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Profiting From Consumer Mega-Trends in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: Health

Datamonitor
September 16, 2009
SKU: DFMN2445083

Abstract Table of Contents Search inside this report Related Reports

Countries covered: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates

Introduction

For 85% of UAE and 75% of Saudi Arabian consumers “maintaining or improving health” has become more important to them personally over the last two years.

This report outlines how over 40 health-driven trends influence consumer lifestyles and product choices and considers the implications and opportunities for industry players.

Scope

Detailed trend analysis outlining what constitutes ‘value’ for consumers (trends are, after all, a reflection of what’s important to consumers)
Offers UAE and Saudi Arabian category insights, benchmarked against global sentiment, to cater for contextualized regional specific information needs
Covers all major FMCG sectors, but also with applicability to wider consumer goods audiences
Part of Datamonitor’s mega-trend report series which outline the most important issues shaping current and future buying behavior

Highlights

Good trend-watching is about taking the bigger-picture approach. Adopting a broader perspective to trend-tracking facilitates better decision making by overcoming ‘category myopia’. Monitoring the broader FMCG environment will enable bigger picture learning that can be applied more specifically

Over the last two years maintaining or improving health has become more important to 85% of UAE and 75% of Saudi consumers. Consumers have become more holistic in their approach to health, placing greater importance on improving welling through beauty regimes, positive nutrition, work-life balance and personal hygiene

UAE and Saudi consumers are some of the most keen to try and follow a dieting regime. 40% feel guilty about snacking between meals. With levels of body-shape anxiety elevated, ‘good for you’ product formulations, as well as ‘low,’ ‘less’ or ‘zero’ options will increasingly find favour with MENA consumers

Reasons to Purchase

Understand the significance of the different health-aligned trends across FMCG sectors to help support market diversification plans
Save time and gain deep insight by using this 'one-stop-shop' resource which offers a clear and up-to-date framework for understanding MENA consumers
Access data from 2009 primary research to increase the likelihood of being ‘on-trend’ with NPD and marketing activities in the MENA region

