GEN Y’S CULINARY CODE CRACKED BY INNOVATIVE RESEARCH
New Insights Tell How to Satisfy the Cravings of this Large and Lucrative Demographic Market
San Francisco, CA – October 14, 2008 – Generation Y (or Millennials) is the largest, most culturally diverse demographic group in American history. Until now, their food and beverage preferences were largely unknown. New research from the Center for Culinary Development (CCD), a leading food and beverage product development company recognized for breakthrough concept-to-market execution, cracks the culinary code of this powerful market.
The power of Gen Y lies in its numbers. Generation Y is comprised of roughly 75 million Americans between the ages of 16 and 28, who are savvy consumers intent on having things their way. Gen Y is the catalyst for change in how America lives, works, plays and eats.
“It’s time we pay attention to what and how this large and lucrative group wants to eat,” said Kimberly Egan, chief executive officer of the Center for Culinary Development. “For businesses to thrive, it’s imperative to understand how to satisfy the cravings of this market-changing population.”
What Does Gen Y Crave?
As the offspring of Baby Boomers, they’ve grown up on ethnic foods, and have palates accustomed to diverse flavors. This penchant for exotic, multi-faceted flavors is reinforced by the cultural diversity of Millennials. This group wants intense, complex, layers of flavor in their food. They are adventurous and are eager to try new things.
What they eat is largely influenced by their mood, energy and the opinions of those they care about most – their peers and their parents. Whether dining in or out, food isn’t just about sustenance; it is a full sensory experience - appearance, aroma, texture, and sound make a big impact on satisfaction. They are indulgence-driven and take great pleasure in having their cravings completely sated. It is important to be able to customize a dish to suit their individual desires. Their busy lifestyles and lack of cooking skills require their foods to be easy, yet they seek healthy ingredients.
Impact for Food Manufacturers and Food Service
When it comes to food and drink, Millennials know what they like and are willing to spend liberally to get it. Focusing on BIG, bold, exotic flavors and fresh, flavorful twists on familiar favorites that satisfy all the senses can create products and menus that satisfy this huge, demanding audience. And, because Gen Y’s are very social, creating an environment that caters to their sense of community is a secret for success.
For successful business solutions, CCD infuses these insights throughout their culinary-driven, strategic product development process, from concept ideation and prototype development to consumer testing and commercialization.
Innovative Research Yields Rich Data
Gen Y is markedly different than any other demographic group in history, so CCD’s research approach needed to be different too in order to get authentic, reliable data. They started with an online quantitative questionnaire that asked 16-28 year olds about their food and beverage preferences and behaviors. Next, the CCD research team designed two qualitative studies tailor-made to pose questions and collect information in a manner to which Millennials are accustomed. The qualitative studies were conducted in comfortable, relaxed social settings that simulated at-home and restaurant dining.
“We had a lot of ‘aha’ moments as we reviewed our research findings,” said Egan. “The multi-tiered, customized methodologies yielded rich insights that every level of the food industry can use to satisfy the tastes particular to Millennials.”
For more information about CCD’s Gen Y research insights and/or to get a sample of a beverage custom-created for Millennials based on this research, visit http://ccdsf.com/media/events/geny or call Heidi Yeranossian at 203.431.4222. Photos are available upon request.
About The Center for Culinary Development – CCD, a full-service food and beverage development and research company that blends culinary creativity with strategic marketing expertise, celebrates 15 years of successful product innovation. Visit www.ccdsf.com, or contact Mary Margaret Sinnema at 415-693-8900 x 107 or .