Is vitamin usage a global phenomenon?
Figures from TGI Global reveal some dramatic variations in the number of people taking vitamins and supplements worldwide. Results from 15 studies show vitamin usage to range from 58 percent of people in Sweden to as little as 7 percent in Malaysia.
Surprisingly, there are no obvious regional trends when it comes to taking vitamins. Looking at Western Europe, there is a notable difference in levels of vitamin usage between Great Britain (43 percent) and Spain (8 percent). The same story can be seen in Latin America, where 41 percent of Colombians take vitamins versus 15 percent of Argentines.
There could be a number of factors which contribute to high vitamin intake in certain countries. One reason is that not everyone has the time or opportunity to observe a balanced diet. In the U.S. for example, where 53 percent of the total population claim to take vitamins or supplements, 41 percent of people agree with the statement “because of my busy lifestyle, I don’t take care of myself as well as I should.”
Another reason for high levels of usage in these countries may be that recent years have seen a major shift in consumer attitudes towards health care. In Sweden, 33 percent of people also say that they are also interested in alternative health care, suggesting that consumers there are taking increasing responsibility for treating themselves.
In countries where usage isn’t quite so high, the scope of the vitamin and supplement market is still significant. In Russia, where just 14 percent of people actually take vitamins, 57 percent of people agree with the statement “taking vitamins is the best means of preventing illness” - which suggests that there is huge market potential.
Looking at demographics, women are more likely than men to be vitamin users in all countries. In Israel, for example, 39 percent of women take vitamins compared with just 21 percent of men. In most cases vitamin usage seems to increase with age. However, in Sweden, Hungary, Russia and Spain the younger age groups are more inclined to take vitamins. In Sweden, 62 percent of 18-34-year-olds take vitamins, compared with 55 percent of people over 55. These figures may well indicate a further surge in consumer demand for vitamins and supplements going forward. For more information visit www.tgisurveys.com.
Gay consumers prefer equality-minded companies; are avid media-users
According to a national consumer survey by Witeck-Combs Communications, Washington, D.C., and Harris Interactive, Rochester, N.Y., gay, lesbian and bisexual (GLB) individuals consider equal treatment of gay employees in the workplace as the third- or fourth-most compelling reason (depending on the product) to favor one company over another when making purchase decisions.
The Witeck-Combs/Harris Interactive online survey asked respondents nationwide to identify the top reasons that mattered most to them in their buying preferences for several product categories including: banking, airlines, rental cars, discount retailers, audio electronics, automobiles, hotels, and personal computers and software.
All adults surveyed - gay and non-gay consumers alike - said that regardless of the product category, “convenience” and “friendly and welcoming customer service” were their top two answers in discriminating among companies, when price, quality and function are alike.
The findings reveal that GLB consumers are similar to other shoppers in most basics. Like all consumers, they weigh price, quality, convenience and service as primary considerations. However, between one fourth (24 percent) and one third (37 percent) of gays, lesbians and bisexuals (depending on the product category) also affirm that “equal treatment of all employees, including gays and lesbians, African-Americans and Hispanics” ranked as their third- or fourth-highest priority.
The findings also show that another top reason affecting consumer preference (again, with the specific ranking dependent on each product category) was whether a company reached out to gays and lesbians through targeted advertising. Between 13 percent (hotel choices) and 29 percent (audio electronics choices) of all GLB respondents responded that targeted advertising to gays and lesbians was a specific reason for them to prefer one brand to another in these product categories.
These findings are from a nationwide Witeck-Combs Communications/Harris Interactive study of 2,376 adults, of whom approximately 7 percent self-identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual. The survey was conducted online between November 17 and 23, 2003.
An earlier study by the same two firms showed that GLB consumers tend to read and view many of the same forms of media as their heterosexual counterparts. However, across the board, they favor lifestyle, home decorating and design magazines, news magazines, and premium cable networks more than their non-gay counterparts.
Sixty percent (60 percent) of GLB individuals frequently or occasionally read mainstream news magazines such as Time and Newsweek, while the same is true of 45 percent of heterosexuals surveyed. In addition, 41 percent of GLB consumers say they read lifestyle, home decorating and design magazines, such as Martha Stewart Living or Architectural Digest, frequently or occasionally when compared with 30 percent of non-gay respondents. More GLB consumers also report watching premium cable networks like HBO, Showtime, and Cinemax frequently or occasionally than do heterosexuals (52 percent to 45 percent).