Overview
Catalyst
Summary
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Health concerns in the Middle East are gaining momentum and increasing in scope; Consumers are acting more holistically in the pursuit of general wellbeing; Health conscious consumers are increasingly prone to, and acting upon, product safety concerns; Ethical Wellbeing reflects a convergence of ethicality and emotional wellbeing; Financial Wellbeing reflects how consumers value the peace of mind that emanates from financial security; Stress is a common theme in modern lifestyles as consumers adopt stress reduction strategies in their pursuit of wellbeing; Jaded Society: overcoming fatigue and lethargy; Visual Culture: appearance consciousness continues to characterize an image conscious society; Sterilized Society: the escalating obsession with hygiene, cleanliness and immunity; Consumers are embracing tools that enable more informed health-driven choices; Moderation and avoidance; Positive nutrition; Fitness for wellbeing: getting active and using supporting products
Table of Contents
Table of figures
INTRODUCTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF TREND-TRACKING: Tracking consumer mega-trends is fundamental to long-term success; Trend-tracking insight 1: mega-trends can be classified in two ways according to desirable product/service benefits and societal complexities; Trend-tracking insight 2: trends are aligned with pre-existing, but evolving human values, attitudes, needs and behaviors; Trend-tracking insight 3: mega-trends can be broken down into trends and sub-trends to provide structure and clarity at a time of 'information overload'; Trend-tracking insight 4: manufacturers, retailers and researchers/futurologists perpetuate trends; Trend-tracking insight 5: adopting a broader perspective to trend-tracking facilitates better decision making by overcoming 'category myopia'; Trend-tracking insight 6: trends have longer-term implications than fads and can be categorized by evolvement; Trend-tracking insight 7: for every trend there is a 'counter-trend' while 'trend-crossover' is also and important phenomena; Takeouts and implications: a trend framework boosts the quality and frequency of insight generation ensuring maximum return from the broader market research processes in place
THE FUTURE DECODED: DECIPHERING THE HEALTH MEGA-TREND
MEGA-TREND SYNOPSIS: Health concerns in the Middle East are gaining momentum and increasing in scope
TREND: Middle Eastern consumers are acting more holistically in the pursuit of general wellbeing
SUB-TREND: Middle Eastern consumers are taking more self responsibility for, and placing greater importance on, their health: In both the UAE and Saudi, health is becoming an increasingly important issue as health reforms improve chronic disease awareness and accessibility to healthcare services; Key takeouts and implications: health is set to stay at the top of the agenda for the years ahead
SUB-TREND: Middle Eastern consumers are adopting a broader ""wellness"" orientated lifestyle: Consumers in the Gulf are adopting a ""wellness"" oriented lifestyle; Key takeouts and implications: the pursuit of wellness/wellbeing is best thought of not as a trend in its own right, but as an umbrella of related trends and behaviors that must be reflected in products and marketing
TREND: Health conscious Middle Eastern consumers are increasingly prone to, and acting upon, product safety concerns
SUB-TREND: Intensifying product safety anxieties affect many Middle Eastern citizens: Product safety is an issue gaining prominence in the Gulf region; Key takeouts and implications: escalating health attentiveness has been matched by growing concern about the safety of products
SUB-TREND: Consumer sensitivity is a growing phenomena as reflected by allergen and intolerance influenced consumption among Middle Eastern consumers: Consumers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia are highly conscious of the food and drinks they purchase due to issues with tolerance or allergies; Key takeouts and implications: consumer sensitivities such as allergies and intolerances create opportunities to target specific segments
SUB-TREND: 'Fear-driven avoidance' means some consumers are outright rejecting products with what are perceived as harmful ingredients or where safety is compromised: Key takeouts and implications: consumers will be less forgiving when products compromise their safety
SUB-TREND: Middle Eastern consumers are opting for local products and products produced in countries with strict phyto-sanitary regulations: The average cconsumer in the UAE and Saudi-and in the Gulf generally-favours locally produced food; however certain consumer sub-groups show no preference for local produce at all; Key takeouts and implications: while globally, safety concerns will be one of a number of drivers ensuring that 'local' products will continue to gain favourability, in the UAE and Saudi the picture is much more complex
SUB-TREND: Middle Eastern shoppers increasingly value reassurances and transparency about how products are produced
UAE and Saudi consumers want to know where and how their products were produced: Key takeouts and implications: reassuring consumers will become a necessity to overcome trust voids and build stronger brands
TREND: Ethical wellbeing reflects a convergence of ethicality and emotional wellbeing
SUB-TREND: Direct and indirect consumer altruism shapes consumer choices: Ethical and/or environmental considerations heavily impact Middle Eastern consumers' purchasing activities; Key takeouts and implications: ethics, environmentalism and health are more inter-related than many come to realize
TREND: Financial wellbeing: and the 'economies of happiness' influence emotional and physical wellbeing
