Inspirational Birthplaces and Parentages for Product Development Inspiration is not born in a vacuum. To be inspired by looking only within the food industry is to risk being out of step with outside innovations that border and influence our industry. Health, consumer, and travel trends all act as couriers that shuttle product trends in from their respective stewardships. Health trends that are migrating from research to the food industry include topics ranging from prevention, control, and trust to specific conditions affecting cognitive function, obesity, and digestion. The basis of consumer trends is complex because consumers have more than one “gorilla” sitting on their couch at a time and, depending on their generation, more than one voice whispering in their ears. They also have a habit of saying one thing but doing another. Current travel trends reveal consumer interest in more extreme and experimental locations. When health, consumer, and travel trends are overlaid, beverage and food patterns reveal themselves. If you can google a trend, then not only have you missed its birth and have no idea of its parentage, you will not have a clear understanding of what is influencing it or its potential for directional changes, which can adversely affect the success of new products. |