Health and wellness - The consumer pespective

Marketing is founded on the principle of satisfying consumer needs - the purchase and consumption of dairy products and brands are a means of satisfying basic human needs that are universal. Basic human needs can be defined as emotive - these are the core drivers of behaviour - and rational. Emotive needs are the subconscious needs and the underlying drivers of our behaviour and preferences - the symbolism built into products and brands (and their communications) taps into this. Furthermore products and brands can also identify a person's social status - serving an important function to define group belonging and role identification. Finally the rational, tangible needs relate to the features of particular products and brands. TNS's research system, NeedScope, allows product developers and global marketers, like New Zealand Milk, uncover the layers of a consumer's relationship with categories (dairy), products (milk) and brands (Anchor). In doing so a powerful and strategic platform for NPD and brand development is created. Of relevance to the dairy market, a need existed to inform New Zealand Milk research and development priorities for the next few years - specific indicators that explain consumer's needs in relation to dairy products in context of their needs for health and wellness for daily living. In order to develop enhanced nutritional dairy and milk based foods the need clearly is to tap into consumer psychology. Why do the people the world over consume dairy? What role does, and importantly can, milk play in meeting needs for health and wellness? What are the specific manifestations or physical health issues that align with these needs - a need for energy, a need for bone health, a need for immunity? The key insights to arise out of research conducted in over five markets around the world are: Dairy, and in particular milk, is a power food, with many and efficacious health benefits bestowed; There are six need themes expressed by adult dairy consumers - with an emotive need for vitality (wanting to feel active) a strong and common motivator in adults from several different countries; Mothers needs for their children are different to self needs in regards to dairy - fundamentally their role is to nurture and food provides for physical growth. Physical growth in turn is a platform for mental development and sociability such that the child will be accepted into general society. Mothers product and brand needs will vary by age of child - but her approach to mothering is rooted in her personality and her health concerns are universal. The key conclusion to arise out of the New Zealand Milk program is that development of specific functional or enhanced nutritional platforms for dairy products has currency - and when expressed through universal human needs lends a power to product and brand development.