In late 2014 we were excited to share the findings of a new research study into the way consumers in Germany think about macadamias. It was both fascinating and encouraging, revealing that German consumers love macadamias and consider them to be the most versatile, premium and indulgent of all nuts.
Having recently examined our typical Aussie macadamia consumer, we can now explore the characteristics of our typical German macadamia consumer and the role macadamias play in their life.
Setting the scene
The loyal German macadamia consumer is typically female, aged 36 to 49 years. She’s working, may not have children, but if she does, they’re probably aged over three. She buys macadamias at least once a month and her interests include food, health and cooking. She enjoys experimenting with new recipes and trying new ingredients.
A desire for wellness
Our loyal German consumer is very focused on wellness. She’s active and performance oriented and conscious of maintaining a balanced life. Each day she strives to feel as centred as possible.
Nuts form part of her stress-busting toolkit. They’re an everyday therapeutic agent, used to relax, regain control and keep going. They’re an essential part of a balanced and healthy way of eating.
Information and quality seeker
Hungry for information, the German macadamia consumer seeks out new insights specifically around nuts and their nutritional benefits.
Quality is top of mind and she desires a more conscious approach to consumption, where quality rates more highly than quantity and organic, natural products take centre stage. Brands and price are not the drivers of purchase decisions and if a product doesn’t deliver on taste, she won’t buy it again, regardless of how attractively it is priced.
The unique appeal of macadamias
At a purely sensual level, the loyal German user loves the unique taste, aroma, crunch and shape of macadamias. It is these characteristics combined that make it such a pleasurable eating experience.
The sensual enjoyment is underpinned by a more complex emotional attachment to macadamias. By opting for macadamias over other nuts, she feels she is making a more discerning choice. Macadamias are valued as a premium nut and she is not only happy to pay more for it, she actually expects to – it’s all part of the natural premium appeal that macadamias hold.
Her number one reason for choosing macadamias is health and wellness. She believes it to be the healthiest of all nuts, with nutritional benefits that put it in the territory of superfoods.
What sets macadamias apart from other healthy food choices is that they’re also indulgent, rewarding and special. It’s the ultimate win-win: a food that straddles the health and indulgence paradigm perfectly.
Macs are more than just a snack
Macadamias are firmly entrenched in the food repertoire of German macadamia consumers. They form an important part of their healthy, conscious and sometimes vegetarian diet.
Snacking is definitely high on the list of uses for macadamias, for both health and relaxation and they’re also used to make salads more interesting and enticing.
Realising the potential
The research revealed that German consumers feel excited by macadamias and any products that contain them. They naturally add premium appeal to other foods, upgrading them to more indulgent or more healthy. As an ingredient, macadamias can drive purchasing decisions and behaviour. For food manufacturers, these are potent insights and worth consideration for future product innovation.
Furthermore, there is no barrier that determines or limits usage. There is a huge opportunity to educate loyal users about new applications for macadamias, particularly around cooking and baking, where knowledge and familiarity is currently lacking. Education on the health benefits of macadamias has the potential to turn light users into loyalists, increasing product use and purchase frequency.
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If you would like more information on any aspect of the German consumer research, or would like to discuss how macadamias can enhance your next product development, please feel free to contact lynne.ziehlke@macadamias.org
