“Consumers’ tactics for improving immunity have evolved from building external barriers to viruses to building a healthy and active lifestyle. Brands may seize this immediate market opportunity to link immune improvement with active lifestyles to upgrade their brand images. While consumers have not yet fully understood the importance of improving immunity through the gut in their daily lives, brands need to leverage their imaginations, in alignment with unified industry definitions, to explain complex concepts to unlock the potential consumers.”
– Catherine Liu, Principal Analyst
This Report looks at the following areas:
- Market factors influencing the immunity and gut health management market.
- Latest noteworthy marketing activities and new product development.
- Changes in immunity and gut health status.
- Factors causing low immunity.
- Next-to-watch immunity and gut health-boosting food/ingredients.
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Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
- What you need to know
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Executive Summary
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- The market
- Companies and brands
- The consumer
- Consumers not yet fully aware of improving immunity through the gut on a daily basis
- Figure 1: Immunity health status, 2023
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- Figure 2: Gut health status, 2022 vs 2023
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- Figure 3: Awareness of immunity improvement – more, by changes in gut discomfort issues (a), 2023
- Lifestyle habits are more important than building external barriers to protect immunity
- Figure 4: Factors causing low immunity, 2023
- Higher trust in fresh and natural foods over traditional health boosters
- Figure 5: Immunity-improving foods, 2023
- Clear preference for immunity or gut health-boosting ingredients except for curcumin and postbiotics
- Figure 6: Immunity and gut health-boosting ingredients, 2023
- Natural fibre sources in demand, but quantity knowledge lacking
- Figure 7: Understanding of dietary fibre, 2023
- Consumers are aware of mood and hydration for immune health
- Figure 8: Knowledge about immunity, 2023
- What we think
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Issues and Insights
- Decoding the evolving marketing tactics in immunity management
- Figure 9: “Run for Immunity” by Redoxon and Codoon, China, 2023
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- Figure 10: Linback “gut healing” marketing initiative, China, 2023
- Reposition hydration with bits of “naturalness” in the immune-boosting space
- Figure 11: Examples of immune-boosting products that position fresh fruits/vegetables as a natural source of electrolytes, global, 2018-23
- Postbiotics: an opportunity ingredient to strengthen the concept of the ‘gut-immune’ axis
- Figure 12: Postbiotics education by BGI Umeta, China, 2023
- Decoding the evolving marketing tactics in immunity management
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Market Factors
- Enthusiasm for active lifestyles increased after the initial COVID-19 infection wave
- Research suggests gut health may be compromised after COVID-19 infection
- China consults on administrative measures for health foods advertising
- Enthusiasm for active lifestyles increased after the initial COVID-19 infection wave
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Marketing Activities
- Products related to gut health looked into festive marketing
- Figure 13: Examples of festival marketing, China, 2022-23
- Simple metaphor to explain postbiotics
- Figure 14: Online product information of Garden of Life Probiotics Immune, China, 2023
- Global perspective: Friso’s conversion rate increased by trying offline experiential marketing
- Figure 15: The Great Digestion Adventure by Flash Concepts, Singapore, 2023
- Products related to gut health looked into festive marketing
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New Product Trends
- High fibre growing continuously in new product development
- Figure 16: Top functional and health-related* claims used in food and drink** new products, China, 2020/21-2022/23
- Health foods targeting immunity kept prominent; and those protecting gastric mucosa appeared
- Figure 17: Share of select health function claimed* in China’s approved health food products, 2021 and 2022
- Innovation Spotlight
- Lactoferrin’s immune-protecting benefit could thrive in adults’ food and drink space
- Figure 18: Share of white milk and flavoured milk new products with ‘lactoferrin’ as an ingredient, China, 2018/19-2022/23
- Figure 19: Yili SATINE organic milk with active lactoferrin, China, 2023
- Liposomal encapsulation technology growing in immune-enhancing innovations
- Figure 20: Percentage* of new products** with ‘liposomal’ or ‘liposome’ mentioned in new products** carrying an ‘immune system’ functional claim, global, 2018/19-2022/23
