Repackaging Dairy’s Benefits to Meet Gen Z’s Tastes

Do you remember the TikTok trend involving feta cheese from earlier this year?

A video of a recipe involving a block of feta, cherry tomatoes and pasta went viral in February. It was seemingly popping up in everyone’s social media feed and major mainstream media outlets covered the mad buzz surrounding it.

Fortunately for the dairy industry – and especially makers of feta – there was a shift from the virtual world to reality. After the video hit, some grocery stores reported being sold out as sales soared. According to IRI, feta sales volume over the Jan. 31 to Feb. 21 period when the video was at its peak was 67 percent higher compared to the same time frame in 2020.

Most important for our industry is that many of the people trying this recipe and making a dairy purchase are those who are critical to our future – Gen Z.

These are consumers who range in age from 10 to 23 and constitute about 20 percent of the U.S. population. They matter for a variety of reasons but here are some that rise to the top:

• They are the most racially and ethnically diverse generation to date, which makes them open and more accepting of differences. For most, inclusivity and fairness are key values and drive much of their purpose.
• They are passionate about their causes, such as the environment and animal care, and they expect brands and industries to feel the same way. Dairy’s sustainability efforts are critical to this generation and they expect us to continue making progress to minimize our environmental footprint. Gen Z will purchase other products and food alternatives if they believe brands do not support their values. In fact, two-thirds of Gen Z already has changed behaviors and purchases because of perceived climate issues.
• They have spending power of more than $100 billion and it won’t be long before they’re the ones in the grocery store making decisions for their families. In the meantime, they wield a lot of influence on their Gen X and Baby Boomer parents when it comes to the food and products brought into the home.

 

One other very important factor is they were born with the internet as an everyday part of their lives and are the most digitally advanced generation. They flow seamlessly between the real and virtual world. This is why the feta TikTok story is so significant and why the dairy checkoff is putting more emphasis on this channel to make sure dairy can be a relevant part of their lives.

TikTok is one of the fastest growing and most appealing networks to Gen Z. They are drawn to its self-generated, raw and funny content, while they find Facebook to be boring and Twitter to be negative and mean, according to Pew research. We’ll also never reach them through traditional television and magazine advertising.

So, we need to meet them where they are while we still have an opportunity. We’ve seen milk consumption decrease among youth the last 10 years and the sharpest declines happen as they get older and have more access to different beverage innovations and varieties.

We’re working to show Gen Z that dairy can deliver benefits they are after but may not be aware of. Dairy’s “13 essential nutrients” message won’t resonate with them. Instead, Gen Z wants balance, and they see physical, mental and emotional health as interlinked and equally weighted in importance. Some of the best opportunities for dairy to meet these needs is by promoting its role in immunity, calming, energy and digestive health.

Dairy checkoff-led research into understanding more about Gen Z’s relationship to dairy resulted in these findings, which will lead to new ways we communicate dairy’s many benefits to them:

• Milk properties help support mental, physical health: Gen Z consumers saw fluid milk as something that helps them feel their best due to its refreshing, cold taste as well as health properties (e.g. protein and calcium).
• Dairy can elevate flavors; cheese is a favorite: Taste is extremely important to Gen Z consumers, and dairy ingredients (particularly cheese, butter and milk) positively contribute to a meal’s taste appeal.
• Yogurt contributes to healthy living: Many Gen Z consumers saw yogurt as a product that enables a healthy lifestyle, driven by its nutrients and range of health benefits (e.g., protein, fiber, and probiotics).
• Yogurt extends into indulgence: Whether it’s a snack or sweet treat, some Gen Z consumers saw yogurt as the healthy version of a dessert, helping them feel less guilty about their choices.

It’s understandable Gen Z may sometimes be perceived as an unreachable, insurmountable challenge to overcome. Yet, our research finds the opposite is true. Instead, we see a group of dynamic young people who are our country’s future and aren’t necessarily opposed to having dairy in their lives.

They just want to be armed with the right information that shows dairy’s unique offerings can fit their needs and is produced in a way they can trust and feel good about.

Dairy delivers on all fronts.

To learn more about your national dairy checkoff, visit www.USDairy.com or send a request to join our Facebook group. To reach us directly, send an email to TalkToTheCheckoff@dairy.org.