Take a stroll alongside the refrigerated aisle and also you’ll discover a dairy part spanning milks, yogurts, cheeses and lotions. Most likely not too distant, you’ll additionally discover the plant-based dairy part displaying comparable merchandise, dairy-free.
However what you’ll battle to search out is one thing within the center: merchandise that mix plant-based components with dairy to create a brand new class, hybrid dairy. Whereas that is definitely reflective of a scarcity of innovation, it doesn’t counsel the class lacks attraction, based on market analysis agency Mintel.
How can innovators rethink the class, and specifically its messaging, to onboard new shoppers?
Are shoppers serious about hybrid dairy as a class?
It’s not usually one comes throughout a dairy product explicitly marketed as a hybrid. Probably the most notable, but discontinued, was launched by French firm Triballat Noyal below its Pâquerette & Compagnie model in late 2021. The product blended 50% cow’s milk with 50% plant-based components. On the time, Triballat Noyal mentioned it needed to supply shoppers ‘new selection, nice style, and wholesome vitamin’.
Though the product is now not on cabinets, shopper analysis suggests there may be appreciable curiosity within the blended dairy and plant-based class. In a handful of surveys carried out by Mintel together with both Kantar or Dynata over 2022-23, merchandise appeared interesting to many.
In France, 42% of respondents agreed merchandise that mix a dairy different predominant ingredient with dairy could be interesting; within the Republic of Eire 56% of cheese customers mentioned they’d be serious about attempting hybrid cheese; and in Thailand 26% mentioned they’d be serious about attempting hybrid yoghurt.
Responding to shopper calls for for flexitarianism (or flexi-dairy-anism)
The chance exists as a result of shoppers are more and more figuring out as flexitarians, that means they need to improve the quantity of plant-based meals – whereas lowering animal derived merchandise – of their diets. Within the dairy world, Mintel is asking this ‘flexi-dairy-anism’.
“In contract to the media protection surrounding the plant-based pattern in recent times, the vast majority of shoppers who’re re-examining their relationship with dairy are pursuing flexi-dairy-anism, i.e. consuming each dairy and plant-based milk,” defined Alice Pilkington, senior world foods and drinks analyst at Mintel.
In line with Kantar and Mintel 2023 analysis, many shoppers haven’t but tried non-dairy milk: within the US, the determine was as many as 47% of survey contributors. Within the UK, analysis suggests plant-based milk shoppers are additionally consuming dairy, with 80% of respondents saying they drank each plant-based and dairy milk within the final three months to April 2023.
So why aren’t shoppers prepared to surrender dairy utterly? Mintel’s Pilkington mentioned the choice to eat each plant-based and animal-based dairy might lie in shoppers persevering with to benefit from the robust ‘style credentials’ of dairy and a reluctance to utterly quit standard milk, yoghurt and cream.
As to the the explanation why shoppers are unwilling to rely solely on animal-based dairy, the explanations are ‘quite a few’, together with intolerance, a willingness to eat and drink more healthy merchandise, a perception that non-dairy is healthier for the atmosphere, and a want to eat extra plant-based meals.
How can manufacturers greatest attraction to flexitarian dairy shoppers?
If dairy hybrids are thought of a ‘whitespace’ alternative throughout the market, then how can manufacturers greatest hit the mark with shoppers?
Mintel recommends making current hybrid merchandise extra ‘actively related’ to flexi-dairy-an shoppers by emphasising each dairy and plant-based components. For instance, a model making a dairy yoghurt that incorporates oat flakes might higher promote the inclusion of each components, to attraction to dairy followers and flexi-dairy-ans on the similar time.
The market analysis agency additionally means that hybrids be positioned as an reasonably priced different to plant-based milk for a class of shoppers it describes as ‘reluctant dairy lovers’. In line with Kantar and Mintel analysis, 32% of individuals in Canada who don’t eat non-dairy milk accomplish that as a result of they contemplate it too costly.
From a vitamin perspective, including plant-based components to dairy merchandise might additionally assist maintain fibre-conscious shoppers engaged. “Added fibre holds broad attraction throughout dairy. For instance, 65% of Polish shoppers agree yoghurts and yoghurt drinks with added fibre could be interesting,” mentioned Mintel’s Pilkington.
And eventually, manufacturers ought to talk the style and indulgence that plant-based components can deliver. “While many shoppers present future intentions to change to extra non-dairy choices, style considerations stay,” we had been instructed.
“Consequently, hybrid dairy is over non-dairy options, given these merchandise nonetheless include a few of the dairy style that customers get pleasure from.”
