probiotics 360° trend research · example, by bestsellers such as “gut: the inside story of our...

Probiotics – 360° Trend Research

The potential of the friendly bacteria

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BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES

Our research and trend observations have shown that a lot has happened in the probiotics market in recent years, worldwide but also in Germany.

Improved laboratory procedures and continual new study results set the stage for new products and even for whole new product categories. The range of probiotic products is enormous and appears to be confusing in many areas.

• With our qualitative & quantitative study, we would like to give an overview of the different probiotics product categories in Germany and provide insight into current market dynamics. Furthermore, we aim to understand the consumer’s perspective and provide answers to the following questions:

• What do consumers know about probiotics? How do they understand the mechanism of action?

• How do consumers in Germany perceive probiotic products? What are drivers and barriers?

• What experiences have consumers had with various probiotic products?

• What are their sources of information? Which physicians recommend probiotic products?

• Which product categories (beyond yogurt & food supplements) are consumers interested in? Which new product categories evoke barriers in the consumer and how can they be overcome?

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Probiotics - 360° Trend Research

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• Representative online survey with N=1,000 people over the age of 18

• Duration: 15 minutes

• N=12 qualitative in-depth interviews with consumers of probiotic products


• Including the use of image stimulus material to explore implicit knowledge

• N=4 expert interviews N=2 researchers from the field of

microbiome research

N=2 dieticians



METHOD

A three-step study design to examine the consumer perspective and current developments, and to forecast future trends.

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• Observation of all developments and trends related to probiotics over the course of 12 months between Q1 2017 – Q1 2018

• Evaluation of media coverage

• Reviewing of magazine articles for end consumers and specialist articles

• Observation of new product launches

• Observation of activities of companies and key players

DESK RESEARCH

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QUALITATIVEIn-Depth INTERVIEWS

QUANTITATIVE ONLINE SURVEY

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The probiotics industry is growing, even though the EU has not yet approved any health claims for probiotics. In addition to traditional manufacturers of preparations for pharmacies and food supplements for drugstores and health food stores, more and more new players are entering the market. There is a vast array of products offered online. Companies such as Nestlé or Boehringer Ingelheim are investing large sums in expanding their product range.

Starting from the key categories (yogurt / food supplements) probiotic offers fan out into a variety of product categories (e.g. skin care, personal hygiene, animal health, dental health).

Mass media bring the subject of “probiotics” to the end consumer’s attention › Consumers are educated, for example, by bestsellers such as “Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ” (“Darm mit Charme”), articles in various magazines, Internet contributions.

Intensive scientific research has been carried out in recent years in the field of probiotics to better understand the effect of individual strains of bacteria and to discover entirely new strains - probiotics of a new generation – with the goal to develop preparations for specific indications:

• Previous use of probiotics:primarily to strengthen the immune system and for the treatment ofintestinal problems (e.g. after an antibiotic therapy)

• Further areas of use that are currently planned:

Weight loss & treatment of allergies (e.g. neurodermatitis, asthma, hay fever)

Prevention & treatment of various diseases (e.g. depression, liver diseases, Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, caries, cancer)

Skin health & anti-aging (use in the cosmetics industry)

Animal health products for pet keeping, but also for industrial animal husbandry (to avoid/reduce the use of antibiotics), etc.

PROBIOTICS | CURRENT MARKET OBSERVATIONS & TRENDS


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2

3

4

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51

79

15

6

Yes

No

Don't know

UNPROMPTED AWARENESS

PROBIOTICS AWARENESS

Probiotics is a familiar term causing little confusion. When prompted, almost everybody has already heard of it.

