The results are in for 2016's food marketing trends.
quench, a full-service food and beverage brand-building boutique, has announced the new forecast for its annual Food and Beverage Marketing Trends forecast. The report features trends that are common across the food and beverage category, as well as ones that exist in a smaller niche.
The common thread? Those trends will all pick up steam in the coming year.
"quench has been keeping a keen eye on four broad macro trends that have been building momentum over the past few years, and is watching them come to life through various micro trends," says Darby Hughes, quench brand strategy director and trends expert. "We're seeing new channels that will forever change the way we shop, new technology that will let us talk to our food, and new definitions of healthy that embrace fats and shame anything artificial."
The trends include:
Rise of the Machines
Consumers are always eager to take a bite out of the newest technology. Innovations in this area mean that technology is quickly entering every aspect of consumers' lives. Notable advances include:
● Whirlpool's Kitchen of the Future: A kitchen countertop that can access Twitter
● Amazon Dash Button: The internet's largest retailer, only a button away
● Next Glass: An app that predicts what drinks you'll enjoy before you even get to the bar
● Nara: the Pandora of restaurants that makes going out effortless
Take Some Responsibility
Sustainable practices are table stakes in almost every category. The move toward sustainability has inspired numerous innovations in the name of being better.
● Plastic bag taxes: Changing the checkout line forever
● Packaging innovations: Why manufacturers are focused on the outside as much as the inside
● Intermarche: A store like you've never seen before
● Daily Table: Taking on the challenge of eliminating wasted food
The New Channels
When consumers can order food using an emoji, good old pizza delivery seems like an ancient tradition. New channels are emerging to offer consumers new ways to order their favorite foods.
● Big brand subscriptions: Big brands like Kellogg’s are considering tapping into the success of subscription services
● Small subscription boxes: Any snack you can dream of delivered to your doorstep, including Try the World, Graze, and Japan Crate
● Instacart: Groceries delivered right to your door, no physical shopping required
● FreshDirect: One company is changing the face of grocery
The New Face of Healthy
As the definition of "healthy" changes, new sources of nutrition become popular and traditional health foods evolve.
● Bye-bye trans fats: FDA-mandated changes to nutrition labels
● Avoiding artificial: The all-natural movement reaches large chains like Taco Bell and Pizza Hut
● The butter revival: I can’t believe it is butter.
● Goodbye, HFCS; Hello, sugar: Companies like Pepsi and Coke are embracing good old sugar
