Kerry, alongside Aspire, an influencer marketing firm, is unveiling new research into the unique set of needs driving US consumption trends and social media engagement strategies at an upcoming webinar event.  

In 2021, Kerry undertook an extensive custom research study of more than 5,000 consumers throughout the United States to understand the pandemic’s effect on what motivates them and how that drives their food and beverage habits. The resulting analysis across nine separate leading food and beverage categories revealed 13 motivations that are critical across consumers as well as consumers’ currently satisfied needs—and pointed to future unmet needs—through a framework aimed at capturing untapped and emerging opportunities across the top food and beverage categories. 

The nine key categories captured in the research include functional/nutritional beverages; refreshing beverages; meat-based appetizers; non-meat appetizers; cooking sauces; salty snacks; sweet snacks; sweet dairy; and chicken. Further, the research sheds light on 13 motivators underpinning consumption habits across the categories, vital analysis that can help product developers and manufacturers understand the “why” behind buying behaviors and provide solutions that can translate into future success—in short, a road map for navigating newly emerging consumer patterns. 

This research will be discussed in a live 45-minute webinar briefing entitled How America Eats: Creating Data-driven Success for Food Brands, to be held March 23, 2022. Join the event to discover how to navigate the “why” behind the leading food and beverage trends while gaining the tools to achieve targeted brand success. Partnering with Aspire, a leading influencer marketing company, the webinar also provides useful drill-down opportunities for additional learning in each category and an expert guide to navigating influencer and social media marketing for product innovation and brand success. Register here.

Commenting on the research, Soumya Nair, global insight and consumer research director said: “How America eats has dramatically changed, due to evolving cultural and lifestyle needs, and the pandemic that has disrupted consumer behavior patterns. Consumer priorities with health and wellness, aging, and perceptions of safety, community, and future have evolved as well.  In order for us to be future-focused, it is vital to understand how people have been affected, what changes have occurred, and which of those changes signal potentially lasting shifts that should ultimately guide the pivotal decisions of product innovators.”

“The webinar attendees will enjoy our How America Eats webinar briefing as it provides an excellent overview of our Consumer Motivations 360 Framework, the research results and an introduction to the tremendous insights uncovered in each category. How America Eats provides a solid foundation that can help guide innovators in their product development and brand campaign efforts. We look forward to discussing the 360 view of a post-2021 consumer, how their shifting motivations and needs are driving category opportunities and how brands can action these needs through their social media and influencer marketing strategies.”

Webinar speakers will include: 

Soumya Nair, global consumer insight and research director—Kerry

Soumya leads Kerry’s global consumer insights and research function at Kerry. She focuses on uncovering value for customers and consumers through unique and differentiated market research and proprietary insights. Prior to her role at Kerry, Soumya worked for consumer insights firm Kantar, where she focused on go-to business strategies, consumer segmentation, and concept optimization in the food, beverage, and luxury product segments.

Shannon Coco, strategic marketing director—Kerry

Shannon leads strategic marketing for all food categories in North America. In her role, she develops insight-led strategies for technology innovation, new product creation, and commercial activation aimed at driving business growth. Before joining Kerry, Shannon held roles in market research and the higher education field.

Magda Houalla, director of marketing strategy—Aspire

Magda leads the marketing strategy for Aspire, where she focuses on social media strategy, influencer marketing and brand storytelling. Previously, Magda was social media manager for Lumoid, partnering with influencers to promote and increase brand awareness.

Registration for the How America Eats webinar briefing is here.