How is Trendipedia put together?
For over 15 years, researchers at Tetra Pak have been gathering data in order to understand the impact of global events and shifting consumer attitudes and behaviour in our industry. The result of this work is a regularly updated trend report called Trendipedia. Insights from Trendipedia guide our own portfolio development as well as helping producers prioritise their product development investments. Below, Business Insights Leader Anna Larsson explains how Trendipedia is put together, and how you can leverage our expertise to inform your own portfolio strategy.
Where does the Trendipedia data come from?
“Every year, Tetra Pak’s Business Insights and Analytics team gathers and studies a range of trend reports published by reputable research organisations such as Ipsos and Mintel. To complete the picture, we also carry out around 60 independent research projects annually. The topics we cover are diverse and wide-ranging. They can include everything from the consumption habits of a specific demographic (e.g. seniors or Gen Z) to the impacts of inflation, to the future of plant-based ingredients.”
How do you analyse the information?
“Needless to say, it’s a time-consuming task! There’s a huge amount of data to review, and not all of it is directly related to the food and beverage industry. So, our first step is to decide what’s relevant and cluster the data points and observations into trend themes. “We then analyse each theme and consider its implications. We ask ourselves how the current situation or ongoing events might impact consumers’ attitudes or needs, and ultimately how they might change consumers’ purchasing habits. We’re always looking for clues about the future of the food and beverage industry – products, packaging and marketing – with a view to identifying new business opportunities.”
How can you be sure you’re focusing on the right things?
“We don’t claim to have a crystal ball. We work on identifying and describing the trends we see that have not yet become mainstream. They should be new enough to inspire, yet widespread and enduring enough to provide a solid basis upon which to innovate. “Each trend represents an unmet consumer need, and that is where we find the new business opportunities for packaging and categories. Starting with an unmet consumer need does not guarantee success, but it certainly improves the producer’s chances of getting it right. In the end, successful product launches are all about execution and finding the right marketing mix (product, price, promotion, availability etc.) which is both a science and an art.”
Do you take regional variations into account?
“Yes, absolutely! Some markets tend to be 'trend setters' while others are 'followers'. A strong trend in one country can provide clues about what’s coming up in another. But it could take several years for the trend to emerge, and it might be expressed differently in order to fit the local context.”
How is Trendipedia used?
“Our marketing community uses Trendipedia to anchor product solutions in market needs, to promote innovation workshops, to show industry thought leadership, to present at industry events and inspire customers with opportunities. In short, many different ways.”
How can our readers access the contents of Trendipedia?
“We don’t publish the full version of our report online for copyright reasons. But we generally share a summary of our findings and are always willing to share our insights with customers who come to visit us in Lund and Modena. And the thought starters provide an excellent basis for ideation sessions and innovation workshops run by Tetra Pak Marketing Services. Anyone who would like to be kept informed of our latest trend research is invited to get in touch.”
Do the trends really change …or just morph over time?
“In some cases, the same themes hang around for a decade or more, manifesting in different ways from year to year. A classic example of this is the health trend. 10 years ago, it was all about low-fat products to help consumers lose weight, whereas today it’s more about how consumers can boost their immunity or better handle stress. This makes sense when you consider that the world recently emerged from a pandemic and (out of the frying pan into the fire!) we are now dealing with inflation and supply chain issues, as a result of both climate change and war."
