Research on Who Influences Consumers on Health & Nutrition

A Perspective Among Millennial Parents

December 19, 2013

Strategic Intent

Situation & Objectives

• NCBA’s target includes Millennial parents. This audience is expected to grow appreciably in the coming years as they will increasingly be making household food planning decisions for the American family.

• Importantly we want to learn from only those Millennial parents who have attempted or made a change in their lifestyle as it relates to overall health.

• Research is needed to determine:

– Perceptions about lifestyle and health

– Attempts to improve overall health for respondents and family by focusing on key domains

• Improve the healthfulness, quality or portion size of the foods one eats

• Maintain or lower overall weight

• Increase physical or fitness activity by frequency or duration

• Improve overall well-being (mental health, relationships, commitments, etc.)

– Top actions taken to address these health domains

– Top people one engages and/or interacts with to address these health domains

– Top media one uses to improve overall lifestyle/health

– Top influencers when it comes to improving lifestyle/health

– Assessment of media sources for health

2

Research Approach

• Strategic Intent completed 606 interviews with a nationwide sample of Millennial parents with children under 18 living in the household. All respondents had to have made a change in their lifestyle or the lifestyle of their family in the past six months. The sample included:

– Ages 18-34

– Mix of gender

– Plan and prepare meals or share equally

– Consume beef and chicken at least once a week

– Exclude beef bucket 4 (the negatives of beef strongly outweigh the positives of beef)

– Exclude those “not at all concerned about their current lifestyle and how it contributes to their overall health when it comes to diet, weight, exercise and/or well-being” or that of their (immediate) family

– Made an effort to improve their overall health/lifestyle or that of their family in the past 6 month or initiated new plans or behaviors (no matter if large or small and regardless of whether or not they were consistent or successful in achieving a specific goal)

• Overall incidence = 25%

• The online study ran for 9 days from November 22nd to November 30th,2013.

• The interview length (21 minute average) depended on the health domains attempted in the past 6 month.

3

Key Learnings

• Qualified Millennial parents are concerned about their current lifestyle & especially for their family

– 58% extremely or very concerned for themselves / 83% extremely or very or somewhat concerned

– 66% extremely or very concerned for their family / 85% extremely or very or somewhat concerned

• Two-thirds associate their desire to make lifestyle changes with specific events or other triggers

– As characterized these include a combination of answers that include health events as well as a desire to address health issues and/or to become healthier

• Roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of Millennial parents made lifestyle/health changes in the past 6 months. Typically these are not discreet activities as they fit together in terms of meeting overall health goals. The most prominent focuses on the food one eats.

Your Lifestyle Family Lifestyle

Improve the healthfulness, quality or portion size of the foods one eats 75% 67%

Maintain or lower overall weight 64% 47%

Increase physical or fitness activity by frequency or duration 65% 52%

Improve overall well-being (mental health, relationships, commitments, etc.)

62% 56%

4

Key Learnings (Cont’d)

• The overwhelming majority of Millennial parents intend to continue trying to improve their lifestyle/health. – 74% for their lifestyle said yes completely/98% yes completely or somewhat

– 66% for family lifestyle said yes completely/96% yes completely or somewhat

• Over half indicate they don’t expect to stop – 53% for their lifestyle don’t expect to stop / 76% I don’t expect to stop or for now

– 55% for family lifestyle don’t expect to stop / 76% I don’t expect to stop or for now

• The primary drivers for attempting and making these changes include improved personal appearance, having more energy and feeling better.

• Despite the effort expended, Millennial parents may not be as satisfied with their progress – Only about a third are extremely satisfied with their lifestyle regimen (35% for personal lifestyle/ 28% for family)

– Only about two-thirds claim to be extremely or very satisfied (63% for personal lifestyle/67% for family)

• Millennial parents utilize a full range of traditional and new media, but when it comes to health they focus more on targeted sources.

• Millennials agree with key statements about the healthfulness of beef – It’s a great source of protein

– There is a place in my lifestyle for health, lean beef

– Beefs if a good source of energy and fuel for my body

– Beef is a food that is an ideal balance of good taste and good nutrition

5

Q. M/N: Millennial Parents Concerned About Overall Health

3%

13%

19%

23%

43%

3%

14%

25%

26%

32%

0% 20% 40% 60%

Not at all concerned about current lifestyle

A little concerned

Somewhat concerned

Very concerned

Extremely concerned about current lifestyle

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Q. M/N: Overall, how concerned are you about your current lifestyle and how it contributes to your overall health when it comes to diet, weight, exercise and/or well-being? / … of those in your (immediate) family today…?

Net Extremely + Very Concerned

58% 66%

83% 85%

Virtually all respondents express at least some concern about their and their family’s current lifestyle and how it contributes to their overall health when it comes to diet, weight, exercise and/or well-being. • Somewhat more intense concern (extremely) is show for family as opposed to the individual.

