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BOULDER, Colo. January 9, 2007 – Umbria, Inc., a market intelligence company that specializes in blog research and consumer generated media (CGM) for market insight, is releasing the first comprehensive data addressing organic eating habits, health trends and user demographics, based on the analysis of blogosphere conversations.
Umbria is offering its syndicated Organic Eating Habits and Health Trends reports on a subscription basis, with a quarterly look at changing consumer attitudes and buying behaviors, to help marketers and other interested parties track this rapidly evolving market.
Organic foods and healthy eating trends are making headlines everywhere, from grocers and big-box retailers, to kid-focused brands, to food products, to a rise in farmers’ markets and emerging boutique brands. In Umbria’s organics-centric research, blogosphere conversations were both numerous and predominantly positive throughout the period; bloggers frequently mentioned organic and natural foods and other issues related to health-conscious dietary choices:
Umbria observed interesting and sometimes surprising insights around these dietary choices. For example:
- Discussion in the blogosphere about organic eating habits and health trends split evenly between males (50%) and females (50%), even though female bloggers tend to dominate other food-related topics.
- Divergent groups blogged most frequently on the topic. Boomer males (aged 45 – 62) and Gen Y females (aged 15 – 30) represented more than half of the total online conversations on organic eating.
- However, the highest indexing groups (those whose conversations represented more than their share of total blogosphere participation) were the Baby Boomers: Boomer females, Boomer males, as well as Gen X (aged 30 – 45) females.
- Males and females eat organic and make healthy food selections for different reasons. Females are motivated by the desire to make “good” choices, such as feeding their children nutritious homemade organic baby food or making ethics-guided choices. Males, on the other hand, are more motivated by health concerns, such as lowering cholesterol, losing weight, or decreasing risk of cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, five predominant sub-topics and themes surfaced in Umbria’s analysis:
- Dairy: Bloggers discussed their dairy preferences (organic vs. conventional), bovine treatment (grazing vs. feedlot), organic standards, hormones and antibiotics in conventionally produced dairy products, and price of organic dairy products.
- Meat: Discussions focused on hormones and antibiotics in conventionally grown meats, price of organic meats, and meat alternatives.
- Sweeteners: Blog conversations addressed popular natural and artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda, honey, white sugar and stevia.
- Fats: Fat-topics addressed in blogosphere discussions included trans fats, saturated fats, and fatty acids such as Omega-3s.
- Preservatives: Bloggers expressed strong feelings about preservatives in foods.
“Eating healthy and being proactive about our own wellness have gone beyond simple fads and are on the minds of every major demographic group,” said Janet Eden-Harris, Umbria CEO. “Our study confirms a growing market of sophisticated consumers talking knowledgeably and passionately about eating organic, and discussing the steps they’re taking to help others they care about do the same. It’s a growing trend we’ll watch in the foreseeable future.”
Umbria’s Report on Organic Eating Habits and Health Trends is now available. Highlights of the study and ordering information can be found on Umbria’s Web site.
About Umbria
Umbria is unique in its ability to assess both what is being said, and who is doing the speaking in the online world. Umbria’s patent-pending technology enables the company to classify posts and estimate gender and age of the speaker, as well as rapidly identify and eliminate bogus spam posts. Umbria analyzes voices of the online community by using proprietary Natural Language Processing and machine learning algorithms to dissect the who, what and why of online opinion, offering in-depth insights for some of the world’s leading brands. For more information on Umbria, please visit www.umbrialistens.com.
No advertising or other promotional use can be made of the information in this release without the express prior written consent of J.D. Power and Associates. www.jdpower.com/corporate
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