When asked about readership patterns for national gay magazines, such as The Advocate, Out, and Curve, one-third (34 percent) of GLB respondents say they read these publications frequently or occasionally. However, when asked about news sources that allow for great anonymity such as online channels like Gay.com and Planetout.com, over four in 10 (41 percent) GLB individuals surveyed frequently or occasionally visit gay online channels. One in five (19 percent) GLB respondents also report they frequently or occasionally read their local gay newspaper.
“These data support our earlier research that revealed gay and lesbian consumers are media-hungrier than ever and seek information and entertainment from both mainstream and gay channels,” says John Butler, senior strategist at Witeck-Combs Communications. “Corporate marketers should consider the options as they develop strategies to reach their gay and lesbian customers. The companies that succeed in capturing their share of the GLB market’s estimated $450 billion in buying power will do so by placing inclusive ads with tailored messages in places where GLB consumers find information.
“The increased inclusion of openly gay and lesbian characters and programming on premium cable as well as network programming means GLB people are tuning in more than ever. Programs like Showtime’s Queer as Folk and NBC’s Will and Grace also attract a large crossover audience, persuading more companies to tailor advertising messages to gay and gay-friendly audiences - a technique shown to increase brand loyalty,” says Butler. “Opportunities for product placements also should not be overlooked. This is a simple, yet effective way to connect with a diverse audience including both gay and non-gay consumers. Bravo’s new show Queer Eye for the Straight Guy featured products from GMC and Wilsons Leather, for instance.
“With nearly 20 percent of gay and lesbian consumers reading community-based gay and lesbian regional newspapers regularly, these publications should not be overlooked as a resource for media planners,” says Butler. “They offer marketers a cost-effective solution to guiding these sought after consumers directly to a product or service.” For more information visit www.harrisinteractive.com or www.witeckcombs.com.
Tweens show marketing savvy
New York-based BuzzBack Market Research’s recent advertising survey reveals tweens (8-12-year-olds) are more savvy to advertising, product placement, celebrity endorsement, and product branding than commonly understood. They know what motivates them to buy and where to shop.
The opinion of tweens impacts the future of advertising, brand development, product placement and shopping. BuzzBack’s Tween Advertising Survey elicited quantitative and qualitative feedback from over 500 participants, ages 8-12, across the U.S. and in a variety of socioeconomic levels. Survey results reveal trends on tween attitudes toward advertising, product purchasing motivation, favorite places to shop, as well as their attitude toward themselves, family, school, and what’s important to their age group, e.g., “fitting in.” Trends are based on age, gender, and placement within the family. In compliance with COPPA regulations parental supervision was required for the tween participation.
An overview of the results:
- Brand sophistication: 94 percent of tweens have heard of the word “brand” while 75 percent say they notice brands associated with stars in movies and TV.
- Ad savvy - most commonly recognized ad types: TV commercials (92 percent), billboards (78 percent), radio commercials (73 percent), product placement (approx. 50 percent).
- Product placement recognition: Restaurant/cereal box movie tie-ins (52 percent), characters on shows using brands (51 percent), and cartoons based around branded toys (47 percent).
- Star endorsement: 72 percent admit that seeing their favorite stars using a brand makes them want to use the brand.
- Tweens enjoy entertaining advertising: ads are “funny” (43 percent), “informative” (39 percent), and “interesting” (35 percent).
- Less than 50 percent of tweens watch TV Ads: 19 percent get up and do something else, 18 percent change the channel, 12 percent stay seated, but do something else, 2 percent don’t watch TV at all.
- American Idol brand association results (48 percent of surveyed tweens watch the show): 61 percent say they remember seeing commercials while watching the show; 56 percent remember seeing AI stars using certain brands (76 percent of whom consider this a form of advertising - females [80 percent] vs. males [67 percent]); 48 percent believe AI stars really do use the products they endorse; 95 percent of those who do not believe the AI stars use the products say it doesn’t affect their purchasing behavior.
- Other influences: tweens recognize what’s “cool” two ways: 1) celebrity-endorsed advertising, and 2) what the “cool” kids at school are using and wearing.
- Favorite stores to shop (open-ended question): Wal-Mart (29 percent), Toys R Us (23 percent) and Target (7 percent). For more information contact Carol Fitzgerald at 646-519-8010, ext. 1 or visit www.buzzback.com.
