06.01.10
Kashi, the natural foods breakfast cereal brand from Kellogg, has released new consumer research (conducted jointly with EverdayHealth.com), which found that of 5000 respondents surveyed, although 60% were concerned about heart health, 55% of this group were over the age of 55.
“It’s a finding that ties up with the experience of every heart health-focused brand—that the only consumer group really motivated by messages about heart health, cholesterol-lowering, blood pressure and the like are people over 50, and particularly over 55,” said nutrition industry expert Julian Mellentin, director of New Nutrition Business.
The survey found 49% of respondents 55 years old and over are always looking for foods that support heart health compared to 32% who are under the age of 55.
“As a result of the immediacy and relevance of the need,” Mr. Mellentin noted, “older buyers of heart-health products become very loyal consumers for effective, science-based heart health brands and usually have very high repeat purchase rates—our research at New Nutrition Business has found 80% or more repeat purchase rates, compared with 25-35% for a typical everyday food brand. Their willingness to pay premium prices also makes them a very valuable consumer group.”
Kashi’s survey also showed that younger generations are not proactively looking for heart-healthy foods. The reason they are not looking, New Nutrition Business research finds, is that the heart health benefit is simply seen as not relevant by younger consumers—and they won’t find it relevant until they hit 50.
“It’s really only from the age of 50 that people become aware that they need to monitor their blood pressure, cholesterol-levels and so on,” said Mr. Mellentin. “They see heart health becoming a concern for parents and friends, they are aware that it’s an age-related issue and so heart health takes on an immediacy that it didn’t have before. When you are 30 you still feel indestructible. The chances of you even thinking of buying a heart health product at that age are close to zero, but by 50 it’s a different story.”
“Cholesterol reduction and being motivated to do something about it is really something that comes onto your radar after the age of 40-45,” Esther van Onselen, marketing manager for Benecol Europe at McNeil, told New Nutrition Business. Benecol is the world’s biggest cholesterol-lowering brand. She added: “Our spreads are consumed predominantly by people over 60. Our yogurt drinks got people who were a bit younger, around 50-55.”