6

Q. S: When you think back was there any specific event or person or resource you came in contact with that triggered you to want to make a change in your or your family's lifestyle/health?

Yes, 69%

No, 31%

Q. S/T: Most Claim A Specific Event or Person Triggered Them To Change

Over two-thirds claim their efforts over the past six months may have been triggered by a specific event or person. More males answered yes than females (77% vs. 65%).

Overall triggers cited as a rationale for change include family health diagnoses, health scares from close friends or family, being overweight, having a child and/or attempting to improve the health of a child. Those without specific triggers recognize being in an overweight or less healthful situation and desiring to be healthy for themselves and/or their children.

7

Q. T: (IF YES) Briefly, what prompted you to initiate new plans or behaviors to improve your current lifestyle and how it contributes to your overall health or the health of your family? (IF NO) Even if there was no particular trigger, what prompted you…?

Overview of Comments:

Q. U/V: More Claim to Improve Food Domain Along with Others

4%

56%

47%

52%

67%

1%

62%

64%

65%

75%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

None of these

Improve overall well-being (mental health,relationships, commitments, etc.)

Attempt to better maintain or lower overallweight

Increase physical or fitness activity by frequencyand/or duration

Improve the healthfulness, quality or portion sizeof the foods one eats

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Sample Size = 606 Q. U/V: Below is a short list of the types of changes someone might make to improve their lifestyle/health, whether or not they are consistent or successful in achieving a specific goal. How about you, over the past 6 months (since April) which of these did you personally attempt in order to improve your lifestyle/health? How about for your immediate family… which did you attempt to improve the lifestyle/health of your immediate family?

All millennial parents have attempted to improve their lifestyle/health or that of their family in the prior six months. Overall, more claim to improve their lifestyle/health vs. to their family. 75% claim to have focused on improving the healthfulness, quality or portion size of the foods one eats. While nearly two-thirds focused on physical or fitness activity, maintaining/lowering weight or improving overall well-being. Respondents do not perceive their involvement as discreet changes. Roughly three-quarters of respondents who made one change also claim to be making other changes as well. The levels for family are slightly lower across all activities. It is worth noting that comparative interest in well-being is more pronounced for family.

Y F F F F F Y F

Statistically pronounced among F = Females (vs. males) Y = Younger (18-24 vs. 25-34)

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Key Learnings Nine phone interviews were conducted as a follow-up to the quantitative research. Respondents had just responded to the online survey one week prior to their phone interview. They were well-dispersed across city location, age and gender. While consumers make health improvements from different life perspectives (general healthy eating, fitness, well-being, weight loss), they do not think of them as separate events/activities. They are highly interdependent. For example, trying to eat healthier might be the initial goal but weight loss ends up becoming a part of it. Or, a person might begin an exercise program and quickly realize that by eating better they progress more in their fitness goal. Typically, consumers said they recognized that all four perspectives were at play in their lives. Triggers that cause a long-lasting lifestyle change, such as healthier eating and better physical fitness, are jarring, attention-getting events in the mind of the consumer. Most respondents undertook a lifestyle change and have stuck to it because something really got their attention and they couldn’t avoid making the change any longer, though many had thought about it for quite some time. For example, getting married, a diabetes diagnosis for a loved one, not fitting into an important clothing outfit, being turned down by girls at a club. -A minority did have a hard time pointing to one specific trigger; just felt it crept up on them. Influences consumers turn to for information about better health come from two types of sources, both seen as legitimate and helpful: Real people: blogs, friends, family, co-workers Experts: doctor, clinic/hospital, nutritionist, chef, teacher, fitness trainer in-person or a website or TV show from any of these Along the journey to better health, respondents say they look to both types of influencers. Depending on the respondent’s personality and background, they may favor one influencer over another. But largely, people are listening to both types.

Qualitative One-on-Ones Carve-Out*

* 50 names with contact information collected.

