Five Consumer Segments are Shaping Demand for Health and Wellbeing Nutrition  

Understanding consumer attitudes toward wellbeing and nutrition has become increasingly complex. The latest Ipsos Nutiani Health & Wellbeing Consumer Segmentation Research offers innovators insights into the motivations, behaviours and lifestyles of health-conscious consumer groups and how they approach nutrition.

Modern consumers are increasingly viewing wellbeing through a more sophisticated lens, choosing to embrace a proactive and holistic approach to achieve their health goals. Healthy eating has also become one of the common actions adopted by consumers, with close to 90% believing well-balanced diets are important to preventing major illnesses¹.

There is a clear opportunity for brands to capture the growing demand for holistic nutrition solutions. However, preferences and needs vary across health-conscious consumers and they are seeking more personalised solutions to fit their lifestyles. Brands need to understand these differences and nuances to effectively tailor their solutions and build deeper consumer relationships. 

To support our customers in their personalisation journey, we partnered with leading market research agency, Ipsos, to survey 5,950 people across seven markets on their perceptions and behaviours toward health and wellbeing.
 

The five health-conscious consumer archetypes

Examining engagement, awareness, motivations and attitudes toward wellbeing and nutrition, the research uncovers five distinct groups that represent the current consumer landscape.

Common barriers and priorities in nutrition behaviour

Incomplete and discrepancies in information around healthy food are holding back consumers from managing their nutrition. Four of the five consumer segments experience a knowledge gap, while the remaining group say they are hampered by conflicting information on available products. 
 

Trust in relation to food safety and quality is one of the main concerns for all consumer archetypes. 

The findings also reinforced the need for brands to overcome commonly identified barriers to healthy eating such as taste, cost and convenience, as demonstrated in our Consumer Wellness Research. On top of this, consumers are seeking sustainably sourced and produced products. Our findings revealed a preference for natural and less-processed foods that are known to have a lower environmental impact.
 

More than 60% of consumers are concerned about environmental issues and all segments agree that it is the manufacturer’s responsibility to ensure production is sustainable.

These commonalities indicate that concerns around trust and sustainability are not sufficiently addressed by existing products on the market. There is a growing opportunity to develop solutions that capture this demand and tailor communication to build credibility. 

Localised differences emerge

The drive towards globalisation has accelerated in recent years and inevitably impacted consumer behaviour. While some habits are influenced by global trends, our report reveals distinct consumer needs and preferences in each market surveyed, due to the unique macro-environment. Key factors considered include cultural norms, perceived societal challenges and reliance on social media.

Summary

Our research shows there is no one-size-fits-all solution, and reinforces the importance of segmentation to maximise the opportunity this growing market of health-conscious consumers presents. Each consumer archetype is motivated by distinct reasons and barriers, and each geographic market has an added layer of cultural nuance. 

To stand out in the highly competitive wellbeing nutrition market, brands need to develop tailored solutions with products and strategies that speak to the consumers’ unique motivations, while addressing the challenges they are facing in managing their health and wellbeing.

To learn more, download our report or contact us.