Personalized nutrition, where consumers have access to foods specifically prepared and even created to meet their individual nutritional needs, can be a successful business. But do consumers actually understand what it is?
It’s a complex process, explained Melissa Snover, CEO of Nourished, a personalized nutrition brand that makes personalized 3D-printed gummies with specified nutrients tailored to consumers’ needs. Consumer education is needed in a variety of ways.
simple message
The nature of the product, and the nature of personalized nutrition as a whole, is essentially what consumers are familiar with. “It makes a lot of sense[to them]because everyone is unique, everyone is unique, everyone is unique, everyone has personal goals. “Having something made specifically for you automatically resonates with people when you describe it.” FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Digital Summit.
However, beyond this simple message, brands need to convey some of the complexity of their products. “Consumers are generally not experts on individual ingredients,” Snover said. When the business started in the UK, Snover realized that “more education was needed” for consumers.
Additionally, the type of individual consumer must be considered. “The message changed depending on the type of consumer.”
product demonstration
One of the ways Nourished communicates the benefits of its products to consumers is through high street retail stores. The product is being sold at luxury London department store Selfridges, which has a 3D printer installed inside the store to explain to consumers how it works.
Snover said the goal is not necessarily to sell a product, but to help consumers understand what the company is doing.
“Due to food safety regulations regarding manufacturing products in food-safe environments, it is impossible to manufacture tons of product in a store environment with limited space. We can,” Snover said.
“I think being in a retail environment like Selfridges allows customers to come and see, feel and experience our concept, which creates a very high level of value perception and credibility. ”
Among the nutrients
Personalized nutrition intersects with functional foods in many ways in terms of its appeal to consumers. Both are driven by consumers’ desire for specific functionality in food products to meet specific needs.
“Most of the time…consumers are looking for something that can solve their lifestyle…What most people are looking for is a tangible solution,” Snover said. For example, she suggested, consumers may want something that counteracts the negative effects of a screen-intensive lifestyle.
To communicate this to consumers, Nourished uses short information simplified to a more accessible level that explains how each nutrient benefits consumers.
This has been successful among consumers who have shown genuine curiosity about the potential functional benefits of Nourished’s 35 ingredients, Snover suggested. “We were really surprised and delighted by how many people actually clicked on the links and read more information about individual ingredients. This shows how many people really want to learn more. It just shows them what they think… so they can live healthier lives and make more beneficial decisions that come from a data-driven or knowledge-based perspective.”
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