Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/623506
A uthor, speaker, and consultant Jim Carroll offers global trend analysis and strategies for change to companies as varied as Johnson & Johnson, the Walt Disney Corporation, and Yum! Brands. Here, he discusses why trends are more complicated than "what's hot or what's not," the lightning speed of consumer influencers, and why experimentation is necessary to build shopper relationships. BY BRANDON FOX How a Futurist Deciphers Trends What trends are you seeing in the food industry? Boy, where do we start? I take a different approach—it's not "what's hot or what's not," but how are things changing and how quickly can specialty food come to market? People are inf luenced faster than say, five or 10 years ago—or even a year ago—and a lot of that has to do with social networks, but also with just the way new concepts and new ideas are put in front of them. I spoke to a group of beverage executives a couple of years ago about what was happening with food and alcohol. I told them to think about "Mad Men." All of sudden, 1960s retro drinks were all the rage. It happened quickly because people are inf luenced in q&a 94 ❘ SPECIALTY FOOD MAGAZINE specialtyfood.com PHOTO: JIM CARROLL