Nepa’s UK Managing Director Lindsay Parry was at the Quirk’s Event London 2022 last week hosting a fascinating panel discussion featuring BV Pradeep, former Global VP – Consumer & Market Insight at Unilever and Jeannine Ferguson, Marketing & Innovation Director at sustainable packaging specialists DS Smith about what consumers and shoppers want from brands in the future, and therefore, what we should be planning for and doing to make sure our brands stay future proofed.

As part of its ‘Future View – The next 10 years consumer study’, Nepa surveyed more than 5,600 Consumers and Shoppers across 7 global markets about their view on topics including Food & Drink, Shopping habits, E-commerce, Sustainability and Entertainment and how they expect their behaviours and needs may change.

In addition, Nepa interviewed key insight experts from leading global organisations including Mondelēz, Unilver, Vodafone, Reckitt and L’Oréal to understand from their viewpoint what changes we could experience and how that would impact brand insights and marketing teams.

Here are some key reflections from Lindsay following the panel discussions:

1.  The importance of Omnichannel for the brand experience

Shoppers want an in-store experience when purchasing online. For example, when buying an expensive designer outfit, consumers want it to come packaged with the same ‘unwrap’ experience as you’d receive in store. Nike and other brands already recognise this and the power of packaging for online deliveries… but many brands aren’t yet using the online experience to re-enforce their brand experience.

More than a third of respondents to Nepa’s consumer survey said they expect to do at least 70% of their shopping online rather than instore in 10 years’ time. That figure increases to over half of Chinese shoppers and two-thirds for those in India, highlighting the innovation in retail channels being forged across Asia which brands will need to adapt to in the near future.

READ ALSO: Understanding consumers: What gets them to the checkout?

2.  The power of local versus global insights…

… especially for global brands. Citing the example of Axe/Lynx deodorants, panellist BV Pradeep explained that it had initially been produced and launched with the same strength of scent in all markets. Early sales were below expectations in both Japan and India but for very different reasons. In Japan, where personal space is crucial, the scent was seen as too invasive and too ‘rude’ to other people’s personal space. In India, the scent was not seen as strong enough! In both cases this crucial cultural difference had not been uncovered through product or ad testing at a local level.

3.  We must continue to increase our understanding of consumers and their needs

At a time when increased cost of living is affecting buying behaviours as priorities change, keeping on top of what consumers and shoppers want from brands in the future is more important than ever.

Brand marketing and consumer insights are seen by some businesses as bottom line costs which can be removed, particularly when there is pressure to make savings. The feeling from the panellists (and echoed by the Quirk’s event audience) is that understanding consumers, their needs, and the many cultural nuances globally, is critical and should be considered an investment that will drive ROI, innovation, penetration…and competitive advantage.

What next?

It’s safe to say there are going to be some very exciting times ahead interpreting shopper, consumer and retail behaviour for a better world!

COMING SOON:  Nepa Originals report: ‘A view from the future – Outlook on what the future holds from foresight experts.’

Want to know more? Contact us today and our brand experts will help!

The food and beverages industry has seen much development in its approach to sustainability, and our recent study has revealed just how far people are prepared to go (or not to go) to support sustainable products in food and drink. We asked 5,600 consumers in seven large markets: United Kingdom, United States, India, China, Sweden, Brazil, and Germany, about their opinions on what they wish will happen in the future, looking at a variety of industries such as FMCG, Food and Beverage, Packaging, and Retail.

Sustainability was one of the focal points of the study since it’s becoming a growing concern for many individuals in everyday life. As a result, many people are starting to transform their habits to be more mindful of the environment, and brands have also developed towards a greener way of operating.

With that said, there are differences in specific markets’ attitudes to food, beverages, and sustainability. For example, we found that people in the UK are unwilling to make long-term changes when giving up things they enjoy. On the other hand, India and Brazil are more open to extreme changes in their diet.

So, what do consumers wish will happen 10 years down the line?

Edible Packaging as a New Snack

We found that innovative trends such as edible packaging provide an opportunity for brands to plan and stand out in the future. Whether it be rice flour, wheat, or sorghum, we found that consumers are ready to eat their boxes for a more sustainable future.

It’s a big thumbs up from all markets, with over 70% of people in India and China, 55% in Brazil and 44% in both Sweden and the UK approving of edible packaging. So don’t be surprised if you see people eating their cereal box at some point soon.

