Understanding Product Attributes is Key for Meeting Consumer Needs

In the face of a changing consumer landscape, CPG brands can take advantage of data-driven solutions that will help them connect directly with the consumer and meet their desire for an individualized experience.

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Today’s grocery shoppers, like everyone else, value time savings. As a result, they demand a truly personalized experience that allows them to find precisely what they need, quickly. Grocery purchases are increasingly aligned with specific nutritional needs or preferences. Adherence to a Keto, Whole30, vegan or other lifestyle diets have an enormous influence on buying behavior. In fact, today, 49% of shoppers observe a particular dietary regime or specific health-related nutrition program. And, active avoidance of specific ingredients due to food allergies or sensitivities has nearly the impact — a full 55% of shoppers report that food allergies, sensitivities or intolerances impact their grocery purchasing decisions. This trend has created challenges (and opportunities) for consumer packaged goods (CPGs).

The exponential growth of new online shopping options has created consumers who are far less brand loyal than their predecessors. Shoppers are more interested in the ability to quickly locate products that meet their individual needs. In fact, 81% of online grocery searches today are unbranded, with the search terms consumers use reflecting their dietary preferences rather than a specific brand

To date, online retail grocery search has failed to provide online shoppers with the level of individualization they expect. A vast array of CPG products lack key attribute data needed to provide accurate, customized search results. For example, Ketogenic is the 5th most searched for term in online grocery categories. Although this represents a major sales opportunity, a full 98% of products that could make a claim to be Ketogenic lack the product attribute needed to be found in online search. The end result is that the consumer is presented with an empty digital grocery shelf, when in reality, online retailers are well-stocked with keto-friendly products — the listings simply lack the right product attributes to be found by interested shoppers. 

How to leverage product attributes to win

In the face of a changing consumer landscape, CPG brands can take advantage of data-driven solutions that will help them connect directly with the consumer and meet their desire for an individualized experience.

Here are four ways you can leverage product attributes to win in grocery.

●      Access online grocery search data. Tap into search data to understand what terms consumers are searching related to their needs and preferences.

●       Discover and capitalize on unclaimed product attributes. Know what attributes your products qualify for. For example, which products fit the criteria for keto, all natural, or allergen-free? Once you know which products qualify for which attribute claims, you can update your product titles and descriptions to improve discoverability of your products.

●       More accurately target ad spend. Too often, brands fail to target paid search ads on accurate, relevant keywords. This results in dissatisfied online shoppers who don’t convert. Basing your campaigns around accurate search data ensures you’re targeting the best search terms for the product and investing ad spend on the terms most likely to convert.

●       Stay current with changes in consumer preferences. Using real-time search data will keep you up-to-date on changing consumer preferences and dietary trends and fads, making it easier for you to adjust your products’ qualifying attribute data to take advantage of new opportunities.

In short, the face of online grocery retail is changing quickly. For CPGs, the challenge of engaging customers has never been greater. A strong shift to online sales has created unprecedented levels of challenges and opportunities. Consumer tastes and preferences have changed. Online shoppers now have the expectation of an individualized online shopping experience. For these reasons, CPGs using a data-driven, intentional approach to meeting consumer desires for an individualized experience position themselves for success in this rapidly evolving market.

 

 

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