- Figure 21: Examples of Vitamin C supplements using liposomal technology, China and Japan, 2023
- Vegetable ingredients become more heated than fruits in high-fibre positioning
- Figure 22: Select ingredients used in food* and drink** new products carrying ‘high/added-fibre’ claim, China, 2020/21-2022/23
- Figure 23: Examples of high-fibre food and drinks using vegetables as their key selling ingredients, China, 2022-23
- Use of Kirin’s L. lactis strain Plasma expanding in Japan market
- Figure 24: Select Kirin Immune Care product categories, Japan, 2023
- High fibre growing continuously in new product development
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Immunity and Gut Health Status
- Awareness of improving immunity is high
- Figure 25: Immunity health status, 2023
- Gut improvement needs extend beyond those with discomfort
- Figure 26: Gut health status, 2022 vs 2023
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- Figure 27: Awareness of gut health improvement – more, by changes in gut discomfort issues (a), 2023
- Not yet fully aware of improving immunity through gut daily
- Figure 28: Awareness of immunity improvement – more, by changes in gut discomfort issues (a), 2023
- Awareness of improving immunity is high
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Factors Causing Low Immunity
- Various poor lifestyles cause low immunity, but not poor hygiene
- Figure 29: Factors causing low immunity, 2023
- COVID-infected non-worriers pay more attention to lack of sleep for low immunity
- Figure 30: Factors causing low immunity (first, second or third) – lack of sleep, by COVID-19 infection status – infected, 2023
- Younger and older consumers have unique strong views
- Figure 31: Select factors causing low immunity (first, second or third), by age, 2023
- Various poor lifestyles cause low immunity, but not poor hygiene
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Immunity-improving Foods
- Higher trust in fresh and natural foods over traditional health boosters
- Figure 32: Immunity-improving foods, 2023
- Nourishing snacks win affinity from young females
- Figure 33: Immunity-improving foods – nourishing snacks (rank top five), by gender and age, 2023
- Fruit and dairy win the attention of consumers with less gut discomfort
- Figure 34: Select immunity-improving foods (rank top five), by consumers who self-report gut discomfort issues (a), 2023
- Higher trust in fresh and natural foods over traditional health boosters
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Immunity and Gut Health-boosting Ingredients
- Consumers show clear ingredient perceptions except for curcumin and postbiotics
- Figure 35: Immunity and gut health-boosting ingredients, 2023
- Fat-soluble vitamins’ immune boosting benefit appealing to COVID-recovering groups
- Figure 36: Immunity-boosting ingredients – fat-soluble vitamins (a), 2023
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- Figure 37: BYHEALTH Pro Immune Active, China
- Consumers show clear ingredient perceptions except for curcumin and postbiotics
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Understanding of Dietary Fibre
- Natural fibre sources in demand, but quantity knowledge lacking
- Figure 38: Understanding of dietary fibre, 2023
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- Figure 39: CHAID analysis – target group profile of those who find it difficult to know if enough dietary fibre is eaten in their daily diet, 2023
- Females tend to associate rougher texture with higher fibre content
- Figure 40: Understanding of dietary fibre – the rougher the texture of the food, the higher the dietary fibre content, by gender, 2023
- Figure 41: Examples of high/added-fibre food products with an emphasis on rough and chewy texture, China, 2023
- High-education group unsure about fibre’s specific functions
- Figure 42: Select understanding of dietary fibre, by education, 2023
- Figure 43: Social media* analysis of dietary fibre benefits, China, 2023
- Natural fibre sources in demand, but quantity knowledge lacking
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Knowledge about Immunity
- Consumers are aware of mood and hydration for immune health
- Figure 44: Knowledge about immunity, 2023
- Immune-boosting benefit of hydration wins young people’s recognition
- Figure 45: Select knowledge about immunity – more hydration can boost immunity, by age, 2023
- New mums uncertain about the effect of breastfeeding and immunity
- Figure 46: Select knowledge about immunity – breastfed children have a higher immunity, by family structure, 2023
- Consumers are aware of mood and hydration for immune health
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Appendix – Methodology and Abbreviations
- Methodology
- Abbreviations
- Methodology
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