This new year marks a fresh chapter for health and wellness in America. With a presidential administration committed to “Make America Healthy Again” and the rising influence of GLP-1 medicines reshaping eating habits, produce marketing professionals are positioned to champion a healthier lifestyle for consumers.
However, health-conscious behaviors often clash with ongoing concerns about inflation and the costs tied to healthier habits. Balanced messaging highlighting health benefits, affordability, and convenience will be critical for marketers in 2025 as they support consumers on their health journeys.
As we embrace the new year, here are three ways produce marketing can support retail customers and encourage consumers to increase fresh produce consumption in impactful ways:
Food Is Medicine
The link between nutrition and health and how food can prevent, manage, or treat illness is no longer just a theory.
Consumers increasingly understand the benefits of a nutrient-rich diet and actively seek information about the health advantages of specific foods. This means threading the needle on messaging for produce marketing—balancing health benefits with factual claims. Building consumer trust will require marketers to position food as the foundation of health regimens while using “medicine” positively and intentionally.
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Flavor Matters in Produce Marketing
Everyone remembers their best—and worst—meals. Flavor impacts more than taste; it creates experiences.
As the connection between food and medicine deepens, produce marketing must reshape how people perceive the taste of nutritious foods. Focusing on flavor trends, like broader use of spice influenced by global cultures, will help reintroduce fresh produce in exciting and enjoyable ways. Creating a positive flavor experience will ensure nutritious foods are seen as desirable rather than a chore.
Convenience Is King
Consumers are busier than ever. With inflation driving cost-conscious behaviors, many shoppers have become more creative in the kitchen.
Despite these challenges, time and money constraints continue to elevate the demand for convenience. For produce marketing efforts to succeed, marketers must deliver on convenience by providing easy ways to incorporate fresh produce into daily diets. This includes ready-to-eat options, pre-cut produce, or meal kits that simplify healthy eating.
Produce brands can foster loyalty and trust by positioning themselves as trusted resources while helping consumers maintain healthier habits.