent the best can be the most premium formula brand because its "trusted," for another it is the organic formula because it is pure, and yet another it is breast milk because it's natural.

Whereas big brands may have been a key dimension of consumption for many parents seeking the best a few short decades ago, there has been a remarkable shift in the marketplace away from brands toward distinctions and authenticity as key dimensions of consumption. By "distinctions" we mean the differences between how something was made (small batches vs. mass-produced), by whom (niche vs. multi-national company), and from what (organic vs. artificial ingredients). By authenticity we mean the real deal, true and consistent (values-driven), and closest to nature. For example, in today's marketplace, notions of fresh and local are the two dominant cultural signifiers that parents use to make distinctions between things in order to get at the real deal and avoid the artificial, fake and contaminated.

The real deal is what parents are seeking when they choose breast milk over formula, since breastfeeding is perceived as "the way things should be done." The real deal is also what they're after when they choose a store brand organic formula over a name brand conventional formula, since organic is a shorthand for purity (i.e., no pesticides, hormones, antibiotics), natural ingredients (i.e., no chemicals or artificial additives), high quality (i.e., extra care, attention to detail) and ultimately "healthier" for baby. The dilemma over what to feed baby is the most common trigger and where it all starts.

What to feed our kids

And so begins the incessant, never-ending, everyday challenge and source of anxiety for many parents: What are we going to feed our children? For today's parents this question contains more than just deciding on tacos or mac-n-cheese for dinner, it involves deciphering through the distinctions between the different kinds of ingredients to make the dinner with. Do they choose conventional mac-n-cheese or organic mac-n-cheese? Hormone-free milk or regular milk? Real butter or a spread? As babies grow into toddlers and toddlers into children, parents start to lose control over what their kids are eating. Mom after mom tells us wearily, "Even if I don't buy them that junk, they'll eat at their friends' house or at Grandma's." Parents' anxieties around food shift from what to feed to how to feed.

Strong concerns about the effect hormones and pesticides have on their children drive many parents to explore organic options beyond initial staple organic items such as milk. With that, additional product offerings for children encourage parents to transition to use more organic products. Parents are willing to branch out to different organic products because they view organic as an "insurance policy" for their children's health. Some even feel they are better parents based on the food choices they make for their children. We've heard feedback from parents who are proud their children are choosing organic, natural and healthy options. Among the comments we have heard from proud mothers regarding their children's food choices:

"My three-year-old asks for 'organic stawbears' never just strawberries whenever we go to the produce section at Whole Foods."

"My son says to me at the market the other day, 'Hey Mom! These cupcakes have got to be healthy, there's only five ingredients'."

"My daughter refuses to eat school lunch because she says it tastes disgusting. And she's right. They put anything on a stick and think kids will eat it. Real food doesn't come on a stick."

Outlook on the next generation

The repercussions for food marketers of an entire generation of children brought up during an evolution of food culture cannot be underestimated. Children today are being raised both in the home and in public schools to be mindful of the ingredients in foods, differences between food types (e.g., organic vs. conventional) and about the benefits of diet and exercise. The new era of nutritionism, which has brought about such things as a decline in the use of soda, derives from an increasing public scrutiny of not only food and beverage products but the occasions and settings in which food is consumed by children. Such times speak to a nascent market for products that reflect the upbringing of children who are currently being taught about what's "good" and what's "bad" in terms of diets and food behaviors. Current teachings are evolving, in terms of how kids are spoken to through public health messaging, schools and by parents at home, but the seeds of a new cultural outlook on sugar, salt and fat and how diet and exercise can benefit the body are paving the way for a new generation of consumers seeking fresh, unprocessed, high-quality products.

As a growing number of parents turn their noses up at corn dogs and Ding Dongs, so will their children. Children today are growing up in a time where food practices such as organic, local, and gourmet have made it into the mainstream. Children eat what their parents eat, simple as that. They are experiencing new foods and taste sensations along with their parents, they are along for the ride and learning in the process how to seek out high-quality, healthy food options. One can only guess the ramifications for our changing food culture and for manufacturers, retailers and food service providers as this next wave of consumers make their way through their teens, into college and on into society.

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