Cross-European and functional food related consumer segmentation for new product development

Functional Food emerged as a constant segment in the European food market and offer potential for product innovations which make them attractive for the food industry in nearly stagnating markets. Target group research is one key factor for successful innovative food products. The aim of this project was to develop and test a Functional Food related consumer segmentation model. For this purpose a survey was conducted in Germany, the United Kingdom, Poland and Spain with a total of 590 respondents. Factor analysis revealed consumers' motivation to buy or to refuse Functional Food. Motives, consumers' knowledge about Functional Food, their trust towards diverse actors in the context of nutrition and their purchase pattern were used in a cluster analysis and resulted in eight consumer segments. These groups differ significantly regarding sociodemographic characteristics. A conjoint study examined consumers' preferences towards a new type of orange juice enriched with functional ingredients recombined with different health claims. Aggregated preferences for single consumer segments provide indications for target group specific product development. Cross- country comparison of consumer segments showed distinct shifts of segments' distribution in single countries. This might be considered for companies' marketing approaches or the European commission's health and consumer protection policy.