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SIGNS OF THE TIMESWITH TRENDS COMING AND GOING AND TASTES CONSTANTLY CHANGING, IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT TO RESEARCH AND ANALYSE THE PURCHASING HABITS OF CONSUMERS. HERE, CHARLOTTE KAN EXAMINES THE TRENDS THAT ARE SET TO AFFECT THE FAST-MOVING CONSUMER GOODS MARKET AND EXPLORES HOW THE CAN IS ALIGNED WITH THESE DEVELOPMENTSTrends are not just the latest fashions or fads but a reflection of subtle cultural, social, political and economic changes and their influence on consumer behaviour. They capture the essence of the society consumers live in. The brands that do well are not only able to identify new trends but are also good at understanding what really matters to people, what they value and what concerns them. “A brand is relevant only if it can help people and offer solutions to their problems or concerns,” says Mercedes Erra, Executive President of Havas Worldwide – one of the world’s largest integrated marketing communications agencies. Clients include 78 of the 100 largest global advertisers including Unilever, Danone Group, Pernod Ricard, IBM and Citigroup. For Erra, setting trends is basically persuading consumers you can offer them a convenient solution to their woes or their search for something different. “To modify consumers’ behaviour you need to convince them and in order to do that you need to really understand their state of mind,” she says. THE FRAGMENTATION OF CONSUMPTIONHowever, in an increasingly connected, mobile and busy world, this is no simple task. Gone are the days when goods companies could treat consumers as a single undifferentiated mass. The Internet and wide use of social media have fostered individual expression, thus creating a multitude of behaviours and values. “In both developed and emerging markets, there is a wider variety among consumers now than at any time in the recent past. Growth is evident both at the top of the market (where more consumers are spending on higher-quality food and other packaged goods) and at the lower end (where an increasing number of consumers are concentrating on value),” PWC noted in its 2015 Consumer Goods Trends report. This “great fragmentation”, as PWC calls it, manifests itself in more pluralistic consumer behaviour. “We’re used to seeing, for example, spirits buyers purchasing a premium brand in a bar, but a less-costly label at home for personal consumption,” the professional services firm notes. TRENDS, A SIGN OF THE TIMESThis plurality of consumer behaviour does not exclude strong underlying currents. In fact there is a trend that has surprised Mercedes Erra more than any other: for all their differences, people around the world 22 EUROPEAN CAN MARKET REPORT 2016 TREND SETTERS