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In The News
Daymon Worldwide Announces Comprehensive Research Study Into Global Food Culture Shifts, Powered by the Hartman Group. |
06.09.2011
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StumbleUponSocial Media Lesson in Functional Foods: Enjoyment vs. Health
Compared to the often delicious experience when eaten fresh in climes where they grow “close to the source” (see the Facebook thread of excited responses from a Brazilian consumer announcing she is drinking açai), fruits and berries like açai and pomegranate have been largely distilled and recast by Western culture as “super fruit” functional ingredients capable of powering strong elixirs. A part of this “overly medicalized” perspective grows out of the late 1990s explosion of interest in natural ingredients that might have highly targeted benefits in terms of treatment for aging, cancer and general wellness (remember the excitement surrounding the health potentials of “resveratrol” in relation to red wine grapes?).
Flash forward to today, and consumer trends in health and wellness in the US are at a crossroads in terms of the reactive, reductionist, overly medical perspectives of the past when compared to holistic, positive and experiential approaches of the most progressive consumers. In other words, health and wellness today is transitioning toward a much greater appreciation for enjoyment, a part of which can be the simple (and often sublime taste) of fruits and berries as experienced at their origin.
To that point, who would imagine that you might get 25 comments on a Facebook update stating, “Drinking açai!!!!”, like the screenshot shown to the left from a Brazilian consumer? In Brazil, yes, you might, but not in the US. Upon reading the translations presented (and just seeing the sheer number of responses regardless of what they say—just look at the exclamation marks), we see that the pleasure of “drinking açai” is self-explanatory. In Brazil, açai represents a fresh, delicious, unprocessed, chilled beverage; or a sweet, minimally processed sorbet or smoothie. The pulp from the fruit (called berries in the US) of the açai palm (Euterpe oleracea) is mostly produced by small-scale producers and consumed throughout Brazil as vinho do açai (açai wine), particularly in the Amazon states. By simply stating, “Drinking açai,” the author of the original post taps enormous cultural energy around açai as a food and/or beverage for its own sake, and not for its functionality, which is how it is viewed by consumers here in the States.
This Facebook thread is a lesson in the ever-evolving world of health and wellness in the US. Obviously this thread would look quite different in the US: it would revolve around things like super fruit, antioxidants or defense against the generation of free radicals. Açai entered the US market in the 1990s when sales in the vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements category (VMHS) were surging and consumer interest in health and wellness (H&W) was growing. At this phase in the evolution of H&W, food and beverages were viewed as means to an end, to be used as medicine or for prevention. Thus, açai was not introduced as a delicious food or beverage, but as an ingredient. It was blended with other “super” fruits and berries with the effect of creating consumption experiences that resemble nothing like those enjoyed in its place of origin; quality taste and experience were sacrificed for health benefits.
Had açai entered the market today, where food and beverages are no longer simply a means to an end, but sources of pleasure, we might share the same sort of envy with our Brazilian neighbors. As the world of health and wellness has evolved to include notions of emotional and spiritual well-being, consumers are now becoming increasingly more passionate about the food and beverages they consume, and less concerned about healthy eating/drinking habits and so-called “better for you” foods/beverages. Quality has been redefined in terms of fresh, less-processed, artisanal/small-scale production, local and seasonal. Despite this important cultural development with important implications for food and beverage manufacturers and retailers, there still remains an overemphasis on medicalized product benefits.
Sambazon, for example, has mostly succeeded in maintaining the unique flavor of açai by most closely approximating the authentic flavor experience one gets when consuming vinho do açai (açai wine), sorbet and smoothies in the Amazonian cities of Belém and Manaus. But still, the brand has failed to leverage a clear proposition that showcases its products as the feature of eating and drinking occasions that are to be envied for the enjoyment benefits rather than health benefits.
This can be noticed clearly by contrasting the front of package of its sorbet with the ingredient panel. On the FOP, the consumer is informed that the product is “antioxidant superfood,” while the ingredient panel smartly demonstrates that the product is a real, simple and minimally processed sorbet.
It might even be delicious!
