‘Consumers are more than ever pivoting on brands that focus on health & well-being’

While the key narrative in India has always been around ‘roti’, ‘kapda’ and ‘makaan’, the role of food in the narrative has seen rapid shifts in the last few years and especially in the year gone by, said Tarun Arora, CEO & Whole Time Director, Zydus Wellness Limited, at the Pitch CMO Summit 2021. Arora spoke on the topic, ‘Health & happiness at the centre of changing consumer dynamics’.

“As the economy started opening up and the disposable income of the people started building up, people got access to newer food concepts. The variety of foods available drove the momentum of growth and played a big role in food adaption that happened. In the last couple of decades, I think a lot has changed in terms of several global cuisines becoming a part of our daily life across the country. Innovations, and I would say Indianization like the Tandoori Paneer Pizza or a Schezwan Dosa, that could not have been imagined earlier is now democratizing the food scene,” Arora said.

According to Arora, food no longer is just about taste or hunger satiation. “The expectation from food has evolved and people are now looking at the nutrition in the food they consume and brands are responding to this trend. From chocolate syrup to a spread, everyone is packing essential minerals and nutrients in their product to make it more relevant.  More consumers have started understanding the rules of protein, carbs, fiber, etc and started looking for them in the back of the pack labels. It's no more something that they just take for granted. They really search for what is there inside,” he pointed out.

In fact, the Covid 19 crisis accelerated the focus on reading the back of the pack as demand for nutrition saw a huge growth, Arora said. “Your current health and immunity was an indicator of your ability to respond to the virus and health was a function of food you ate and exercises you did. Things like aloe vera, to giloy and chawanprash started becoming relevant very quickly. Overnight food was your best support to fight the disease,” he said.

“The world is clamouring for healthy, organic and powerful food and doctors are no more the only advocates of health. Consumers are more than ever pivoting on a brand that care and focus on health and well-being and that’s where brands which actually believe in offering these, through their purpose and positioning, will always hold more value in terms of consumers’ expectations,” he added.

Arora also spoke of mental health issues that have cropped up in the last one year and how the conversation around the issue has never been louder. “Consumers now want to see their family healthier, and there's a constant yearning to achieve a better and a happier lifestyle. They want to engage with brands that meet these expectations. The number of brands that have launched healthier offerings has seen a rise. Also consumers today are more open to prophylactic approach to health than reactive solutions,” he said.

Zydus too has launched more than 10 new offerings in the last one year. ImmunoVolt under the Glocon-D franchise, Sugar Free D'lite Chocolates, Nutralite Choco Spread, Nutralite DoodhShakti Probiotic Butter Spread are some examples of the new offerings from the brand.

“Interesting trends are emerging and taking shape amidst the chaotic settings. The time has come for brands to embrace the new reality to remain relevant in the life of consumers,” Arora signed off.