Finding Opportunity in Functional Foods and Beverages

As a society, many of us have become wellness enthusiasts who are in constant search and exploration for ways to optimize our bodies and our overall health.

Food and beverage play a massive role in this journey. Enter functional nutrition. By definition functional foods are ingredients that offer health benefits that extend beyond their nutritional value. Some types contain supplements or other additional ingredients designed to improve health, help prevent disease and more.

This trend isn’t reserved for health brands or conventional products that may come to mind when you think of wellness. It’s much farther reaching, being seen across most major food and beverage brands as they seek to capture this burgeoning market. Think pasta with added fibre; juice with antioxidants, fortified chocolate bars and hundreds more.

The opportunity is a growing tide and capturing it and the consumers that come along for the ride is equally exciting.

In partnership with BrandSpark we set out to gauge current sentiment and perception of Canadians when it comes to functional foods. Our findings show that Canadians are much more skeptical than their American counterparts when it comes to education in this category and less confident in their own education and knowledge. They need to be guided as they navigate their health choices – for now and for the future – with the help of clear messaging, expert endorsement and credible sources and information.

Not surprisingly research also shows an increase in personal health in the past few months with the emergence of COVID-19 -which has intensified immediate interest for health benefits in the “now” vs “longer-term.”

For an in-depth look at the trends, more insights on the Canadian consumer and current data, check out our recent webinar and if you’re launching a functional food or beverage in Canada, or thinking about optimizing brand awareness, credibility and education, contact us. We can help you plan and execute the right messages with the right partners for your audience.

Harbinger is a Toronto-based North American marketing agency with expertise in product launches. We help brands get noticed and purchased.