Real people are influential because consumers are desperate to find a solution to their problem that works. And real people are living proof that an approach works. They’re in the same boat themselves and they know what has worked. What better advice can there be, respondents say? If it works for them, why wouldn’t it work for me? There is absolutely no concern that this resource is untrained, not an expert, or could even be a scam (in the case of a blog). Being in the situation themselves makes the influencer a defacto expert. Experts carry weight with consumers because they have had training and/or have spent years in their career field. Such experts include doctors, nurses, nutritionists, chefs and fitness trainers. There was a sense, however, that the person does not need to prove their expertise but just to appear or sound like an expert. Thus, when a consumer is relying on advice from a website they do not delve in to determine the author’s credentials. If it looks legitimate, then it is interpreted as legitimate. Sources of information are varied, but always boil down to the Internet. Many consumers are just reading the web as a pastime, Googling this and that. They have no idea what website they read information from because they spent hours wandering the web. -When asked where did you find this information, what website? They typically would say, “Google”. Pinterest appears to be an important and viable funnel for information. Its benefit is that, unlike a search engine, one doesn’t need to initiate the search and know in advance what they are seeking. While Pintrest can be used to search, its real benefit is that it is pushing information to users based on their previously indicated interests. And from there, users end up all over the web on sites and blogs without having to think too hard about what to search for. Pinterest is accessed on any Internet-ready device. So people have access to Dr. Oz, for example, anywhere as his site pushes information. - At present, avid Pinterest users appear to be a niche. Specific mentions were also made of Dr. Oz and Rachael Ray. They are said to have great ideas on a wide variety of topics. They are well known and widely recognized to be legitimate and ,therefore, accurate and insightful in their information. Only two respondents said they rely heavily on their gym personal trainer for information. Both turned to the trainer for advice about nutrition, weight loss, balance in their lives as well as fitness.

Qualitative One-on-Ones Carve-Out

Q. 1A/2A: Actions Attempted To Improve Lifestyle: The Food One Eats

1%

33%

35%

39%

34%

39%

40%

33%

44%

47%

34%

53%

1%

38%

38%

43%

44%

46%

46%

50%

50%

50%

51%

58%

-10% 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

Make food selections after reading food labels more often

Take vitamins and/or supplements

Improve how foods are cooked (less deep fried, etc.)

Be open to see, hear, read about healthy eating

Plan ahead better to avoid binging and snack foods, etc.

Limit foods high in less healthy nutrients (sodium, fat,…

Eat fewer calories

Eat more for nutrients (fiber, protein, vitamins, etc. )

Less junk food (snacks, soda, candy, etc.)

Limit how much you eat at any one time

Choose healthier foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grains…

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Sample Size = 606 Q. 1A /2A: Since April which of the following specific actions have you attempted to improve the healthfulness, quality or portion size of the foods one eats?

Millennials highlight a constellation of actions linked to eating behaviors. Roughly half cite choosing healthier foods, limiting how much one eats at any one time, eating less junk food, eating more for nutrients and eating fewer calories. Fewer claim to read food labels. A similar distribution is observed for one’s family lifestyle, though at someone lower levels. Its interesting to note much lower levels among family for limiting how much they eat and for eating fewer calories. Learnings are more pronounced females vs. males on most all statements.

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Sample Size = 606 Q. 1B/2B: Since April which of the following specific actions have you attempted to better maintain or lower overall weight?

0%

11%

13%

11%

15%

18%

17%

20%

28%

29%

27%

2%

17%

20%

22%

25%

32%

34%

36%

40%

44%

45%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

Other

Use an online coach or weight loss program

Be part of a weight loss program away from home

Monitor estimates of both calories consumed and calories burned

Keep track of calories consumed

Use weight scale on a regular basis

Be open to see, hear, read about weight management

Focus more on weight management

Monitor or reduce food with high fat content

Move more/get off the couch

Eat fewer calories or foods with specific nutrients (fat, for…

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Q. 1B/2B: Actions Attempted To Improve Lifestyle: Better Maintain/Lower Overall Weight

Millennials highlight a constellation of actions linked to maintaining or lowering overall weight. Just under half cite examples to eat fewer calories, be more physically active and reduce foods with high fat content. A quarter claim to count calories (driven more so by 18-24 year olds) . Roughly 1 in 5 claim being part of a weight loss program or use of an online coach. A similar distribution is observed for one’s family lifestyle, though at much lower levels. Learnings for family about being in a weight program or using an online coach are more pronounced among males vs. females.

12

Sample Size = 606 Q. 1C/2C: Since April, which of the following specific actions have you attempted to increase physical or fitness activity by frequency and or duration?

Q. 1C/2C: Actions Attempted To Improve Lifestyle: Increase Physical or Fitness Activity

Over half of Millennials cite increasing the frequency of physical activity through walking, gardening, biking, etc. About a third are open to hearing more about exercise, using workout videos or evolving their exercise routine to something new. Each are more pronounced among females vs. males. Several key statements are more pronounced among 18-14 year olds. A similar distribution is observed for one’s family lifestyle, though at someone lower levels. Appreciably fewer families are use workout videos or are part of an exercise group. Highlight larger gaps – more likely self vs. family – using workout videos

0%

9%

14%

14%

21%

14%

23%

40%

1%

11%

17%

22%

30%

35%

37%

56%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

Work with a exercise coach or personal trainer

Sign up for a participatory event (like a run, walk, marathon, etc.)

Be part of an exercise group or health club, gym or recreation center

Evolve exercise to something new

Use workout videos (Insanity, P90X, etc.)

