“The food industry needs to work harder to keep up with consumer trends and many existing brands need to change their ways.” That’s according to Dr Kenneth McKenzie, Strategic Planning Director with Dublin-based ad and marketing agency Target McConnells, who has been watching food-related developments with a keen eye.
Uncomfortable changes in grocery retail sector
One of the most remarkable disruptions in food retail is how discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl have changed the meaning of a food brand, he says.
“Brands used to be guarantees that the product you were going to eat was safe and of good quality, and that made perfect sense in the industrial revolution and even in the 20th century.
“Now these retailers are showing consumers that low prices don’t have to mean any real loss in food quality.
“You may never heard of this brand of tuna or jam but, when you try it, you find it is probably better than the one from the brand with 100 years of heritage behind them. It’s fascinating and it’s uncomfortable thinking for a lot of existing brand owners.”
Food as experience
The challenge is compounded by a more questioning vein among some consumers, with more focus on the provenance, craft and manufacture of food. To move with the times, small-scale food and drink producers and companies need to make their fare more of an experience, notes Kenneth.
“Companies need to think about how they get their food product into a café or restaurant or on a stall as well as make it for sale in their own shop, maybe even by running a pop-up shop,” he says.
Future challenges
In the context of this changing environment and a reduction in brand loyalty, guidance for consumers on the safety and quality of their food is more important than ever.
The regulatory authorities and other food agencies need to have the technical expertise and communication skills to build and maintain trust, and provide the reassurance that consumers require.
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