2003’s top new product innovations
The U.S. economy roared back to life in 2003 and so did consumer packaged goods companies, who collectively launched a record number of new products in 2003. All told, packaged goods firms churned out 33,678 new food, beverage, health and beauty aids, household and pet products during 2003, according to the Productscan Online database of new products from Naples, N.Y.-based Marketing Intelligence Service.
2003’s new product total was 6 percent above 2002’s total count and well ahead of 2001, the previous record year for new products.
A near doubling of no- and low-carbohydrate product launches in 2003 helped pad the year’s new product count as companies rushed to jump on the bandwagon of the year’s hottest new products trend. 2003 was also a big year for pet products, with product launches up over 68 percent from 2002’s tally. Despite all of the new products, relatively few were truly new and different. Just 8.5 percent of 2003’s new products earned an Innovation Rating. Productscan Online’s Innovation Ratings tally the number of new products that offer breakthrough features or benefits in any one of the following six areas: formulation, positioning, packaging, technology, creating a new market, and merchandising.
If there was a theme that typified 2003’s “Build a Better Mousetrap” award winners, it would be saving time and making everyday life simpler and easier. The 10 new products below were chosen by Productscan Online as the year’s top innovations from the more than 30,000 new U.S. and Canadian introductions reported in 2003 by the database.
Cereal is great in the morning, but milk and cereal aren’t well suited for travel. Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg Company has fixed that problem with an ingenious new cup for its Kellogg Drink’n Crunch Portable Cereals. The cup is actually two cups in one; an inner cup contains cereal while an outer cup is to be filled with milk. The cereal and milk mix in your mouth, not in the cup, so the cereal never gets soggy. All this without a spoon or a bowl. Look for Drink’n Crunch in Kellogg cereal varieties like Froot Loops Minis Low Fat Granola, Tony’s Frosted Crunch and Low Fat Granola.
Chocolate lovers have a reason to celebrate with Hershey Foods’ newest innovation. The Hershey, Pa.-based chocolate maker set the candy market on its ear with the launch of Hershey’s Swoops Candy Slices. Shaped like potato chips, Swoops are a brand new shape in chocolate to “envelop your mouth in chocolate bliss.” Better yet, the slices are packaged in six-count cups that easily fit into a lunch box or bag for a quick treat. Swoops are available in flavors like Hershey’s Milk Chocolate, Reese’s Peanut Butter Candy and York Mint Candy flavors.
Health experts estimate that half of all American adults have blood cholesterol levels that are higher than they should be. That number could drop if Coca-Cola’s Houston-based Minute Maid Company has anything to do with it. The company’s new Minute Maid Premium Heart Wise 100% Pure Orange Juice can lower cholesterol levels with two 8 fl. oz. servings of orange juice per day. An 8 fl. oz. serving of Heart Wise contains 1 gram of plant sterols, the ingredient responsible for the cholesterol-reducing effect.
Now there’s a new way to make cookies and cakes come out of the oven better than ever with new Pam for Baking with Flour. Featuring flour as an ingredient, this one-step product combines no-stick Pam with flour so that everything from cakes and muffins to bread and brownies turns out just right with less cleanup.
According to Johnson & Johnson, the maker of new Aquafresh Floss ‘n’ Cap Fluoride Toothpaste, just 2.5 percent of U.S. households floss regularly. Floss ‘n’ Cap, a new toothpaste that contains floss inside of a cap located at the top of each toothpaste tube, makes it hard to forget to floss. The unique dispenser holds shred-resistant floss and detaches from the toothpaste cap should one finish the toothpaste first.
In a world of disposable products, why do most Americans re-use their toilet brushes? Maybe they won’t for long if Bonita Springs, Fla.-based Prestige Brands International is successful with its new Comet Clean and Flush Flushable Toilet Cleaning System. Convenient and sanitary, the system consists of a cleaning wand and five flushable, cleaner-infused brush tips. Since the Comet cleaning solution is contained in the brush tip, there’s no need for liquid cleaners. Simply snap on the brush tip, clean the bowl and flush the brush tip down the toilet when finished.
Plastic wrap is a product that can be frustrating to use, especially if it sticks to itself. New Glad Press’n Seal Sealable Plastic Wrap is different. Featuring Griptex adhesive right on the sheet, Press ‘n Seal sticks where you want it, when you want it for a tighter seal than ordinary wraps. Oakland, Calif.-based Clorox Company invites consumers to take the Press’n Seal challenge by covering a cup filled with liquid and turning the cup on its side to demonstrate the spill-proof seal. Kids, don’t try this at home!
