Profiting From Consumer Mega-Trends in Asia Pacific: Health

Published by: Datamonitor

Published: Nov. 9, 2009

Table of Contents

Overview

Catalyst

Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This report is one of 6 mega-trend reports examining consumer attitudes and behaviors in Asia Pacific

Datamonitor has identified seven key messages about trend-watching

Health concerns 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

Table of tables

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, global 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 an 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 are gaining momentum and increasing in scope

TREND: Consumers are acting more holistically in the pursuit of general wellbeing

SUB-TREND: Asia Pacific consumers are taking more self responsibility for their health

Japanese consumers are among the most health conscious and health aware while consumers in the emerging Asian economies are also highly health conscious

Key takeouts and implications: health is set to stay at the top of the agenda for the years ahead

SUB-TREND: Consumers in the Asia Pacific region are adopting a broader "wellness" orientated lifestyle

Asia Pacific consumers embrace various elements associated with wellness

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 Asia Pacific consumers are increasingly prone to, and acting upon, product safety concerns

SUB-TREND: Intensifying product safety anxieties affect many Asia Pacific citizens

Many consumers in the Asia Pacific region are exposed to food safety problems but this does not fully manifest in a lack of confidence

Key takeouts and implications: escalating health attentiveness has been matched by growing concern about the safety of products

SUB-TREND: Consumer sensitivity among Asians is a growing phenomena as reflected by allergen and intolerance influenced consumption

Allergy and intolerance concerns among Asia Pacific consumers are most prevalent among Indians

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 that are perceived as containing harmful ingredients or where safety is compromised

Asia Pacific consumers are generally more wary about harmful ingredients in food than in personal and household care products, although less so in Australia

Key takeouts and implications: consumers will be less forgiving when products compromise their safety

SUB-TREND: Asia Pacific consumers are opting for more local products, especially food products, due to a perception they are safer

There is a high degree of uniformity in the view that choosing locally produced grocery products is important across the Asia Pacific region

Key takeouts and implications: safety concerns will be one of a number of drivers ensuring that 'local' products will continue to gain favorability, especially in food and beverages

SUB-TREND: Asian shoppers increasingly value reassurances and transparency about how products are produced

Asia Pacific consumers value knowing about product origin, but may not regard knowing this information as a guarantee of product safety

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 altruism' has been negatively impacted by financial pressures and a sense of being overwhelmed by everyday lifestyle responsibilities

SUB-TREND: 'Indirect altruism' is gaining momentum as time poor consumers want to feel good about themselves through consumption rather than what they do in terms of behavioral/lifestyle sacrifices

Asia Pacific consumers place considerable importance on living an ethical lifestyle as a route to wellbeing

Key takeouts and implications: environmentalism and health are more inter-related than many realize

TREND: Financial wellbeing: consumers value the peace of mind that emanates from financial security

SUB-TREND: Financial anxiety and the 'economics of happiness' heavily influence emotional wellbeing

Wealth accumulation is particularly important to consumers in Asia Pacific because growing prosperity has been heavily linked to higher life satisfaction

Key takeouts and implications: financial anxieties increase consumers' focus on the short-term

SUB-TREND: Financial moderation: Asian consumers are exercising more financial prudence and control

Australians demonstrate a particularly strong dislike of putting their financial arrangements in order

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 Asian lifestyles as consumers adopt stress reduction strategies in their pursuit of wellbeing

SUB-TREND: Consumers across Asia are faced with the need to confront and manage tension and anxiety

Stress levels are increasing in Asia Pacific and this has had a negative impact on sleep patterns

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 and occupational success

Consumers in the Asia Pacific region understand the importance of balancing work-life commitments but are struggling to achieve this

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 Asia Pacific region are doing more to make the most of their free time

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

The majority of consumers across the Asia Pacific are at least interested in mood foods and beverages

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 an important daily need for tired and overwhelmed consumers

SUB-TREND: Many individuals across the globe lack energy and vitality in their day-to-day lives

Consumers in Asia Pacific are generally happy with how much energy they have

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 Asia Pacific are generally equally focused on physical and mental health and wellbeing

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)

Asia Pacific citizens believe that physical appearance is very important in everyday life

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 among Asian beauty shoppers

Beauty through nutrition is a more familiar concept in Asia Pacific than other regions

Key takeouts and implications: health, wellbeing and beauty are becoming inextricably linked in consumers' minds

SUB-TREND: Adopting structured and sustained beauty regimes

Consumers in Asia Pacific are putting more thought into their own beauty regimes

Key takeouts and implications: consumers globally attach considerable importance on 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'

Consumers in Asia Pacific are embracing both the natural and the unnatural when it comes to beauty ideals

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: Sterilize me: a focus on boosting self-immunity

The immune system is something which is considered important by Asia Pacific consumers

Key takeouts and implications: consumer lifestyles rather than a 'sterilized society' reflect the burgeoning interest in immunity boosters

SUB-TREND: Healthy nesting: consumers are ensuring hygiene and purity within their living spaces

Consumers in Asia Pacific live hygienically because it creates a strong feeling of wellbeing

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

Personal cleanliness is valued by Asia Pacific consumers as the most important aspect of personal wellbeing

Key takeouts and implications: leverage the wellness factor in the marketing of personal hygiene products

TREND: Consumers are embracing tools that enable more informed health-driven choices

SUB-TREND: The democratization of health information has facilitated more self reliance

Consumers in Asia Pacific have responded positively to transparent product health information

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 the (health) details is becoming more widespread

Consumers in Asia Pacific are different from consumers in other regions in that they are paying less attention to product labels than in the past

Key takeouts and implications: consumers are demonstrating their increasing knowledge of health by making consumption choices based on labels

