Survey Reveals Superheroes of Product Success: Colors & Flavors

Innova Market Insights' research has identified the role of colors and flavors as being highly significant in the development of successful new products.
Innova Market Insights' research has identified the role of colors and flavors as being highly significant in the development of successful new products.

Research from Innova Market Insights has revealed the role of colors and flavors to be highly significant in the development of successful new products as consumers look to balance tastiness, clean eating, transparency and a stronger personalized approach to fit their lifestyles.

Related: Comax Releases 2020 Flavor Trends

As made evident in the Innova Trends Survey 2019, 74% of global consumers agreed/strongly agreed that they love to discover new flavors while 57% think it’s important to consume foods/beverages that are good for their bodies.

Previously: Conscious Consumers Driving Food and Beverage Trends

In relation, functionally flavorful concepts are increasingly focusing on health and natural ingredients. Botanicals, particularly floral flavors, are seeing rising levels of interest across numerous food/beverage categories. Innova Market Insights discovered through its research that one in two people associated floral flavored drinks with freshness and herbal flavored drinks with healthiness. Spice/seed and herb flavors are gaining rising levels of use.

Brands are also “greening up” their portfolios to attract the growing health-minded consumer group – as eating green is moving mainstream – and “earthy” flavors are spreading across the industry with ingredients like matcha, seaweed and mushrooms.

Bitter flavors with ingredients like spinach, kale, celery and Brussels sprouts are also on trend as a result of consumers seeking to reduce their sugar intake and increase their consumption of green vegetables. Bitter-toned beverages are also trending, with gins being particularly popular over the past few years, and seeing a growing variation of flavors, colors and formats.

Trend-conscious consumers are seeking adventurous, reimagined options and enjoy an element of surprise on their plates. Flavor is playing a major part in consumers moving out of their comfort zones, which is illustrated by the fact that 6 out of 10 U.S. and U.K. survey respondents agreed that they love to discover foods of other cultures. However, there is also ongoing activity in products of more local origin utilizing local ingredients and local recipes.

Brands are also launching mystery flavors and reinventing classics with novel twists while also developing new and more unusual flavor combinations.

There is a growing role for more colorful foods and beverages, as celebrity chefs, food bloggers and influencers inspire a focus on the beauty of food. Colorful online marketing strategies also spark interest. In addition to some bright or unusual colors, some color-changing options are also being introduced.

Innova’s research indicates that, in North America and Europe, the top colors for food and beverage were red and brown, and over the 2014 to 2018 period, the fastest growing options were red and yellow in North America, but orange and purple in Europe.

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