Shaving is a time-consuming and messy task that many women hate. The Schick Intuition Refillable Razor from Milford, Conn.-based Pfizer, Inc. simplifies the job by smoothing and soothing the skin while shaving. The razor’s triple blades are actually set in the center of the Skin Conditioning Solid bar so that the razor lathers and shaves in one easy step. Intuition comes in Sensitive Skin and Normal to Dry Skin varieties.
Tough cleaning jobs like crayons on walls, scuff marks on floors, soap scum in bathtubs and set-in dirt on stoves and refrigerators are a challenge for any cleaner. Now there’s a single cleaner that will tackle these and a multitude of other tough cleaning tasks. The Mr. Clean Magic Eraser is a sponge-like “eraser” that is made of a unique cleaning material that penetrates surface grooves where dirt and grime get trapped. It breaks up tough dirt, lifting it away from surfaces after being activated with water. These disposable cleaning pads are new from Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble.
A little bit of bleach can go a long way, especially bleach packaged in big plastic bottles. Now there’s a better way to bleach just what you want to and leave everything else alone. The Clorox Bleach Pen is a gel pen that is ideal for laundry and household use. Equipped with a dual tip, the pen is perfect for stains like grass, red wine and tea on most white fabrics or around the house on grout and caulking or areas around sinks and tubs.
International product launches never cease to amaze. Among the innovations that didn’t make this year’s mousetrap list were asparagus-flavored cottage cheese from Germany and a bird’s nest beverage from Thailand. The top innovations presented below prove that some of the most intriguing innovations come from overseas markets.
Comfort Fast Dry Fabric Conditioner is a liquid fabric softener innovation from the United Kingdom that actually helps clothes dry faster by removing more water from clothing during the washing machine’s spin cycle.
Cheese makes a great snack, but sold in block form, it’s not convenient. Dalter Parmi Petales Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese is a brick of cheese mounted on a circular grater; simply turn the brick to cut the cheese. It’s new in France.
Kids love frozen novelties, but they melt quickly in hot weather and often end up on clothing. Not with Iceland Kids Crew Jelly Lollies, which is new in the United Kingdom. When removed from the freezer, this frozen confection begins to defrost and slowly turns into a fruit jelly while maintaining its shape.
With flu season upon us, the world may indeed be ready for the Thermofocus Infra Red Thermometer that is new in the United Kingdom. This thermometer is a battery-operated device that detects infrared radiation from the surface of the forehead to render an accurate reading.
Want to make your own wine at home, but don’t have the time or expertise? No problem with new Jacoby Traubenmost zum Selbermachen von Federweissem. New in Germany, this grape juice product is packaged in an aseptic container with a plastic screw cap. Once opened, yeast contained in the cap drops into the juice, which then turns into wine. For more information visit www.productscan.com.
Frozen pizza industry leaves consumers wanting more
Barely an adult in the U.S. today has not succumbed to the combination of taste and fast-food convenience that is frozen pizza, according to a nationwide survey by Decision Analyst, Inc., Arlington, Tex. Yet despite near universal consumption (93 percent of respondents), the survey (conducted among a nationally representative sample of 15,007 adult consumers) found many Americans dissatisfied with their pizza choices.
The largest brands cannot complain of a lack of public exposure - more than half of survey respondents have eaten pizzas from Tony’s, Di Giorno, Tombstone and Red Baron (Tombstone tops the list, with 74 percent having sampled its products). Yet among these market leaders, only Di Giorno ranked among those pizzas consumers will likely purchase again. Specialist producers California Pizza Kitchen and Freschetta are, with Di Giorno, the most likely to be tried again (between 62 and 65 percent of respondents), while Tombstone and Red Baron struggle to attract half of the first-time users to return to their products.
“The data shows that no more than two in three consumers would try any frozen pizza brand again,” says Decision Analyst, Inc. Vice President Bruce Crandall, who supervised the study. “In other words, at least one-third of consumers will switch to another brand or refuse to buy frozen pizza again.”
The reasons why people buy pizza offer few consolations to the manufacturers. Taste is the No. 1 factor affecting purchases (with 36 percent), followed by prior experience (23 percent) and value for money (15 percent).
“The pizza producers have a real challenge on their hands to persuade consumers to sample, or resample, their pizzas,” says Crandall. “Consumers clearly want good prices, but they also want excellent taste, and that means it’s back to the test kitchens if the manufacturers - especially some of the largest sellers - want to keep their customers satisfied.” For more information visit www.decisionanalyst.com.