Concept-of-food-art-and-strategy-game

Macro forces can often feel too broad or abstract to guide actionable business decisions. Yet when translated through a consumer-centric lens, these same forces can illuminate powerful growth pathways. 

That was the case for a global food and beverage ingredient company that came to us seeking to identify long-term growth opportunities for oils and grains in bakery. The company wanted to understand not just what trends were shaping the category, but where future demand would materialize—and how to position its ingredient portfolio to capture it. 

From macro forces to actionable opportunities 

We began by identifying four macro trends defining the next decade of food culture: 

  1. Socioeconomic fragmentation: Shifting economic realities are driving divergence in values, access and purchasing power. 
  2. Erosion of traditional eating habits: Consumers are breaking away from mealtime conventions and embracing on-the-go and flexible eating. 
  3. Food-focused wellness culture: Food is increasingly viewed as a tool for personal optimization and vitality. 
  4. Redefinition of quality in food: The meaning of “quality” now extends beyond taste to include transparency, sustainability and ethical sourcing. 

While each of these forces operates at a macro level, consumers experience them through tensions—the push and pull between new cultural expectations, structural realities and individual aspirations. Our approach centered on mapping these tensions to uncover the unmet needs driving consumer behavior change. 

Revealing growth platforms 

For each macro trend, the team articulated key consumer tensions and value drivers such as sensory experience, convenience and affordability. They then pinpointed where these dynamics converged to create new opportunities for oils and grains across multiple bakery categories. 

Next, we mined our proprietary insights library and third-party data to estimate the “size of the prize” within each opportunity space. To ground the framework in commercial reality, the team illustrated each opportunity with in-market examples from bakery category innovations. 

The output was a strategic growth framework organized around seven cross-category growth platforms. 

Driving customer value and commercial impact 

The client used this framework to elevate its conversations with downstream customers. By connecting its ingredient solutions directly to consumer-driven growth platforms, the company could demonstrate how oils and grains add differentiated value within specific product applications. 

Strategy with substance 

This case exemplifies Hartman Group’s approach to strategic consulting: bridging macro foresight with actionable opportunity design. By translating complex cultural and structural forces into a clear roadmap for innovation and growth, we empower clients to anticipate what’s next and act with confidence. 

In an industry where trends move faster than product pipelines, foresight alone isn’t enough. Firms that can transform trends into tangible commercial value will define the next generation of growth. How can we support your success?