Our activities have been regulated in an unprecedented way over the last 18 months, so it might seem like we have all shared these testing times equally.

In reality however, each one of us has navigated to this point influenced by our own, very unique, set of circumstances and few of us are in the same mindset as we were at the beginning of 2020.

Numerous recent consumer market research studies support this and show that how we think about our physical health and mental well-being has seen a significant shift.

For brands working in the healthy food and drink sector, this obviously has major implications for what you thought you knew about your customers!

Has it been tricky for you to keep in touch with existing customers, and reach new ones, with all the disruptions and pressures that your business may have faced?

Maybe the relaxation of restrictions gives you a great opportunity to expand any online interactions you have maintained through the lockdowns?

As we all emerge blinking into the light of a post lockdown world, now is the time for getting back to actually talking to your customers face to face and taking a deep dive into what they are thinking and feeling.

It is easy to get caught up in which of your product’s “functional” attributes will appeal to your customers – recipes, pack sizes, packaging formats – and all of these factors are, of course, very important. However, consumers also have less tangible “emotional” and “social” motivations when engaging with products. Delving into these drivers of behaviour can help you unlock the unique ways your products can stand out from the competition.

The Atlantic Area Healthy Food Ecosystem Project supports Welsh SMEs to bring healthy foods to market successfully and free training is a key part of this. Find out more here.