Research
Talking Points: Big Food decamps to Disney World - but the message to focus on the core remains the same
Many large publicly traded food and beverage companies faced uncertainty and challenges at this year's CAGNY conference held at Disney World. Key themes included focusing on core plans, addressing health concerns, questioning snack trends, sharing innovation strategies, and the evolving consumer landscape.
Despite this year’s CAGNY (Consumer Analyst Group of New York) conference moving to the happiest place on earth, Disney World, for many of the large publicly traded food and beverage companies presenting, there was little to smile about and uncertainty as to whether their dreams can come true. Here are five Disney-inspired themes to note:
1) Just keep swimming: Companies are keeping to their plans of focusing on their core.
2) Suit up, it might get weird: There was no direct discussion on Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s appointment to lead the Department of Health and Human Services and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission, which is asking questions about the healthiness of the American diet. Similarly, the impact of the rapid growth in the market for anti-obesity medications (AOMs) was not addressed, even though we now know that users are not only eating less but differently.
3) Anybody can cook: Are snacks out and meals back? It all depends on who you are asking.
4) Keep moving forward: Everyone was keen to share their innovation plans.
5) There's a whole new world out there waiting: If food companies want to live happily ever after, they might want to double down on better understanding today’s consumer.