SEATTLE -- Expect 2018 to be the year of innovation for the food and beverage industries. Experts from MSL, a public relations and integrated communications network, are predicting that an array of technological innovations will make it easier to acquire and consume foods and beverages tailored to specific consumer food needs, speeds and philosophies.
The analysis, compiled by the company's food marketing and PR team, suggests that there are six factors that will drive innovation in the food and beverage markets.
"The large and sometimes lumbering food sector has had a fire set under it," said Steve Bryant, MSL's North American director of food, beverage and agriculture. "The speed of technology has transformed consumer expectations. Now, consumers are powerfully equipped to curate their food and drink choices, calling on trusted social influencers and freely experimenting in today's multifaceted marketplace. Food makers will race to keep pace."
Each year, MSL's team of culinary experts completes their forecast for the coming year, basing their insights off trends and industry research gleaned from extensive reviews of industry developments, attendance at industry meetings and analysis of sector sales data.
"Smart marketers will tap into these trends as an opportunity for growth," said Joy Blakeslee, the registered dietitian who directs MSL's North America Culinary and Nutrition Center. "The trends we're forecasting present valuable opportunities in product development and promotion, social-media engagement and media and influencer endorsement."
Click through for the six factors the group predicts will drive conversation and commerce in the food and beverage markets ...
Building on the clean ingredients trend, brands will now want to look as clean on the outside as they are on the inside with clean labels and clean packaging.
Almond milk was just the beginning. Expect more in the way of plant milks and butchery, such as coconut yogurt, vegetable steaks, squash pasta and more.
The report describes a growing desire for instant gratification as "a modern gold rush," meaning competing food delivery outfits are racing to close the gap between hunger and satiation.
Grass-fed and cultured dairy products that tout local terroir (the set of all environmental factors that affect a crop's phenotype) are getting more and more attention. These types of products that span categories are local, artisan, probiotic and Instagramable.
Amazon is disrupting business as usual for food retailers, forcing them to innovate. The experts expect a buyer's market, rich with entertainment and special offers in-store and personalized inducements online.
Customers have gotten very picky with their food choices, guarding against allergies and intolerance, accounting for genetics and catering to the latest dietary fads, the experts said. Food makers are responding with tailored products to accommodate each and every one.
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