Consumer Insights April 13 th 2016 Host Institution
Introduction Team: Roger Harker, Sara Jaeger, Denise Conroy, Phil Bremer, Bill Kaye-Blake Project 1: Background literature and existing insights within NZ business and research organisations provide early guidance. HVN aligned projects Example: Plant & Food Research project on consumer insights from China.
Conversations with Chinese consumers about the role of eating and drinking in their lives
Interview setting in participants home with video and audio recording and simultaneous translation
Interview setting in participants home with video and audio recording and simultaneous translation
A typical day in the life of a Chinese consumer
A typical day in the life of a Chinese consumer
A typical day in the life of a Chinese consumer
A typical day in the life of a Chinese consumer
Nobody buys Chinese milk. We don t trust it
At hypermarket I trust meat to not be injected. At wet market, I m not so sure and it is unhygienic.
Bread in shops are full of preservatives. I bake my own. It is easy and good for my health.
It is more expensive, but I only buy GM-free cooking oil. It is safer. I saw that on TV.
I do eat well, but my friends started with multi-vitamins. They made me try. I use them now.
SOCIETAL VALUES Food Culture Government CONSUMER FOOD CHOICE Food Environment Business Culture
Chinese consumers share many similarities with consumers elsewhere, and express differences embedded in local context (past and present)
Health and wellness beliefs in food» Chinese people often classify food into heaty (yang) and cooling (yin) categories» A balanced diet of yin and yang is believed to help stabilize and promote healthy function of the body» The intake of heaty and cooling foods are important for both prevention and cure of disease. The bitter vegetables are good in summer to kill your inner fire. Lamb is too heaty for summer; your ulcer will get worse. Don t eat more than three crabs; it s too cooling, you ll get diarrhoea.
Health and wellness beliefs in food Heaty (yang) food examples Cooling (yin) food examples
Health and wellness beliefs in food Heaty (yang) food examples Too much heaty foods may result in feelings of irritability, short temper, fever, constipation, sore throat, nose bleed, outbreak of pimples and acne, mouth ulcers and indigestion. Cooling (yin) food examples Excessive cold energy in the body may result in feeling weak, lethargic, tired and restless.
Too much inner heat can last for days. My throat is sore and I drink TCM tea to feel better.
Health tea menu in domestic airport terminal
Conclusions for HVN Health is one of the most important factors when choosing foods. Rich traditional wisdom combined with new trends are shaping / reshaping consumers views on health. We need appropriate communication strategies. We need to be aware of the overall food environment People seek longevity now. If you are not healthy, you need to pay a lot of money to go see doctors and it is not affordable for a normal family (and that s why health is the most important thing when it comes to food).