Colours and Flavours


“Natural colours can be the differentiator that confectionery manufacturers need to really hit the sweet spot”


Keeping it clean but colourful


Suzanne Callander reports on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and emerging social media trends on consumer behaviour, when it comes to the colour of their confectionery.


C


olour has always been an important consideration for


confectionery producers – quite simply


because it provides the initial visual appeal that makes consumers want to purchase a product in the first place.


Research undertaken by Innova Market Insights indicates that one-in-four consumers globally has become more concerned about their immune health than they were before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This means that consumers are becoming even more interested in the provenance of the food they consume, which translates into the fact that today consumers are showing a much greater interest in clean-label confectionery – and they are looking for more natural and healthy colour alternatives in their confectionery.


In addition to wanting more healthy confectionery, Lotte Jeppesen, Industry Business Manager Confectionery at Oterra, points out that, post-Covid, more than one-in-two consumers globally have said that they want to be more adventurous with their food choices. Lotte says: “Natural colours tell a powerful story and creates the opportunity for adventure and to explore the planet through consumer experiences.” Backing up Lotte’s statement, did you know that, according to Mintel’s Global Food Trends 2021, over 50% of Chinese consumers share food and drink information on social


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media. This can be a visual of their own cooking, recipes, or the foods they consume. Meanwhile in South Africa and Mexico, one-third of consumers do the same thing. Oterra has recognised that consumer experience is a


growing trend. Lotte says: “We know that consumers are seeking out new experiences. Increasingly we are all ‘eating with our eyes’ and in addition, are making more purchasing decisions based on what we see and experience online – on social media, for example. Colour is the first sense on social media and is also central to how we experience the world. We can use colour to tell stories and connect consumers to their core interests, to create new experiences that can be shared digitally through social media, activating networks, and resonating far beyond the product purchase.” Lotte has a point. Could you imagine being tempted to


eat grey coloured M&Ms or indeed, any other grey coloured candy? The answer is probably not, and with good reason! Not only would it be impossible to guess the flavour, but it would certainly not catch the consumers eye for the right reasons. Walking down the confectionery aisle in supermarkets today consumers are bombarded by a myriad of bright, vibrant colours, all of which are purposely selected to try and attract consumers, so there really is no bigger factor that can contribute to the success or failure of a confectionery product than its colour. In addition, whether we like it or not,


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