For decades, food and beverage brands have chased the next big claim—heart healthy, fair trade and pasture-raised have all had their time in the sun. And where will food culture take the rising “GLP-1-friendly” claim? Time will tell, but one truth remains: no claim resonates universally.
Category is the frame through which consumers judge whether a claim is relevant, credible and worth paying for. And while it may be tempting to view trending, resonant claims as broadly transferable, consumers hold distinct expectations for different categories—and those expectations are rooted in rapidly evolving health and sustainability priorities.
Our research has revealed a clear shift: consumers are moving beyond broad “better-for-you" shortcuts and applying more nuanced scrutiny to how products are grown, made and sourced. To help leaders navigate this more complex landscape, our upcoming study—Claims and Cues 2026—will demystify how real consumers evaluate specific claims and product attributes across 20+ categories while also tracking how these priorities have shifted in recent years.
This research will clarify:
- Which quality attributes truly matter by category, from minimal processing and ingredient transparency to safety, taste, sustainability and sourcing.
- How expectations around production methods, certifications and agricultural practices are evolving, and how these expectations differ for categories like fresh produce, dairy, baby food, RTD beverages, salty snacks and more.
- Which attributes actually drive trust and purchase intent, enabling brands to refine communication and product positioning with precision rather than guesswork. The resulting playbook will give your brand clear guidance on what to highlight on-pack and how to communicate effectively within your category’s cultural and functional context.
The bottom line
As transparency expectations heighten, claims can either be meaningless words or strategic levers. When aligned with category expectations, they elevate trust, justify price and differentiate brands. When misaligned, they reduce credibility and can even incite backlash. The brands that thrive will be those that understand not just the megatrends shaping consumer priorities, but the subtle differences in how those priorities play out across categories.
Claims and Cues 2026 will provide that roadmap.