Enjoyment is the main reason for meal choice
This week I have asked my colleague and usage expert Giles Quick (UK) about some of the questions he has received recently. The following three insights are based on UK data but are likely to have similar implications elsewhere,
not just in foods but for other categories.
- Despite all the trends and talk of plant-based, vegan, no additives etc, ‘enjoyment’ is far and away the most important and valuable reason for meal choice. ‘Health’ as a reason for choice languishes considerably behind.
- For single need meal occasions, enjoyment again is key – important for those products and brands most likely to figure on such occasions. ‘Practicality’ rather than ‘health’ joins ‘enjoyment’ when the occasion satisfies two needs.
- To understand this further by looking at the underlying ladder of needs behind enjoyment, practicality and health, it is ‘taste’ that dominates – an important insight when looking to develop new flavours and variants.