Two separate research studies that look at attitudes and motivations of women and men can help marketers of dairy foods hone their messages.

Anthem Worldwide wrote a white paper, “What Women Really Want From Health And Wellness.” Research by Kraft Cheese shows that today's dads are taking a more active role in the kitchen, as well as with food shopping, menu planning and meal preparation.

Regardless of age, health and wellness is an important topic for all women, said Kathy Oneto, vice president, brand strategy, for Anthem Worldwide, San Francisco. Anthem Worldwide is part of the brand development practice of Schawk, Inc.

“Women have a need to be healthy and well for themselves and for the people in their lives. Brands can help women realize the benefits, from functional to emotional.”

She said that the attitude of today’s woman about health and wellness is that they would rather live according to their internal motivations and not to external expectations.

"The brands that speak to this desire authentically have an opportunity to build lasting connections with generations of women," Oneto said. "Moreover, when it comes to purchase behavior, health and wellness is a factor at the point of decision and how brands speak to women up to that point influences the choices they make. A full two-thirds of women believe a brand that motivates them to be healthy is important when considering which brands of products to buy.”

Overwhelmingly, 74% of today’s women are motivated to be healthy and most (82%) believe that there will be negative consequences if they don’t take care of their health.

But what motivates these attitudes across generations of women?

• 87% want to feel good
• 86% want to be happy
• 86% want to have quality of life
• 86% want to be their best self
• 83% want to live their best life

The study also examined women’s attitudes toward their expectations around health and wellness and found that most (84%) feel like they are expected to take responsibility for their family, make others happy (72%), eat for health rather than enjoyment (67%), be responsible to the planet (66%) and be thin (61%).

“Marketers have one of two choices when speaking with these women," Oneto concluded. "One option is to speak to each age group and its distinct motivations. Another option is to identify a common motivation or need state that crosses generational lines and can appeal to all women. We found evidence of brands doing each well and succeeding.”

For a more in-depth look at the data, read “What Women Really Want From Health And Wellness.”
 

Kraft Cheese survey confirms fathers' increased role in the kitchen

Research by Kraft Cheese shows that today's dads are taking a more active role in the kitchen, as well as with food shopping, menu planning and meal preparation. A national survey administered by Kraft Cheese reveals 96% of American dads are cooking for themselves or others every week.
As dads become more comfortable in the kitchen – 94% are confident in their cooking skills – they're also looking to expand their recipe repertoire. Dads surveyed expressed an interest in mixing up their menus, with nearly half (46%) saying they'd like to expand the recipes in their regular rotation. Dads also cited cheese as a key ingredient to making most meals better, second to fresh herbs.

"We understand that moms and dads approach meal time differently," says Barry Calpino, Vice President, Breakthrough Innovation, Kraft Foods. "Both are looking for inspiration, but not necessarily through the same channels or to the same end. We're excited to learn more about dads and how we can have some fun, and add some value, in their kitchens."

Key Findings
When it comes to meal preference, an overwhelming 63% of dads enjoy cooking dinner; 22% prefer cooking breakfast and 7% prefer lunch.
The most common meals in regular rotation are chicken (84% ), pasta (74% ), sandwiches (67% ) and burgers (64% ).
More than half (58% ) of dads surveyed say they are adventurous or spontaneous in the kitchen.

Their favorite type of cheese to eat or cook with is Cheddar (24% ) followed by Mozzarella (17% ), American (10% ) and Parmesan (10% ). American dads also hit up their social networks for ideas on what to cook. Nearly a quarter of dads (22% ) ask for ideas from friends or people on their social networks and 20% use social media tools, such as Facebook and Instagram.