SUB-TREND: Consumers value the peace of mind that emanates from financial security: Wealth is a particularly important determinant of emotional wellbeing in the Gulf, partially because personal identity is highly dependant on consumerism; Key takeouts and implications: financial anxieties increase consumers' focus on the short-term
SUB-TREND: Financial moderation: Middle Eastern consumers are exercising more financial prudence and control: The downturn has prompted Middle Easterners to manage their finances more closely and adjust lifestyles; Key takeouts and implications: growing levels of financial moderation will place additional pressure on the growth of upscale premium products and further intensify value consciousness
TREND: Stress is a common theme in modern lifestyles as Middle Eastern consumers adopt stress reduction strategies in their pursuit of wellbeing
SUB-TREND: Consumers are confronted with the need to confront and manage tension and anxiety: Stress and tension have increased dramatically in the UAE and Saudi Arabia in the last six months; Key takeouts and implications: the prevalence of stress and anxiety in consumers' lives suggests that there are ongoing opportunities to position products as 'antidotes to reality' and which give consumers a feeling of being in control
SUB-TREND: The pursuit of work-life balance represents the ongoing conflict between a desire to maximize leisure time, maximize occupation success, and maximize leisure time
UAE and Saudi consumers are unhappy with their work-life balance: Key takeouts and implications: opportunities exist for brands to help consumers navigate the ongoing problem of work-life balance
SUB-TREND: Pampered relaxation: consumers are actively seeking moments of downtime: Consumers in the Middle East continue to want relaxation therapies and downtime in their everyday lives; Key takeouts and implications: all FMCG products have the potential to align with the pampered relaxation trend, particularly personal care
SUB-TREND: 'Mood foods' reflect consumers' tendency to comfort and reward eat
UAE and Saudi consumers are interested in, and actively buying, food and beverage products designed to aid relaxation, concentration and provide emotional comfort: Key takeouts and implications: a category of food and beverages based on ingredients that make individuals happier, calmer, livelier and even more intelligent is a potentially compelling proposition for those who are becoming more aware of protecting their mental/emotional wellbeing
TREND: Jaded society: overcoming fatigue and lethargy is a common problem for contemporary Middle Eastern consumers
SUB-TREND: Many individuals across the globe lack energy and vitality in their day-to-day lives: Satisfaction with energy levels in the Gulf region is similar to satisfaction levels elsewhere; Key takeouts and implications: energy boosting products can help offset consumers' diminishing energy levels caused by hectic lifestyles
SUB-TREND: 'Pick-me-up consumerism' captures the situation whereby consumers are increasingly attentive about their alertness and are opting for products that deliver energy and performance benefits: Consumers in the Gulf show high levels of interest in food and beverages delivering antidotes to fatigue; Key takeouts and implications: consumers across the globe are highly interested in functional products that boost mental and physical wellbeing
TREND: Visual culture: appearance consciousness continues to characterize an image conscious society
SUB-TREND: The high prevalence of appearance and body shape anxiety is at the core of 'appearance based wellbeing' (or lack of it): Personal image is a highly important part of life in the Gulf; Key takeouts and implications: appearance concerns impact consumers' emotional and physical wellbeing so looking good has arguably never been more important
SUB-TREND: A more holistic pursuit of beauty through more diverse appearance management tactics is occurring in the Middle East: The Gulf consumer is typically interested in the idea that food and beverages improve their appearance; Key takeouts and implications: health, wellbeing and beauty are becoming inextricably linked in consumers' minds
SUB-TREND: Middle Easterners increasingly adopt structured and sustained beauty regimes: Beauty regimes are common in the Middle East with the use of fragrances particularly widespread; Key takeouts and implications: consumers attach considerable importance to their oral, skin and hair health respectively which drives spend and the adopting of beauty regimes
SUB-TREND: The polarization of beauty ideals/attitudes reflects the conflict between natural beauty and more 'manufactured appearances': Key takeouts and implications: manufacturers are retailers must adopt diverse product portfolios on order to meet the polarized beauty ideals among global consumers
TREND: Sterilized society: the escalating obsession with hygiene, cleanliness and immunity
SUB-TREND: Consumers are becoming pre-occupied with boosting self-immunity: Gulf consumers are highly interested in food and beverages that boost the immune system; Key takeouts and implications: consumer lifestyles reflect the burgeoning interest in immunity boosters
SUB-TREND: Healthy nesting: consumers are ensuring hygiene and purity within their living spaces: Key takeouts and implications: consumers generally recognize the broader health and wellness benefits associated with clean living environments
SUB-TREND: Personal cleanliness matters in a society that values purity: There is a large potential for growth in the personal hygiene market in the Gulf region; Key takeouts and implications: leverage the wellness factor in the marketing of personal hygiene products
TREND: Gulf consumers are embracing tools that enable more informed health-driven choices
