The last few years have changed the meat industry, and they’ve changed the meat consumer. Pandemic, inflation, sustainability, e-commerce — the list of events and ideas reshaping how consumers make purchase decisions is long. But today’s meat and poultry consumers don’t have to be a mystery. Midan’s new proprietary Meat Consumer Segmentation 3.0 research sorts consumers into five brand-new segments.

“We conducted research throughout 2020 and 2021 to understand how the pandemic was changing meat consumers,” said Michael Uetz, co-founder and principal at Midan, a strategic marketing, research and creative agency that partners exclusively with meat and protein-focused companies. “As things began to return to normal, we were excited to repeat our Meat Consumer Segmentation research to get a snapshot of where consumers landed after all of this change.”

The new research includes five new meat and poultry consumer segments: Connected Trendsetters, Claim Seekers, Convenience Cravers, Committed Carnivores and Classic Palates.

Meet the new segments:

• Connected Trendsetters: Meat is their main dish, but they have eclectic tastes. They are interested in all types of proteins. They appreciate novelty and are willing to experiment with different proteins and specialty meat attributes.
• Claim Seekers: They pay careful attention to what they eat. They want meat and poultry that is healthy for their bodies but also delivers on animal welfare and comes from brands/companies that protect the environment and practice sustainable agriculture.
• Convenience Cravers: Due to their busy and active lives they prefer food that is convenient and can be cooked quickly, affordably and on the go.
• Committed Carnivores: They enjoy the taste of meat and poultry, and they take pride in cooking from scratch and preparing home-cooked meals for their family, but aren’t interested in claims.
• Classic Palates: Meat is the staple of their mealtime routine, and they cannot imagine ever giving up its unique taste. Habit drives their purchase behavior, and they are unwilling to take chances on new cuts or products.

The survey, which was conducted in early 2023, asked a nationally representative sample of U.S. consumers their buying preferences around meat and poultry. Questions focused on shopping and eating habits and attitudinal statements. Topics included in Segmentation 3.0 that weren’t considered in the past include the COVID-19 pandemic, rising food costs, increased use of e-commerce, the shift toward remote work, growing concerns around sustainability, changing perspectives on health and the expansion of meat alternatives.

For those interested in learning more, a free Meat Consumer Segmentation 3.0 Insights Report can be downloaded here. The full package, which includes a technical research slide deck and customized one-hour presentation by a member of the Midan Customer Insights Team, is available for purchase at the same link.

Midan’s original Meat Consumer Segmentation study, released in 2016, was the first industry-wide consumer segmentation research. The research serves to inform Midan clients, as well as the larger meat industry, about how consumers are evolving over time and how to continue reaching them best — both with products and marketing messaging.

Source: Midan