“Unhappier, unhealthier and less concerned by their appearance” was the headline from Kantar Media this week after the company researched the impact of the recession on British consumers.
Health, appearance and happiness have all taken a “significant knock” since 2008, Kantar said, leading to “profound behavioural changes” in the relationship between consumers and food.
The in-depth consumer behaviour and attitudinal insights present major challenges to brands involved in health and nutrition, Kantar said, with the proportion of adults who consider their diet to be very healthy falling from 41% in 2009 to 36% today.
Kantar claims that consumers found comfort and reward in more indulgent and less healthy foods as the recession kicked in. Consumers also become “less fussy” about their appearance, with the proportion claiming to look after the way they look falling from 62% in 2009 to 54% today.
If that wasn’t enough to make you feel bad, the report says that happiness is also on the wane. In 2009, 58% of adults were “happy with their standard of living”, but this has dropped to 49% today. The proportion of adults who say they are happy with their life as it is has fallen from 63% in 2009 to 57% today.
For marketers, it could mean a tougher sell for premium and quality products such as those badged as ‘organic’ and ‘fair trade’.
“The consequence of this declining happiness amongst British consumers and its link to healthy eating is that interest in the likes of organic and fair trade food will be unlikely to pick up again until the economic recovery not only improves consumers’ quality of life, but also ultimately delivers higher levels of happiness,” said Anne Benoist, director, Kantar Media TGI.
“The fast food industry has, to a certain extent, repositioned itself during the downturn so that it is no longer so synonymous with junk food. Many fast food brands and restaurants have cannily promoted their healthy credentials, whilst on-the-go outlets that claim to eschew junk food have popped up on the high street.
“This has helped consumers feel less guilty about what they eat. The healthy food industry needs to undertake a similar re-positioning so that eating healthily is no longer equated with unhappiness in consumers’ minds.”