PROMPTED AWARENESS

Q1: Are you familiar with this term, i.e. have you already heard the term “probiotics”? Q2: How well can you explain to someone else what “probiotics” are about? Selection: all respondents (N=1,000) | values in %

Q3: After having read this explanation: Are you familiar with “probiotics” or probiotic products?Selection: all respondents (N=1,000) | values in %


93

5 2

413333714

LEVEL OF AWARENESS Probiotics are living microorganisms – usually bacteria – with special health benefits for the human

body, but also for animals. Probiotic bacteria are found naturally in a variety of foods (e.g. yogurt or lacto-fermented products such as sauerkraut). Furthermore, there are various other products

such as food supplements or functional foods with probiotic bacteria on offer (e.g. Actimel or Activia), as well as care products with probiotic bacteria. The most widely known types of probiotic

bacteria are lactobacilli and bifidobacteria.Very well Not very well at all

Female: 82% Male: 77%18-39 yrs.:85%40-59 yrs.:81%60+ yrs.: 63%

All respondentsN=1,000

All respondentsN=1,000

n=794

Top2

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Health & well-being

“Probiotics help you feel good again. You’ll be happy and balanced and have more energy.”

PROBIOTICS | CONSUMER PERCEPTION


Restoring inner balance

“Probiotics restore your inner balance and create contentment.”

Potent & effective/ strengthens immune system

Natural remedy / harmless

Some physicians recommend it

(e.g. after treatment with

antibiotics)

A healthy diet is an important supplement

Expensive (especially as a

course of treatment)

Requires prolonged use /

in some cases lengthy search for a

suitable product

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INFORMATION CHANNELS

INFORMATION CHANNELS I

Awareness of probiotics is created mainly through TV advertisement, WOM, and the Internet (health websites).

MOST RELEVANT INFORMATION CHANNELS

INTERNET

Q23: Where on the Internet did you become aware of probiotics/probiotic products?Selection: respondents who became aware of probiotics throughthe internet (n=275) | values in %

Q19: How did you become aware of the subject of “probiotics”? Selection: respondents who know of probiotics (n=951) | valuesin %


Q24: Where on TV did you become aware of probiotics/probiotic products? Selection: respondents who became aware of probiotics throughTV (n=290) | values in %

TV

TV

Friends/Acquaintances/ Family Members

Internet

Physician/Veterinarian/Alternati

ve practitioner

Newspapers/Magazines

Pharmacy

Store

Do not know

Other

31

30

29

20

19

17

15

10

1

TV advertisement

TV show

Teleshopping

Other

82

26

10

0

Websites with health information

Online pharmacy

Online shops

Manufacturer websites

Forums, Blogs

Other

59

33

27

25

20

2Observation: TV, WOM, articles on the internet, and physicians arouse interest in probiotics. Subsequent research and product comparisons.

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PRESUMPTIONS ABOUT PROBIOTICS

Factor: Time


Probiotics have to be used over a longer period of time in order to have an effect

• Approx. 1-2 weeks for acute problems

• Several weeks to months for chronic problems

Plausible

Probiotic products that have to be used over a longer period of time / are in contact with the body over a longer period of time (e.g. powder, lotions)

Less plausible

Probiotic products that are only in contact with the body over a short period of time (e.g. shampoo, shower gel or toothpaste)

PRESUMPTIONS ABOUT PROBIOTICS CONCLUSION FOR PROBIOT. PRODUCTS

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Factor: Naturalness


Probiotics are natural and the use of probiotics should be accompanied by a (fairly) healthy diet and lifestyle

Plausible

Probiotics that appear natural without artificial ingredients/additives

Less plausible

Probiotic products that appear artificial (e.g. contain artificial colors or flavors)

Probiotic products that contain significant amounts of sugar or probiotic candy


“I can’t expect a probiotic to strengthen my immune system if I only eat junk food and candy.”

"Sugar damages the intestinal microbiota, therefore a probiotic should contain no sugar or only very little.”

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Factor: Body


Probiotics are found in the intestines/on the body. Probiotic products have a positive effect on the body.

Plausible

Probiotics that act on the body directly

Less plausible

Probiotic products that do not act on the body directly with no intended body contact (e.g. detergents and cleaners)

›› Consumers find it difficult to imagine an indirect positive effect on the body


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An increasing number of people suffer from lactose intolerance or show symptoms after the consumption of dairy products

In the wake of the vegan trend, there have been numerous reports claiming that (largely) avoiding dairy products is healthy

In the wake of the probiotics trend, it has been recommended to eat yogurt

DAIRY PRODUCTS: GOOD OR BAD?

