Food Profiles: Our Consumer Segmentation for Smarter Food Marketing

Every consumer makes food choices based on a unique mix of values, habits, and lifestyle factors. Food Profiles, developed by Future of Food Institute and Food Cabinet, offers a research-backed segmentation model that helps brands, retailers, and food industry professionals understand the motivations behind consumer food decisions.

A food-specific segmentation model

Traditional demographic segmentation falls short when it comes to food. Consumers of the same age, income level, or location can have vastly different priorities—some prioritize sustainability, while others seek convenience, affordability, or indulgence. Our Food Profiles provide actionable insights into these behavioral patterns, helping you create more effective marketing, product development, and communication strategies.

Why Food Profiles Matter

A one-size-fits-all marketing approach no longer works for something as personal as food. With Food Profiles, you gain:

Precision Targeting: Identify the right audience for your brand, service, or product.
Tailored Communication: Craft marketing messages that resonate with each segment’s values and habits.
Strategic Innovation: Develop new food products and services aligned with specific consumer needs.
Actionable Insights: Move beyond vague or generic segmentation models with a structured, data-backed approach.

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The Six Food Profiles

Through extensive research, we have identified six distinct consumer segments based on their food values and decision-making processes:

The Conscious Front Runners – Highly engaged with sustainability and health, these consumers prefer organic and ethically sourced food.
The Trend Followers – Open to innovation and influenced by trends, they are early adopters of new food products and dining experiences.
The Pragmatic Traditionalists – Value routine and convenience, making them less likely to experiment with new food choices.
The Habitual Comfort Seekers – Focused on familiar, comforting meals and less inclined toward health or sustainability concerns.
The Budget-Conscious Home Cooks – Prioritize affordability and home-cooked meals, making pragmatic food choices.
The Experimental Home Chefs – Passionate about quality ingredients and new culinary experiences, willing to invest in food exploration.

Each profile is based on extensive consumer research, analyzing attitudes towards six key food themes: sustainability, enjoyment, convenience, affordability, trend sensitivity, and health.

How to Use Food Profiles

Whether you’re a brand manager, marketer, or product developer, Food Profiles provide a powerful tool to:

Identify and prioritize key consumer segments.
Tailor product offerings and marketing strategies to match consumer preferences.
Design effective communication strategies that drive engagement.
Optimize go-to-market approaches based on consumer behavior insights.
Create detailed customer personas and map consumer journeys for better targeting.

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Get Started with Food Profiles

Ready to enhance your food marketing strategy with deep consumer insights? Contact us today to explore how Food Profiles can help your brand connect with the right audience.

Learn More

Check out our dedicated Food Profiles website
Or read this blogpost about the benefits of a segmented approach

Have a question?

We love to tell you more, so feel free to contact us for more information or fill in the form at the bottom of the page.

What we do

Strategy

Innovation

Advertising

Annabel Hoogendoorn

Brand Manager, BANANA FCTORY

“Thanks to the Food Profiles we now got a clear image of our sub-target groups and their buying reasons. On top of demographics we now have an image of the consumers that buy our products and what motivates them, interests them and what they find important. The Food Profiles turn something abstract like a ‘target groups’ into tangible segments that allow us to define our marketing strategies.”

We believe that understanding consumers is key to making the food system more sustainable. Successful innovation and impactful communication require a solid foundation of consumer insight.

We are the insights partner of choice for food companies and non-profits that aim to have a positive impact on society and our planet. Together we empower consumers to make food choices that are good for them as well as for the planet.