SUB-TREND: Information overload: burdened by too much information consumers are using information short-cuts to make informed, but simplified choices

Consumers in Asia Pacific can sometimes find food labels confusing

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 Asia Pacific say they understand food label information, but can still find it confusing when actually looking at products

Key takeouts and implications: confusion is a barrier to consumption, and therefore should be addressed to increase consumer confidence

SUB-TREND: Personalized nutrition and nutrigenomics are emerging themes and reflect a crossover between the health and individualism mega-trends

Consumers in Asia Pacific are particularly interested in food and beverages which address their specific needs

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

Personalized beauty products are rapidly growing in popularity in Asia Pacific

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

Consumers in Asia Pacific prefer to consume food for enjoyment rather than to diet to lose weight

Key takeouts and implications: consumers' aims of moderated consumption and healthier choices are confused by contradictory information and the tendency for carefree consumption

SUB-TREND: Formalized dieting: regimented eating for weight management

Most Asia Pacific consumers have difficulty in sustaining planned diets

Key takeouts and implications: consumers experience difficulties in pursuing sustained dietary plans

SUB-TREND: Dietary control: exercising dietary restraint is a key manifestation of consumers' moderation behavior

Asia Pacific consumers are most worried about the amount and types of fat in their diet

Key takeouts and implications: CPG players must answer consumers' needs for 'better-for-you' products through ongoing formulation improvements

SUB-TREND: Satiety: appetite control is a developing moderation concept with much potential

Satiety is an interesting concept for Asia Pacific consumers, but associated products must be made more appealing

Key takeouts and implications: understanding of satiety lags behind other areas of health and wellness

SUB-TREND: Vegetarianism and meat reduction have spread among consumers, feeding the market for alternatives

As meat does not make up as much of the Asia diet as in the West, there is a difference between the two regions when it comes to the meat reduction trend

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

Indian consumers are far more likely to skip meals than any other consumers in Asia Pacific

Key takeouts and implications: a gap exists between consumer attitudes towards main meal consumption and actual behavior

SUB-TREND: Moderating alcohol consumption is a trend gaining some traction although consumers trade off health for indulgence

Consumers in Asia Pacific do not believe that alcohol has too much of a negative effect on health in the long term

Key takeouts and implications: health has some influence over consumers' alcoholic drinks choices but it is clear that consumer behavior fully reflects their attitudes

SUB-TREND: Abstinence and restraint in tobacco consumption

Consumers in Asia Pacific are cutting out tobacco consumption in an effort to get healthier

Key takeouts and implications: look at meeting the needs of moderating or ex-smokers with alternative healthy products

TREND: Positive nutrition: consumers are eating and drinking for wellbeing

SUB-TREND: Eating for wellbeing: changeable dietary routines

Conscious attempts are being made by Asia Pacific consumers to change what they eat for the better

Key takeouts and implications: consumers are willing to change their dietary habits but outside pressures can sometimes make this difficult

SUB-TREND: Embracing diet diversity: a more balanced and varied diet

Much attention is given by Asia Pacific consumers towards eating from a diverse range of food types

Key takeouts and implications: diet diversity is something which an increasing number of consumers pay attention to

SUB-TREND: The pursuit of purity and freshness through product choices

Consumers in Asia Pacific are more concerned with natural and fresh foods than organic produce

Key takeouts and implications: consumers will not compromise on freshness so products that cannot guarantee this face being overlooked

SUB-TREND: The popularization of functional foods and personalized nutrition

Functional foods are becoming even more prominent in the Asia Pacific region

Key takeouts and implications: consumers are becoming less skeptical about functional foods but manufacturers must still win confidence in the key areas of trust, price and taste to widen appeal

SUB-TREND: Being hydrated: drinking adequate quantities of water

Consumers in Asia Pacific are more aware of the health benefits of staying hydrated

Key takeouts and implications: the need for instant and continuous hydration has grown in consumer importance

SUB-TREND: Preventative antidoting: anti-ageing cosmeceuticals

Concern about skincare is high in China, India and Korea

Key takeouts and implications: oral beauty products are burgeoning in popularity because they are new but there are signs that growth is limited

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

Consumers in Asia Pacific are less fit than they would like to be

Key takeouts and implications: consumers are far from happy about their current levels of physical fitness

SUB-TREND: Sports nutrition: opting for performance and recovery supporting products

Sports nutrition value growth is strong in China but relatively weak in Japan

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

Ask the analyst

Datamonitor consulting

Disclaimer

Overview

Table 1: Consumer survey: agreement with the statement, It is difficult to manage my daily obligations and find time to relax, in 15 countries across Europe, Asia Pacific, South America and the US, by country, 2008

Table 2: Per capita expenditure on beauty products in Asia Pacific, US$, 2003-2013

Table 3: Market value of household air fresheners in Asia Pacific, US $ millions, 2003-2013

Abstract

Introduction

For three-quarters of Asia Pacific 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 analysis outlining what constitutes 'value' for Asia Pacific consumers (trends are, after all, a reflection of what's important to consumers)
• Offers Asia Pacific sector 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 three-quarters of Asia Pacific citizens. Consumers have become more holistic in their approach to health, placing greater importance on improving wellbeing through beauty regimes, positive nutrition, work-life balance and personal hygiene

Consumers in Asia Pacific pay more attention to fat content than any other piece of nutritional information, but they also show a considerable interest in other aspects such as portion size. In fact, Indian and Australian consumers exceed the global average in their reported efforts to eat and drink smaller portions

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 an up-to-date framework for understanding Asia Pacific consumers
• Access data from 2009 primary research to increase the likelihood of being 'on-trend' with NPD and marketing activities in the Asia Pacific region

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