UNCERTAINTY OF CONSUMERS ABOUT PROBIOTICS

Some consumers feel uncertain as to whether they should consider dairy products healthy or unhealthy. In addition, there is a lot of uncertainty with regard to lactose intolerance.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE


“I want to eat healthy, but what should I do now? Quit eating dairy products or eat yogurt on a daily basis?”

“Are probiotics capsules with LACTIC acid bacteria actually suitable for people with lactose intolerance? I am supposed to

avoid dairy products.“

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CATEGORIES OF PROBIOTIC PRODUCTS

Starting from the core categories (yogurt / food supplements) probiotic offers fan out into a variety of product categories (e.g. skin care, animal health, dental health).


Functional Food

Food Supplements

Dental Care and Oral Hygiene

Beauty & Skin Care

Cleaners

Detergents

Personal Hygiene

Animal Health & Animal Hygiene

Products for Female Hygiene

Air Purification

Categories of probiotic products

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Sports nutrition

Dietary products

Animal health

Pet food

Skin care

Dental care

Sanitary products

Products for the genital area

Animal hygiene

Baby food

Detergents

Cleaners

60

58

53

49

46

44

41

37

36

36

31

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FUTURE AREAS OF USE

Probiotics are an especially good fit for sports nutrition and dietary products. Detergents and cleaners are more difficult to imagine.

Q30: And how well can you imagine probiotic products, meaning products with added living bacteria, for use in the following areas? Q31: And how relevant would probiotic products be for you personally in the respective areas?Selection: respondents who would definitely consider using probiotics in the future (N=915) | values in %

POSSIBLE FUTURE AREAS OF USE | TOP 2 BOXES

(Very) important

Dietary products“I can very well imagine probiotics in dietary products. You also take these

weight loss powders over a longer period of time.“

[from qualitative interviews]

Cleaners“I can‘t imagine how the probiotics are

supposed to get from the cleaner into my body. I would have to walk barefoot or lick

the floor after I’ve mopped it.“[from qualitative interviews]

(Very) well conceivable

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3619,73437

Doubts about effectiveness

No need

Too expensive

Not enough knowledge

Concerns reg. side effects

Other

FUTURE USE OF PROBIOT. PRODUCTS


FUTURE USE

High level of openness towards the future use of probiotic products. Main barriers are doubts about effectiveness & lack of need.

BARRIERS

Q28: Would you generally consider using probiotic products (even) in the future? Selection: all respondents (N=1,000) | values in %

Q29: And why would you rather not consider using probiotic products??Selection: respondents who would not consider using probiotics (N=85) | values in %

57

54

37

8

8

8

18-39 yrs.:76%40-59 yrs.:73%60+ yrs.:61%

Fear of habituation“If I take probiotics on a daily basis, my immune system will

slow down. Therefore, you should only take them as a

course of treatment or if there is an acute need.“

[from qualitative interviews]

Fear of vitamin overdose“Probiotics shouldn‘t be taken over several

weeks or months. If I ingest additional vitamins with every capsule, it can lead to

an overdose very quickly.“[from qualitative interviews]

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Definitely Definitely notTop2

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• Which information channels are particularly relevant for probiotic products?

• What role do general practitioners and specialists take on when it comes to recommending probiotic products?

• What are drivers & barriers for consumers with regard to the different product categories (insights from qualitative in-depth interviews)? As of yet, which new product categories have the greatest potential?

• Food supplements: what do consumers know about food supplements and how do they navigate through the jungle of products?

• What notions do consumers have about the mode of action of probiotic products? How does the mode of action learned from one category (e.g. logic: acts through the intestines) influence the perception of other modes of action (e.g. acts on skin)?

• What experiences have consumers had with probiotic products so far and how do they influence their perception of the category?

OUTLOOK ON THE CONTENT OF THE COMPLETE STUDY

The long version of our 360° trend study on probiotics contains further fascinating insights and includes answers to the following questions…


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GIM l Gesellschaft für Innovative Marktforschung mbH

Goldschmidtstraße 4 - 669115 Heidelberg

www.g-i-m.com

KONTAKT

Julia EymannSenior Research Manager

[email protected]

Anja SchiefelbuschSenior Research Manager

[email protected]


probiotics 360° trend research · example, by bestsellers such as “gut: the inside story of our...

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