45,000 consumers from 25 different countries participated in Symrise’s “Next Intensity – Megatrends 2014 Update” study. Based on the findings, we validated the three trend platforms which were previously identified that will play a key role in shaping our future product developments.
Symrise has been working since 2011 with GfK–Roper to obtain unique foresight trends backed up with global and regional qualitative and quantitative data with consumers aged 15+, with a specific focus on leading-edge consumers.
Specific information per country: major/rising trends, women/men specificities, low income/high income specificities, Latino, African-Americans and Asian, specific info by age group with a highlight on Millennials.
Do you get greater satisfaction from experiences than from material possessions? Are you interested in new trends and unusual products? If this is the case, your lifestyle is probably “high intensity.” Does your family’s security lie close to your heart and is it essential for you to be able to trust in products? If so, then you feel comfortable in “balanced intensity.” Or is your main goal in making purchasing decisions to help make the world a better place? This is consistent with “slow” intensity.
Five “global drivers of change” underlie the different intensities. These include, for example, global warming and diminishing resources, as well as the increasing availability of technology in all levels of society and change in country demographics.
Our major new consumer study, “Next Intensity – Megatrends 2014,” has identified these three intensities, or “trend platforms.” The data we obtained has provided us with a tool that can be applied both globally and regionally, and that fundamentally shapes all of our current product developments in terms of market and consumer profiles and consumer expectations, as well as the flavorings that we use.
Intensity #1: Slow Intensity – “Me & the Entire World”
This is how I (as a consumer) make the right choices, not just for me but for the whole of society, taking responsibility for oneself and one’s fellow human being. Three trend expressions are related to this intensity: Considered Consumption (truly local, authenticity, trust, transparency), Eco-Citizenship (sustainability) and Streamline Value (efficient, uncomplicated).
Intensity #2: Balanced Intensity – “Me & My Immediate Surroundings”
This is how I (as a consumer) stay safe and healthy in an unstable, confusing world, free from unnecessary worry. Three trend expressions are related to this intensity: Best Being (Holistic Living), Safe and Secure (Smart Protection, Peace of Mind), Home Quarters (Comfort Zone, Entertainment Hub)
Intensity #3: High Intensity – “Me as an Individual”
This is how I satisfy and gratify my own need and desire, self- gratification & a sense of personal empowerment. Three trend expressions are related to this intensity: Experiential (Exploration, Novelty & Fun), Identity (Customization), and Instant Everywhere (Immediate Results)
“Next Intensity" is a unique tool that connects all Symrise divisions across the globe. Next Intensity is used in all Scent & Care and Flavor divisions and enables Marketing, Categories, Research & Development and Sales to work together toward their goals of developing product concepts that are geared toward the customer and the future, as well as finding successful Symrise solutions.
