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| 08.09.04 | |
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Germans like it light
One in four German consumers
eats/drinks light products every day.
| German consumers are increasingly
showing a preference for 'light' products, according to research from GfK, with one in
four eating or drinking some kind of low fat/low calorie product every day. The research, written up in the advertising and marketing magazine Persoenlich, shows that far from feeling they are getting 'less', consumers see a real added value in 'light' products. |
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| Just take a look at any supermarket shelf
or chiller, says Persoenlich, and you can't help but notice the fact that just about every
product seems to come, alongside its original format, in a 'light' version. Used in its
original English-language form, the term has become a synonym for an entire category of
products with a lifestyle to match. But what is it that German consumers like particularly
about 'light' products and why? GfK set out to answer these questions by speaking to a representative sample of over-14 year-olds, finding that 62% of them - equivalent to over 40 million Germans - admit to having consumed at least one such product over the past 6 months. For almost one in four, the researchers found, consuming 'light' products has turned into a daily habit. "Light doesn't mean less, but more", researcher Stephan Grünewald tells Persoenlich. "The trend towards light products corresponds to people's desire for things they like, whenever they want, for substance. Consuming light products allows you to enjoy the sweet things in life - for example, with Coca Cola Light - without getting fat and sluggish". This, he says, is especially important to 14 to 19 year-olds, with 24% reporting their soft drink of preference as being a light variant of a major brand. After this age group, 'light' products are most preferred by women, GfK found, with 18% saying their favourite drink was alcohol-free and light, compared to just 12% of men. Even the inhabitants of Bavaria, the company says, famed for their beer drinking, report a liking for light beverages that transcends the national average. This, Grünewald explains, is because: "you can enjoy these products without really feeling you have to go without anything. It's about pleasure without any unwanted consequences". With an eye on their figure, almost half of those spoken to (44%) consumes light products to avoid taking in unnecessary calories. For 25%, however, the habit is aimed more at improving their feeling of general wellbeing. But it's not, Persoenlich says, just about the effects: 33.2% admit to liking the taste of light products and fully three-quarters of respondents gave a positive rating of light products as a whole. This, the magazine concludes, means that 'light' should no longer be considered as an alternative, but an increasingly established part of consumers' changed eating and drinking habits. |
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