Amazon Health and Other Emerging Online Health-Care Services Will Be a Boon for Health & Wellness Food Brands
– Dan O’Connell, Founder & CEO
Online resources like Zocdoc make healthcare more attainable. For many of the non-surgical issues these services assist in the treatment of, diet is as important as the prescribed medication. As more Americans have access and thereby more education, more demand for food “fixes” will be enjoyed by health & wellness brands and dietary supplements.
Accelerated Innovations in Produce Will Score Big with Consumers
– Nadine Baarstad, SVP Industry Relations
Why branded produce? It has been an industry discussion for years; the answer is meeting consumers’ unmet needs for value-added and culinary forward produce. Throw in a wandering plant-based consumer, and you have a win-win situation. Produce brands are waking up and innovating with passion and determination. Produce as you want it is here to stay – and so are the resonant emerging brands.
2026 Will Be the Year of Fiber
– Lisa Ptak, Public Relations Director
The average American adult consumes only 15-18 grams of fiber per day, roughly half of what is recommended. Women require 25 grams and men require a whopping 38 grams per day. Fiber is a driver of digestive health, weight management (satiety) and blood sugar control. Aren’t these related health problems why America is on weight loss drugs?
Big Brands Settle Out of Court Pending Intellectual Property Lawsuits vs. Private Label
– Sara Hagen, President
J.M. Smucker’s® Uncrustables brand is suing Trader Joe’s, and Mondelez’s Oreo® and Chips Ahoy® is suing Aldi. Interestingly, neither retailer thrives by featuring national brands. This is a lose-lose for brands concerned that Private Label is heading towards a 20% share of food. If they lose, it is fair game on their packaging and formulations. Win, and it’s a dead-end street because they will not have the same resolve when they go after key retailer customers. This battle may not end, but it will be buried behind the scenes.
Cause-Related Marketing Gets Real
– Rachel Hansen, VP Account Service
Younger consumers are more suspicious of cause-related marketing campaigns – just as they have proven to be for sustainability claims. Millennials, and Gen Z in particular, are looking for substantive contributions that mean something, and they want specifics into what impact is being made. That said, brands should and can get credit for what they are contributing – share the why behind the cause, the stats behind the contributions, and how it all connects back to the company’s mission, vision, values and brand.
Labels are Going to Get Cleaner
– Gina Parker, Social Media Associate
Navigating around this political cauldron as marketers, we see more scrutiny around ingredients and a continued call for transparency. Also, the United States has typically been a bit slower to regulate ingredients than Europe. Toss in Ultra-Processed Foods scrutiny and the emergence of UPF-free labeling from a handful of non-profits and let the games begin. Scrutiny leads to caution, which leads to concern, which leads to engagement, which leads to avoidance. Labels will get cleaner even if it is nothing more than an abundance of caution by food brands.
The Sober American Emerges
– Jeremy Anderson, Associate Creative Director
Mocktails are ordered more frequently at the restaurant I own. This is clearly a trend that beverage brands, retailers and foodservice operators can capitalize on, and the margins are great. Celebrate and promote these sobering concoctions.
Freezer Fine Dining Catches Steam
– Melanie Sawyer, Creative Director; Sharon Ponti, Social Media Manager
Busy Americans are discovering new frozen meal sources, tailored to their dietary demands, delivered. Brands and Retailers can tap this trend by upping their game in both the perimeter of the store as well as the freezer case. Two key strategies are emerging. First, being more precise in serving dietary needs – the diabetic has different needs than the nursing mom or weightlifter. Second, elevate the food, elevate the experience, and elevate margins.
AI Creative Boundaries Will Be Further Defined
– Chris Miller, VP Creative Director
Is AI going to inspire the creative community or compete with it? Chances are both, until results are tallied. Do clever AI “creative campaigns” take root in strategy or just ease? Will the Big Idea give way to the AI-Generated Idea? We believe there is magic in what a group of collaborative people can dream up – driven by unique insights and precise strategy. AI currently is, and will continue to be, a way to help drive execution more than create original ideas. It’s a tool — a powerful one no doubt, but still something that helps execute an idea versus creating it.
Food is Love
– Miguel Molina, Senior Account Executive
As a traveling foodie, I’m excited to share some observations. Look for hyper-regionalization of global flavors – think smoky moles of Oaxaca or the distinct numbing Mala spice of Sichuan Street food. Accessibility of global flavors means appearances on familiar formats; Korean gochujang and kimchi on pizza anyone? Filipino, Palestinian and Lebanese coffee are ushering in another interesting chapter in our coffee culture.
