According to Nourish Food Marketing’s 2024 trend report, AI is going to catapult current and future food trends and Gen Alpha is the demo to keep an eye on.
As agency president Jo-Ann McArthur points out, there are far-reaching implications for AI, whether it’s guiding consumers to make better lifestyle choices based on metabolic tracking data, to helping with meal planning, analyzing food preferences and recommending customized meal plans, complete with recipes and fulfilment. And the people driving those trends? The kids of socially and environmentally conscious parents that have prioritized wellness through their lives.
Generation Alpha
The newest generation, Generation Alpha, a demo on the cusp of entering high school, is a group marketers need to be aware of.
Alphas are the offspring of Gen X parents, who have prioritized organic, ethical food sourcing, which influence their children’s choices as well.
This is a group which is smaller in number, more diverse, highly interconnected and the most environmentally conscious generation yet. The group also has more adventurous palates, and as McArthur points out, globally-inspired food and beverage will be the norm and brands need to note that menus will need to go beyond typical chicken fingers and hotdogs, and include the likes of pho and fajitas.
Lastly, many Generation Alpha children are growing up in nontraditional family structures, and that this diversity can influence their attitudes about family, relationships, and societal norms and this will in turn, influence how marketers engage with them.
Brain health
Consumers continue to prioritize their health.
McArthur points out that for boomers, functional food benefits related to aging and cognitive decline, will be key, informed by insights that 40% of consumers are seeking diets to aid in brain function. Food and beverage products are being developed with B vitamins and plant-based Omega-3s and supplements, such as nootropics and natural cognitive enhancers like ginkgo biloba and synthetic ones like modafinil, to support brain health.
As McArthur notes, searches for the organic, water soluble compound, choline, which supports brain and nerve function, have been “on a steady rise for years.” Choline, which is found in eggs, meat, fish and plant based foods like soybeans and cruciferous vegetables, is a compound linked to improving memory and enhancing mental clarity, and will be top of mind for boomers.
AI
AI is already assisting with dynamic pricing, something airlines have “done for years,” while reducing labour costs, optimizing inventory and even helping brands create new products.
For example, Coca-Cola’s AI-powered Y3000 LTO, was created using AI social listening tools, and based on insights gathered the world over to co-create the flavour and design.
For food producers, AI will enable insights-driven farming – satellites, weather stations, IoT devices – resulting in maximum yields with reduced environmental impact and with fewer inputs, like water. One-quarter of growers already report being negatively affected by a lack of available water.
Water conservation
As McArthur notes, water conservation is among the fastest rising environmental concerns, globally surging from 31% in 2022 to 35% in 2023 as a “top environmental concern.” It is increasingly a hot button issue she likens to sentiment about reducing reliance on plastics. And brands, which have heretofore struggled conveying green nomenclature like regenerative agriculture, will at least now have an easier concept to convey to consumers.
Brands will need to develop long-term sustainable water strategies, and get ahead of a situation in which water is no longer viewed as a free good, and find a way to drive consumer awareness about commitments to producing products using less water.
This article originally appeared on strategyonline.ca
