From caveman to wine and food geek !
In touch with our inner caveman: how technology is enabling some ancient behaviours in the global food and drink industry, according to a new report
Echoes of our primitive tribal roots remain present in our decisions about what we eat and drink, and this phenomenon is being further enabled by the social internet, according to a new report by Intellima.
Three broad instincts – to conform, to explore and to seek reward – are at the heart of consumer attitudes to brands outlined in the report. These are further defined into nine facets of behaviour that drive purchase choices in the report entitled Global Trends in Alcoholic Drinks 2013
Using examples from the drinks industry, as well as the wider consumer world, the report builds up a picture of how people are converging towards a set of characteristics and behaviour patterns. The need to connect with and “own” a unique story is explored in behaviour dubbed Telling Tales, while Feel Good looks at the extent to which we need our behaviour to have a beneficial effect on the world.
Although the study acknowledges that some of the behaviours are more likely to be found in the developed world, it argues that the nine characteristics, which also include more generally observed behaviour such as increasing emphasis on health (dubbed Well Being), the internet-fuelled phenomenon of creating, adapting and mixing ideas (Consumer Generated and Fusion), and the need to ensure that a brand is telling the truth (Transparency) are as applicable in China today as they are in the UK.
The resurgence in vinyl record sales is linked to a fondness for old-time drinks branding; we establish a connection between Starbucks’ UK tax affairs and the natural wine movement; and draw parallels with a real-life Polish superhero and some recent drinks industry efforts to empower women. The online shock and anger in the UK and France at “beef” products containing horse meat is echoed by the increasing pressure building from internet chat rooms in China for more trustworthy regulation of food and drink.
Intellima chief executive Lulie Halstead says: “The internet has not changed us as human beings. It has simply allowed us to tap into some very ancient instincts and to act upon them in new ways. All of the nine trends we observe around the world have been accelerated or amplified by new technology, so the pace of change in the consumer world is unparalleled.”