SUB-TREND: The 'democratization of health' information has facilitated more self reliance among consumers globally: Increasing accessibility of health information has enabled Gulf consumers to make health-driven choices; Key takeouts and implications: consumers are continuing to turn to the media to get their health information, but need to feel that they can trust what they are reading
SUB-TREND: Formulation attentiveness: knowing about and being influenced by health information is becoming more widespread: Consumers are paying more attention to nutritional information available on food and drink packaging; Key takeouts and implications: consumers are demonstrating their increasing knowledge of health by making consumption choices based on labeling and professional advice
SUB-TREND: Information overload: burdened by too much information consumers are using information short-cuts to make informed, but simplified choices: In Middle East manufacturers and distributors must ensure that nutritional information is easily comprehensible and targeted; Key takeouts and implications: product formulation is a battleground for industry players, so key benefits must be clearly communicated to consumers
SUB-TREND: Information overload: gaps in health awareness and understanding: Consumers in the Gulf region are dissatisfied with the clarity of the nutritional information available on food packages; Key takeouts and implications: confusion is a barrier to consumption, and therefore should be eliminated to increase consumer confidence
SUB-TREND: Personalized nutrition and nutrigenomics are emerging themes and reflect a crossover between the health and individualism mega-trends: Key takeouts and implications: personalized nutrition is appealing to consumers but care must be taken not to take them out of their comfort zones
SUB-TREND: Personalized beauty regimes are still relatively niche but are gaining traction as situational and personally adaptive beauty solutions are increasingly sought: Key takeouts and implications: demand for personalized beauty is growing in all regions as consumers become more 'me' orientated
TREND: Moderation and avoidance: disciplined consumerism
SUB-TREND: Food stress and anxiety is a growing problem among consumers who feel pressurized to make 'better' dietary choices: Consumers in the Gulf region feel guiltier about snacking in-between meals; Key takeouts and implications: consumers' aims of moderated consumption and healthier choices are confused by contradictory information and the tendency for 'carefree consumption' to occur
SUB-TREND: Formalized dieting: regimented eating for weight management: Specific diet plans are more common in the Gulf than globally; Key takeouts and implications: consumers experience difficulties in pursuing sustained dietary plans
SUB-TREND: Dietary control: exercising dietary restraint is a key manifestation of the moderation trend: A significant sub-set of consumers are trying to eat smaller portions sizes; Key takeouts and implications: CPG players must answer consumers' needs for dietary control
SUB-TREND: Satiety: appetite control is a developing moderation concept with much potential: The potential for 'satiety inducing' products is significant in the Middle East; Key takeouts and implications: products which provide a feeling of satiety have significant potential, including in the Middle East
SUB-TREND: Vegetarianism and meat reduction have spread among consumers, feeding the market for meat alternatives: Key takeouts and implications: respond to consumers' meat reduction behavior with meat alternatives and responsible portion control marketing
SUB-TREND: Mealtime fragmentation: skipping meals is a widespread consequence of modern consumers' time-pressured lives and unhealthy routines: Key takeouts and implications: a gap exists between consumer attitudes towards main meal consumption and actual behavior
TREND: Positive nutrition: consumers are eating and drinking for wellbeing
SUB-TREND: Eating for wellbeing: changeable dietary routines are occurring in the Gulf region as dietary patterns increasingly take into account health considerations
UAE and Saudi consumers are interested in eating for wellbeing: Key takeouts and implications: consumers are willing to change their dietary habits
SUB-TREND: Embracing diet diversity: a more balanced and varied diet
UAE and Saudi consumers are trying to eat fresh produce with a high nutrient content: Key takeouts and implications: consumers will not compromise on freshness and are actively seeking products which provide them with their daily vitamin and mineral needs
SUB-TREND: The popularization of functional foods is also becoming apparent in the Middle East
UAE and Saudi consumers find added nutrients in food and drinks appealing: Key takeouts and implications: regional consumers actively seek functional foods with 'added' health benefits
SUB-TREND: Being hydrated: drinking adequate quantities of water
UAE and KSA consumers recognized the importance of hydration: Key takeouts and implications: the need for instant and continuous hydration has grown in consumer importance
TREND: Fitness for wellbeing: getting active and using supporting products
SUB-TREND: Getting active: consumers increasingly feel a sense of obligation when it comes to exercise
UAE and Saudi consumers are surprisingly happy with their level of physical fitness: Key takeouts and implications: consumers are surprisingly happy about their current levels of physical fitness
SUB-TREND: Sports nutrition: opting for performance and recovery supporting products: Key takeouts and implications: the market value of sports nutrition products is increasing, mainly driven by Lifestyle users
APPENDIX
Definitions
Methodology
Further reading and references
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Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer

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Profiting From Consumer Mega-Trends in the UAE and Saudi Arabia: Health

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