How big is the healthy-food industry? According to Statista, the food market for health and wellness could grow to as much as $811 billion this year. That’s over a hundred billion dollars compared to four years ago.
While no business guarantees success, at least this one gives you plenty of opportunities to earn a profit and grow the market. But a major reason for its ability to shatter market records is the millennials.
Also known as the Y generation, these people born during the 1980s to the late 1990s know the value of excellent well-being. The Harvard Pilgrim Care Center cited that this demographic is more health-conscious or proactive than their parents or grandparents.
They are also formidable consumers. The generation had likely spent a whopping $1.4 trillion for various products and services in 2020. They are also willing to pay a premium for items that matter to them, including healthy food options.
But marketing to millennials is different from that of baby boomers or other generations. How can you ensure they can see your brand and get your message? Here are a few ideas:
1. Go Online—and Mobile
Unlike the Z generation, some millennials are not intimately acquainted with tech, but most are. They are using it to their advantage, including buying healthy food.
In a survey by CouponFollow participated by at least a thousand millennials in 2019, the respondents said they performed 60% of their shopping through the Internet. Their preferred method is mobile e-commerce—that is, making purchases through their mobile devices such as phones. In the same survey, up to 36% of the items they got through mobile.
In other words, marketing your business online is a must if your target the millennials. Now is the time to spend money on strategies like SEO that answer important keywords like where to buy water or what is a gluten-free diet?
Optimize your site and online marketing strategies to work on mobile. For instance, the content should follow the layout or screen size of the device. Shopping through their phone or tablet should be easy and fast (learning about user design can help in this area).
If you’re less familiar with tech, better work with the experts. It may cost you money, but it can pay off handsomely when you generate the leads you’re looking for.
2. Focus on Sustainability
In 2020, Beyond Meat, a company that produces and sells vegan meat (such as the famous Beyond Burger), reported net revenue of nearly $100 million during its third-quarter 2020. That’s almost 3% higher than what they earned a year before.
The popularity of the product and its ilk aren’t just about the fact that it’s plant-based. They are also sustainable and ethical. What does this mean?
Producing it doesn’t consume many finite resources such as water or doesn’t generate too much waste that may only worsen pollution.
It can also have a direct impact on animal production or breeding, particularly in the long-term. Animals like cows contribute to global warming as they release methane or change the soil’s quality until they are unfit for plant agriculture. Growing cattle is resource extensive.
Moreover, millennials want brands to value ethics. It means that an organic coffee comes from a fair-trade market or that none of the products, including their ingredients, have been tested on animals.
They want brands to be more socially responsible. And despite being risk-averse, about 66% of the generation rewards those that help take care of humanity and the planet by paying a premium, according to Nielsen research.
3. Make the Product Convenient to Purchase
In a recent report by the Department of Agriculture, millennial families are now spending more money on unprocessed or whole foods. They are also concentrating on fruits and vegetables or swapping junk food with healthier choices. They are also spending money on fresh and organic food products.
However, they are also looking for convenience. That is understandable as millennials are workaholics, said the Harvard Business Review. In one of the surveys, a staggering 73% said they usually work for more than 40 hours a week. Nearly 25%, meanwhile, shared they spent at least 50 hours weekly on their job.
Inasmuch as they want to eat healthily, they are less likely to have time to cook during weekdays or opt for grab-and-go food for breakfasts and lunches.
Fortunately, this problem is an opportunity for you. You can create weekly subscription meal plans for different diet options like vegan or gluten-free. You can also sell bento boxes, which are complete grab-and-go meals.
Appealing to the millennials is one of the brilliant marketing strategies for any business involved in healthy food, but you need to do it right. These three ideas will get you on the right track.