Upcoming study
Claims and Cues 2026: Category Attribute Playbook
Understanding how consumers navigate product distinctions is crucial for staying competitive, effectively engaging with consumers and future-proofing brands in a fast-moving market.
Claims and Cues 2026: Category Attribute Playbook will help food and beverage companies by identifying which product attributes add meaningful value in their categories and which are less compelling, and by providing guidance for skillfully communicating resonant claims and cues to consumers.
Available for pre-purchase now | Publishing March 2026 | U.S. Market coverage
- Executive summary
- General report (PowerPoint and PDF)
- Demographic data tables (Excel)
- Quantitative research: Nationally representative online survey of U.S. food shoppers aged 18-79, with a minimum total sample of n=2,000 and readable samples of demographic audiences such as age cohorts, race/ethnicity and income tiers. Select data will be trended against similar questions fielded in 2024.
- Qualitative research: Multi-day engagement (journaling, prompts, photos and videos) with demographically and regionally diverse consumers. Research will involve an online research platform paired with in-depth, virtual interviews with a subset of participants.
- Cultural analysis: Literature review of marketing, consumer publications and discourse on food and beverage sourcing; engagement with writings/podcasts by cultural informants; social listening on key consumer platforms.
- Methodology
- Executive summary
- Primary report content, including charts, graphs and in-depth analysis of key findings
- Implications and recommendations
- What is the perceived relevance of specific quality attributes—such as minimal processing and ingredient transparency—across a range of key food and beverage categories (with trend comparisons to Beyond Organic 2024 in most categories)?
- How do market forces (e.g., inflation) intersect with consumer values and ultimately influence food and beverage purchase decisions?
- Where do consumers continue to seek assurance through standards like organic, and how do those preferences shift under economic pressures?
- How are consumer expectations around sourcing, production methods and certifications evolving?
- What is the influence of sourcing and production values in both retail (including private brands) and foodservice environments?
For more information: Claims and Cues 2026: Category Attribute Playbook Report brochure
