From the proliferation of GLP-1 medications to persistent scrutiny of UPFs, movements like “Make America Healthy Again” and the growing interest in biohacking and longevity, wellness culture — and its resulting trends — is becoming more complex than ever. However, true opportunity lies in navigating the broader cultural influences shaping consumer behavior and uncovering the spaces where your brand can lead:
- Macro forces: Understanding marketplace dynamics locally, regionally and globally.
- Cross-industry insights: Exploring how trends in adjacent industries (e.g., fashion, technology) ripple into food and beverage.
- Consumer behaviors: Assessing the evolution of how people discover, source and shop for products across physical and digital landscapes.
- Attributes of tomorrow: Identifying future product benefits, behaviors and occasions likely to disrupt categories.
- Cultural cues: Recognizing how evolving societal values align with specific product attributes.
- Emerging consumer groups: Anticipating the needs and behaviors of future audiences to ensure long-term relevance.
This holistic framework is the foundation of our annual trend report, Ideas in Food. We examine five ideas that could develop into trends within the health and wellness space over the next 3-5 years, as well as 10 other ideas gaining momentum within the larger trend themes of “experience and exploration” and “intentional consumption.”
Unlike other trend reports, though, you’ll gain insight into why these trends are emerging and how you can prepare to proactively respond. For example, we don’t see the cultural focus on gut health waning any time soon. However, we’re urging our clients to focus more on the trend’s next evolution, from new discoveries on the gut-brain connection to tech’s role in improving GI health.
These critical insights will help ensure your strategies are as forward-thinking as the consumers you’re trying to engage. If you’re ready to explore the future of food and how your business can thrive in a shifting landscape, let’s start a conversation. Connect with Shelley Balanko to schedule an introductory consultation: shelley@hartman-group.com.
Want even deeper insight into the future of wellness culture?
Watch for our Q1 syndicated report, Health & Wellness 2025: The Interplay of Vitality and Longevity. This study builds on three decades of longitudinal data to explore how consumers engage with the trending needs of vitality and longevity, how those needs interplay with short-term health goals and how all of this can inform ingredients, formats, communications and packaging.