Vegan or Red Meat?

When it comes to red meat alternatives, we found that UK respondents want to stay loyal to their roast beef. When asked if they wish to see vegan products outselling meat in the future, only 36% of people responded positively! 53% even said they are unlikely to stop eating red meat at all.

Swedish respondents also stay devoted to their meatballs, as 57% of people said they would not stop eating red meat, which is slightly higher than the global average of 52%

On the contrary, Indian respondents continued to support more sustainable options, with 68% of people wanting to see plant-based outselling meat in the future. A further 52% of Brazilian respondents are happy to see vegan alternatives outsell red meat.

Artificial Meat and Plant-Based Dairy Products

Artificial meat has become another trending topic in the food and sustainability sectors, with much talk about this product becoming widely available soon.

However, when asked if they would want to see lab-grown food available in supermarkets, only 25% of UK respondents felt positive, and 28% were highly negative about the possibility. The UK is also unwilling to fully embrace non-dairy alternatives, with only 35% of people wanting to see plant-based milk outsell regular dairy milk.

Swedish respondents were also not in favour of lab-grown alternatives, with 22% feeling positive and 29% rejecting the possibility altogether. However, India is the most open country to animal-based options, with 45% of people feeling optimistic about lab-grown products and 55% wanting non-dairy milk products to outsell dairy.

Shopping in a Virtual Store

As well as changes to the food and beverage industry, retail is another sector that could potentially see shifts in how consumers engage in terms of consumption and utilisation.

For example, when asked how they would feel about completing grocery shopping in a virtual supermarket, most responded positively, with 79% of Chinese and 78% of Indian respondents being favourable to the concept. Alternatively, Sweden was less receptive to the idea with 34% of positive respondents, as were Germany with 35%.

Social media has also become a monumental tool for consumers in modern times but divides opinions between markets. When asked about social media becoming the primary channel for buying ‘top-up’ groceries, 69% of respondents from Sweden and 53% from the US were against this idea. In contrast, 64% of respondents in India and a significant 79% in China would like to see that happen, reflecting the appetites in both markets social media and retail innovation.

The variance in markets is wide, as our data demonstrates – although being sustainable is a must, brands can’t afford not to consider the differences in needs and wishes around the world.

By Lindsay Parry, Managing Director at Nepa

Want to know more? Contact us today and our brand experts will help you!

Onboarding, Productivity, Diversity and a Changing World of Work

Tydy, Employee Experience Platform shares latest insights into employee behavior and sentiment

Qualitative & Quantitative Research powered by Nepa India Pvt Ltd

MUMBAI, India (February 28th, 2022) – As a leading Employee Experience solution, Tydy helps HR leaders drive innovation by simplifying and unifying workplace processes across the entire employee lifecycle – from onboarding to offboarding.

In its quest to better understand what drives employees to be their best at work, Tydy in collaboration with Nepa India Pvt. Ltd., its qualitative and quantitative research partner, launched three EX 2021 reports – ‘Onboarding Out Of Office’, ‘Pandemic Playback’ and ‘Diversity Matters’.

Nepa India conducted qualitative deep dives with employees from various walks of life and set the foundation for a quantitative study with 800+ employees across four metros (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore). The quantitative read was conducted amongst entry, mid and senior level employees across industries like IT/ITES, Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Retail, BFSI and E-commerce.

The study sheds light on the difference in employee sentiment and experience between those who joined their new jobs before and after COVID, giving us an interesting insight into its impact on employees. The reports also cover themes like onboarding gaps, thoughts around career progression, diversity & inclusion, work-life balance, among other things.

To get access to the complete reports, please visit the following links:
1. Onboarding Out of Office
2. Post Pandemic Playback
3. Diversity Matters

Want to know more? Contact us today and our brand experts will help you! 

LONDON, United Kingdom (February 19th, 2022) – Nepa spoke to over 5,600 consumers around the world to find out their views on what they think will happen for the next 10 years. One of the topics was food, packaging and sustainability – see articles below.

Click to read the full articles here:
New Food Magazine – Would you eat a cereal box to save the planet?
Sustainable Packaging News – Would You Eat Your Cereal Box?
Bakery and Snacks – Brits would be happy to eat their cereal boxes for a more sustainable future

Want to know more? Contact us today and our brand experts will help you!