Paying the price

A study undertaken by Kansas State University and supported by Hershey has revealed that Millennials – those aged 18-25 – don’t always choose the ethical chocolates they claim to prefer.

The results revealed that Millennial consumers may claim to favour ethical products, but in reality they are often unwilling to pay the premium price they command.

The research also found that younger consumers have a strong preference for clean labels, but are more concerned by high fat than high sugar in chocolate; with 30 per cent making higher sugar choices, 14 per cent less sugar, 11 per cent higher fat and 45 per cent less fat.

The study compared the stated preferences for chocolate among Millennials in focus groups to actual product choices based on a computer analysis. It found social factors rarely influenced product choices and were unlikely to outweigh factors such as price, brand and ingredients.

Older people in the group were more likely to be concerned about issues such as Rainforest Alliance certification, organic ingredients and certified ethical sourcing.

The researchers said it was a laudable goal to support corporate responsibilities projects that protect the rainforest and ensure ethical sourcing, but that it remains unclear “whether the emerging social sensitivity of the Millennials is a fad, a fundamental shift in consumer preferences that will be passed on to subsequent generations, or a cohort effect that will age along with the Millennials.”

The researchers first held four focus groups with younger Millennials (18-25) and four with older Millennials (26-35) to ask about their preferences for candy.

It then asked 218 students from Kansas State University to choose between one of two unbranded chocolate options on a screen.

The chocolates were given generic names and either a list of ingredients with a clean or unclean label, basic information such as fat, sugar or calorie content or declarations such as Faitrade, non-GMO or gluten free.

It found Millennial consumers were less likely to choose products with ethical declarations despite claims to the contrary in focus groups. However, the researchers stated that the research group was more educated than the general population. The study included no brands.

Hershey, Nestlé and Mondēlez all announced plans last year to move to cleaner labels and easily understood ingredients. It certainly appears that it is a trend that is gaining momentum throughout the industry, but what are your views?

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