Is Ice Cream Stepping Out Of Its Consolation Zone?

Who needs ice cream? Properly, if we take a look at international ice cream consumption, the reply is: virtually everybody! In response to Mintel’s client analysis, 9 in ten UK customers loved an ice cream between July and October 2023, and an virtually similar quantity was seen in Germany. Frozen treats are additionally omnipresent in freezers throughout the pond, with over 94% of US adults buying ice cream, frozen novelties or frozen yogurt in 2023.

It’s clear that ice cream stays as well-liked as ever, and the worldwide ice cream business is in good well being. Ice cream remains to be loved primarily as a consolation meals for a lot of customers. Within the US, round 9 in ten ice cream customers agree that consuming ice cream brings pleasure once they want a pickup, highlighting the product’s well-established function as an ‘emotional help meals’ for customers. Nevertheless, client calls for are altering: customers’ elevated give attention to wholesome consuming has led to extra scrutiny of meals with historically excessive sugar and fats content material. Equally within the APAC area, there’s a requirement for better-for-you substances and formulations. Naturally, it’s important that ice cream manufacturers reply to client demand to keep away from customers turning elsewhere for a candy deal with. On this article, we look at the ice cream client traits shaping the business, and the way manufacturers are responding with ice cream innovation.

Consolation meals is a meals that buyers flip to in instances of stress that gives a way of emotional well being and wellbeing. Sometimes, consolation meals are excessive in fats or sugar, energy-dense, and should have comparatively low dietary worth. Fashionable consolation meals embody crisps, chocolate, and naturally, ice cream.

The previous few years have been a boon for well-liked consolation meals, with customers experiencing the heightened stress and anxiousness of the COVID-19 pandemic, after which adopted by ongoing financial crises. The ice cream business was significantly well-placed to learn from rising costs and excessive inflation as a result of lipstick impact. Ice cream’s positioning as an inexpensive deal with appeals to customers throughout instances of financial disaster.

Nevertheless, for the reason that pandemic, Mintel has discovered there was a international shift in the direction of extra health-conscious consuming. Ice cream manufacturers have due to this fact discovered themselves in a little bit of a quandary. Do they take inspiration from the plant-based business, embrace dairy alternate options, and give attention to making a more healthy various to historically indulgent ice cream? Or do they dial up the indulgence, and closely lean into the consolation meals popularity? The reply isn’t a easy one. Mintel’s client analysis has discovered that it’s unlikely that ice cream may ever set up itself as a really wholesome meals, even amongst customers who’re actively on the lookout for wholesome ice cream: 1 / 4 of Indian customers who’re prepared to pay extra for more healthy ice cream consider that ice cream can by no means be wholesome. Because of this, ice cream wants to supply permissible indulgence to customers, placing a steadiness between well being and indulgence. 

Whereas vitamin is just not a high precedence when shopping for ice lotions, virtually 1 / 4 of US customers are desirous about ice cream with useful well being advantages. Manufacturers are effectively positioned to develop ice cream’s popularity as a useful meals by concentrating on younger customers who’re eager on excessive protein merchandise, or take inspiration from the booming vitality drinks sector, and supply a a lot sought-after vitality kick to customers. Though the useful ice cream market stays fairly small, it’s rising. Mintel’s GNPD information reveals that ice cream product launches with useful claims elevated by 10% between 2021-2023, highlighting that it’s one thing manufacturers needs to be contemplating in relation to new product improvement.

Practical substances and added well being advantages should not the one new options drawing vital client curiosity within the international ice cream business. Customers are getting extra adventurous, not less than in relation to new flavours and textures. Mintel has discovered that there’s a rising curiosity in unconventional ice cream flavours.

Within the APAC area, floral flavours have been gaining curiosity, and half of Thai customers aged 25-34 are desirous about attempting these flavours. Curiosity can be rising in different non-traditional flavour profiles, comparable to savoury, which, in response to Mintel’s GNPD information, has seen a rise of over 50% in new product launches since 2021. Nevertheless, regardless of this rising curiosity, non-traditional flavours stay fairly area of interest. As demonstrated within the graph under, floral and savoury flavours have been every solely represented in and fewer than 1% of all international ice cream product launches in 2023. Nonetheless, manufacturers shouldn’t low cost client curiosity in flavour experimentation, and within the coming years ought to utilise AI to create new and customised style experiences for customers.

Regardless of the rising want for novelty, customers proceed to take pleasure in conventional ice cream flavours, comparable to strawberry, vanilla and chocolate. Virtually two-thirds of UK adults agree that there needs to be extra high-quality ice cream in basic flavours. This curiosity in increased high quality basic flavours illustrates how customers need the consolation of familiarity but additionally need enhancements to style and texture high quality on the identical time. Ice cream manufacturers also needs to innovate by placing a twist on acquainted flavours to maintain customers engaged. This may be achieved by embracing an outdated good friend: nostalgia.

If you want to study extra in regards to the newest trending flavours within the ice cream business, strive Mintel’s Flavourscape AI.

Nostalgia is considerably influencing the worldwide ice cream business; customers throughout numerous areas are drawn to flavours and types that remind them of their childhood or previous. Within the UK, consuming ice lotions that evoke childhood reminiscences resonates broadly with customers, significantly these beneath 35, suggesting that advertising targeted on nostalgia could be extremely efficient on this market. Nevertheless it’s not simply customers within the UK who’re trying again to the ‘good outdated days’. In India, ice cream manufacturers are connecting with customers by nostalgic flavours, significantly concentrating on older Millennials with seasonal fruit flavours, and in Germany, eight in 10 customers say that they take pleasure in rediscovering flavours that they grew up with, echoing the need for extra ice cream in basic and nostalgic flavours.

This all highlights that manufacturers ought to critically take into account nostalgia as a advertising technique. Providing inspiration for tapping into the enchantment of nostalgia, a variety of UK retro manufacturers expanded into the ice cream class in 2023, comparable to Barratt’s sweets, Angel Delight and Wrigley’s Hubba Bubba. In the meantime, established manufacturers and market leaders have additionally used nostalgia of their advertising campaigns: Ben & Jerry’s has featured retro merchandise alongside their ice cream of their social media campaigns, and Baskin-Robbins reverted to utilizing colors from their unique brand of their 2022 rebrand.

If you want to study extra about nostalgia as a advertising technique, check out Mintel’s extremely informative Nostalgia Advertising Highlight Article.

Ice cream will at all times be a consolation meals. It’s unlikely that buyers will cease turning to their favorite indulgent frozen deal with in instances of uncertainty within the close to future. Nevertheless, how the idea of ‘consolation’ resonates with customers is altering, and ice cream manufacturers must be aware of various client expectations when contemplating new product improvement and advertising campaigns. Some customers wish to be reassured that they aren’t damaging their well being, and even bettering it, when consuming ice cream. Some wish to expertise one thing new, and get a small portion of pleasure by a novel flavour. Or some simply wish to really feel the nice and cozy embrace of nostalgia, and it received’t even soften their ice cream.

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Mintel is continually monitoring innovation, figuring out traits and gaining insights. To study extra in regards to the newest product improvements within the foods and drinks business, obtain Mintel’s Most Progressive 2024 report at this time.