Be open to see, hear, read about exercise

Increase the frequency of physical activity (walking, gardening, biking, exercising,working out, etc.)

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

13

Sample Size = 606 Q. 1D/2D: Since April, which of the following specific actions have you attempted to improve overall well-being (mental health, relationships, commitments, etc.)?

0%

6%

5%

9%

8%

14%

17%

15%

19%

21%

21%

25%

16%

0%

4%

4%

7%

8%

9%

10%

10%

13%

14%

14%

15%

15%

0% 10% 20% 30%

Other

Be part of a workplace or other wellness program

Reduce your commute time

Take more time for meditative or spiritual reflection

Make an appointment with an expert (doctor, dietician,…

Less drinking, smoking, drugs (other unhealthful habits)

Be open to information about health and well-being

Get more balance in life

Get more sleep

Talk regularly with a family or friend about life

Develop closer friend, family, loving relationships

Eat more meals as a family/with others

Manage everyday stress in life

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Q. 1D/2D: Actions Attempted To Improve Lifestyle: Improve Overall Well-Being

Comparatively few cite actions linked with overall well-being. And, this is the only domain where there are far higher levels of activity for one’s family vs. themselves. The largest gaps between family and personal actions are on everyday topics of sharing meals, friendship, talking regularly, getting more sleep and balance in life.

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• While there are robust answers associated with different actions people take to address different change situations, the answer profile for people is more similar than different.

• Millennial parents engage primarily with a close knit group that includes family (both in and outside their home) and close friends for each of the interest domains. At slightly lower levels they also include the personal physician, other parents/friends, people they perceive as healthy as them (or more) as well as neighbors, acquaintances and work colleagues.

• Three of the four domains (food, weight, fitness) trigger roughly equal engagement levels in the home and with other family or close friends.

• The topic of food raises the broadest spectrum of interest. The levels of engagement for you are typically higher than for family.

Overview of Top People Actively Engaged/Interacted With To Improve Lifestyle

15

4%

30%

66%

2%

24%

74%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

No, not at all

Somewhat

Yes, completely

Column %

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Sample Size = 597

Q. 9/10: Are you still actively trying to improve your lifestyle/health? … the lifestyle/health of your family?

Q. 9/10: Most Continue To Be Active Trying To Improve Lifestyle/Health

16

Q. 13/14: Most Expect to Continue Doing So

0%

11%

12%

21%

55%

1%

11%

12%

23%

53%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

Other

For the next few months

For at least a year

For now

I don't expect to stop

Column %

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Sample Size = 584

Q. 13/14: How long do you expect to continue to put an emphasis on improving your lifestyle/health? 17

Q. 17/18: Most Not As Satisfied

2%

7%

24%

33%

34%

4%

7%

26%

28%

35%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Not at all satisfied

A little

Somewhat

Very

Extremely satisfied

Your Lifestyle

Family Lifestyle

Q. 17/18: Thinking about what you have been doing since April to improve your /your family’s lifestyle/health, how satisfied are you with your progress?

Despite the level of involvement expended only a third are extremely satisfied with their efforts.

18

4.01

4.05

4.23

4.27

1 2 3 4 5

Beef is a food that is an ideal balance of good tasteand good nutrition

Beef is a good source of energy and fuel for my body

There is a place in my lifestyle for healthy, lean beef

Beef is a great source of protein

Mean

Q. 20: Attitudes Towards Beef Are Strong

Sample Size = 606 Q. 20: How much do you agree or disagree with the following statements? (Agree Strongly, Agree Somewhat, Neither, Disagree Somewhat, Disagree Strongly)

Millennial parents making a change in their lifestyle/health associate beef with many favorable components of the current strategy: protein, lean, energy/fuel and an ideal balance between good taste and good nutrition.

19

Q. 23 & 24: Many Lifestyle / News Websites Utilized

There is no single site, either for news or lifestyle, that Millennial parents have visited in the past 30 days. At most, half claim to have visited FoodNetwork.com.

20

12%

13%

15%

15%

22%

25%

25%

28%

30%

33%

37%

38%

50%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

SELF.com

RealSimple.com

RachaelRayMag.com

None of the above

CookingLight.com

EatingWell.com

Parents.com

FamilyCircle.com

Health.com

Parenting.com

WebMD.com

AllRecipes.com

FoodNetwork.com

12%

15%

18%

19%

22%

27%

28%

33%

44%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

WashingtonPost.com

NewYorkTimes.com

MSNBC.com

HuffingtonPost.com

MSN.com

None of the above

FoxNews.com

CNN.com

Yahoo.com

Sample Size = 606 Q. 23. Which of the following lifestyle websites have you visited for health information in the past 30 days?

Sample Size = 606 Q. 24. Which of the following news websites have you visited for health information in the past 30 days?