Givaudan revamps its FlavourVision® consumer trend programme to mark 10th anniversary

Givaudan, the global leader in flavours and fragrances, today announced new developments enhancing its industry-leading trends programme, FlavourVision®, coinciding with its 10th anniversary.

The new FlavourVision® edition reveals seven key consumer trends from Crafted Identities to Risk Aware and Human Connection. These trends are brought to life with over 250 market examples including a fresh take on how health, identity, and enjoyment are translated into eating and drinking experiences.

Furthermore, it includes an interactive digital platform allowing for dynamic consumer trends to be tracked. A global network of cultural researchers have captured and shared great market examples from a dozen cities, with more being added daily.

“These developments represent a significant step forward for our customers offering greater granularity of insight,” says Marissa Barnes, Global Marketing Head. “They need ideas that are relevant and actionable to take a future focused approach to product development. With FlavourVision® we link consumer trends to the most pressing food and beverage challenges, and to our flavours and technical expertise. We connect the ‘wow’ with the ‘how’.”

The new digital platform allows Givaudan to conduct virtual trend treks with customers, so they can find out about the latest trends in each market. Customers can see what’s on the menu at the newest local restaurants, view the most up to date food and drink products on the shelves in local stores and find out about what is in vogue locally such as vegan rainbow lattes in coffee shops in North America or Stoyn ‘sculptural’ ice cream from Russia, an all-natural ice cream shaped as pop cultural icons that entertains the senses with flavours and the brain with shapes.

Pictures, comments and videos of these experiences are uploaded onto the platform and can be shared with audiences in real time, around the world, allowing them to experience the TrendTrek® virtually.

“We are really excited by the new platform which allows us to see the day-to-day development of these trends at street level in regional markets across the world. This will allow us to give our customers both a top down view of the major trends influencing the market, complemented by an understanding of how this is playing out locally,” Barnes continues.

Givaudan works closely with customers to turn vision into reality, decoding the trends and drawing on the latest ingredients and flavour technologies to generate successful innovations which connect with consumers and their needs.

FlavourVision® is founded on over 70 global drivers of change based on independent survey data from 33,000 consumers in 25 markets articulating changes in society, politics, economics, environment and technology and their implications for consumer attitudes and behaviours. It gives customers the most comprehensive and in-depth analysis of consumer food and drink trends available in the market.

About the consumer trends

Crafted Identities
As technology, social media, and globalisation widen their reach, people are willing to defy traditional definitions of identity and embrace more complex, fluid expressions of self beyond gender, race, and ethnicity. This translates into food choices driven by social causes/values; novelty, exotic flavours and flavour fusions, and food experiences worth sharing socially.

Layered Wellness
People are leveraging heritage and high-tech solutions to address not only the physical, but also the mental, emotional, social, and spiritual aspects of wellbeing. The increasing quantification of health is enabling more proactive wellness measures and driving consumer demand for functional foods, ‘better for you’ products and pure and simple ingredients lists.

Human Connection
People are craving community and human connection even as they become more mobile and independent. Companies are responding by celebrating cultural heritage, craftsmanship, and provenance. This is translating into a demand for authentic flavours and cooking methods, food with a provenance or connected to a specific culture and sustainable and ethically sourced products.

Tailored Expectations
Finding scale across niche opportunities is the new challenge in this world. It is easier than ever for consumers to find products and services to meet their unique needs. Advances in technology will allow consumers to quantify and communicate their needs, permitting trusted brands to provide the most relevant solutions. This trend links to high levels of diversification and niche food and drink products alongside personalised nutrition.

DelightFULL
With a sense of global uncertainty and the pressures of modern life, consumers are seeking moments of escape and meaningful indulgence, whether that’s a decadent dessert or a novel, shareable brand experience. This is translating into demand for multi-sensory eating experiences, indulgent ingredients and exotic tastes.

Risk Aware
A constant barrage of conflicting information on health, global security, and the environment has left people feeling anxious and unsure of whom to trust. Consumers crave transparent, authentic communication from brands to be sure they’re making the right choice for themselves and their families. This is leading to increased interest in natural, organic and sustainable food, transparent labelling and minimally processed foods. 

Augmented Self
As consumers seek self-improvement they are increasingly open to experimenting, from ancient Ayurvedic remedies to emerging high-tech solutions. As sensing technologies and genomics advance, people will have access to more tools to meet their unique needs. This trend is leading consumers to seek out functional and fortified foods with physical, emotional and cognitive benefits.