Attitude: The Gateway to Consumer Acceptance

Just because there may be huge market potential for a particular product, does not mean every consumer will buy it.

By Greg Kitzmiller

There seems to be a tendency with nutraceutical products for firms to target particular medical endpoints like heart disease, diabetes or osteoporosis. Companies often go after these conditions because of the potentially large number of people that could purchase their nutraceutical product due to their condition. The problem is, not every consumer will purchase your product but frequently firms rely on an overstated view of the actual number of persons who are likely to buy their product. It is therefore detrimental to marketing plans and positioning to assume an entire market with a particular medical condition will purchase only your product.

The first thing to understand is that a target group may be broken down further into many other segments. For instance, people who have the particular medical condition you are targeting with your product are contending with different degrees of that condition. Some of those people are hospitalized, some are on prescription drugs, some are under strict lifestyle regimens and yet others may deny their problem, while others may be undiagnosed. So in reality your target population may wind up being much smaller than you anticipated.

Thus, it is beneficial to understand the exact nature of the segments you are targeting with your product. While this may require greater statistical analysis, in the end you are marketing your product to a more solid segment of people likely to use your product.

The Attitude Factor

Attitude is a very important factor to consider when dealing on the consumer level. Many consumers who have a medical condition do not actually think of themselves as having a medical need. As an example, my mother has broken several bones, has a diagnosis of osteoporosis, and is not responding that well to treatment. That said, she still does not think of herself as having a serious medical problem. When it comes to medical options she will say things like, “Well, I’m not ready for that yet.” Whether this is denial or personal toughness, it influences the way people think about what they put into their bodies.

Studies carried out by the Hartman Group, Bellevue, WA, show a whole range of attitudes for consumers who purchase functional products. As such, the company has developed a language map characterizing those using functional foods or nutraceutical products. On the one hand, there are consumers who have very “low involvement.” This group may use a fortified product or a healthy juice just to get certain nutrients in their body. These consumers will talk about specific nutrients or a specific fortified product like their breakfast cereal.

And then there is another group, which is considered at “mid-level of involvement.” They may relate the product they buy to a specific need like more energy, the need to lose weight or the need to reduce stress.

Other consumers are “more involved” in their nutraceutical use decisions and may rely on a physician, friend or publication as a gatekeeper of information. As consumers become more involved attitudinally they may be looking to prevent disease. It is also quite possible that they have found new interest in functional foods and nutraceuticals because they are reacting to a particular condition. And they could simply just be looking to eat healthy. It is the group of involved consumers that appear to be the most receptive to many functional food and nutraceutical products.

What do Consumers Want to Hear?

Different consumers react differently to different messages. Once we have considered segments from both a statistical and attitudinal standpoint, let’s consider how to communicate with them.

Some consumers shun products and/or messages associated with disease because they don’t want to think of themselves as someone with a heart problem. These consumers would rather think positively about being a healthy person making smart choices.

Many consumers interested in functional foods are generally cautious about what they put into their bodies. The Hartman Group reports that if a product sounds medicinal, consumers are likely to react negatively. These consumers also favor the appearance of foods being natural. Alternatively, some consumers seem to perceive that some natural products, such as eggs, should not be fortified. In fact, the Hartman Group’s research shows that six of 10 consumers do not want added nutrients in their eggs. In order to reach these consumers, it is important not only to know what segment of the population they fall into, but also what their attitude toward health is. This will help clarify what messages are acceptable to this group of consumers.

Summary

Too often companies don’t realize that they are not serving their markets well. It is important to determine the exact target market and the attitudes of those within that market. It is also important to test different types of messages on these consumers to find out what they want to hear about functional foods and nutraceuticals. Otherwise, a firm believes they have this huge market potential that they never reach because they never took the time to fully understand all of the consumers who might be within their supposed target. While smart targeting is more difficult, it is also more rewarding. NW