LAHORE: The Tetra Pak Index 2017 highlights new marketing and communication challenges and offers some interesting consumer insights in the wake of ever-increasing influence of online and social media. These findings can be very helpful to predict market trends for the booming retail sector of Pakistan. The index is an annual report which offers industry watchers with information on the latest facts, figures and trends related to the global dairy and juice industries. The data is collected from a variety of Tetra Pak and external sources and analysed by Tetra Pak market experts.
The key findings of this year’s index highlighted 8 particular areas, as followed;
A world of consumer commentary
Digital media, blogs/forums and social media are all on the rise. In an online world where everyone has a voice, brands cannot speak loud enough on their own. They need to engage proactively, cultivating user-generated content, learning from and partnering with bloggers, and harnessing the power of Super Leaders to spread and amplify their messages.
Mobile is king
The online world is increasingly mobile-centric, particularly in developing markets, which often skip desktops altogether. China is notably advanced to study the latest trends. It has become a showcase for mobile development; about half of all e-commerce there happens on mobiles and it also leads the world in the use of mobiles for cashless payment. Brands need to start with a mobile-first strategy. In fact, in the US, some are shifting to “mobile-only” to “keep pace with on-the-go consumers”.
Trust, tone & influence
With institutional “trust in crisis”, consumers increasingly trust people like them who share their values, priorities and outlook on life. Brands need to show that they share these traits too; to be more transparent and speak with greater honesty and authenticity, while leveraging “real people” as brand advocates.
Segmentation & Super Leaders
Online behaviour transcends conventional demographics and requires a new kind of consumer segmentation framework. The most active and most social group of all connected consumers are the Super Leaders: the earliest of adopters, the influencers and the trendsetters. Well-connected and highly vocal, they can be a golden source both of brand advocacy and market insight.
Consistency is crucial
As channels proliferate and ever more links in the value chain interact directly with consumers, brands need to work harder to create consistent messaging and a seamless customer journey across multiple touch points. Mobile is increasingly the “glue” that connects this omnichannel experience.
In-store still pivotal
Food and beverages are still overwhelmingly purchased offline and in-store marketing remains critical to product campaigns. But digital is key here too, influencing more than half of all in-store purchases.
Rise of e-commerce
E-commerce is rising everywhere and is forecast to account for 10 per cent of all food by 2021. It is causing disruption across the value chain, with major players such as Amazon promising much more to come.
Packaging matters
As consumers now look for personalised experiences from brands, unique digital packages, augmented reality and custom printing provide new opportunities for brands to engage and deepen relationships and, crucially, to connect directly with them.
