Offering a product in any market demands vigilance in recognising and understanding the many factors at play that can impact its market position, competitiveness, and – obviously – sales.
The traditional method of promoting a product being introduced or through its continuous support – namely, TV and print in its various forms – has been joined by online pop-up ads and, as importantly, social media.
Social media became very influential due to its ability to spread information fast and within specific groups that tend to share some level of trust between the participants, each with additional connections to enable the spreading of information ever further.
While it may be a tough task to monitor the activities of every individual market, many products are offered across several markets in different geographic regions, with differing demographics, cultures, and local economics.
Helping companies carry out such endeavours is Mintel. A global leader in market research, the company is able to call upon more than 300 market experts (among its 1,500 employees), who operate in 14 locations worldwide.
With 50 years of expertise behind it, Mintel specialises in consumer data and conducts evaluations in 86 of the world’s leading economies. Main focuses include analysing underlying trends, looking at their short- and long-term effects, and providing clients with guidance to navigate shifting market demands – and, just as importantly, plan for future developments, directions and goals.
Understanding market dynamics and responding to them appropriately was the central theme of Diana Kelter’s presentation at the Society of Plastics Engineers Annual Blow Molding Conference in late 2025.
We asked Mintel’s director of consumer trends to expand on her comments for the benefit of converters, packaging manufacturers, and brand owners.
What impact are current market forces having on consumer opinion and purchasing habits?
Diana Kelter: There are dominant forces of global change shaping every market, with some of the most influential forces being artificial intelligence, GLP-1 medications, and climate change.
The biggest impact these forces have on the consumer journey is on the perception of control. Many of these forces feel so large and abstract that consumers can’t feel a sense of ownership in the change.
This is driving consumers to focus on smaller and more bite-sized areas of control, which often comes down to tangible everyday products.
The beverages you consume, the personal care products you rely on – consumers are bringing deeper meaning and utility to these smaller areas of life, as broader forces feel powerful, but uncertain.
Can you elaborate on Mintel’s key product trends and how they shape daily needs?
DK: The Mintel trend ‘Extend My Brand’ highlights that category crossover is happening at a fast rate, which is shaking up the way innovation and product development takes shape.
On a consumer level, the associations consumers have with specific categories or products (think how coffee equals energy) are suddenly becoming more available from other outlets.
Self-expression is especially an area that more categories are taking ownership around as packaging becomes more artistic and functional. Building upon this, the Mintel trend ‘Who Needs Humans?’ is creating a deeper desire for self-expression and feeling in products, as evidenced by the sustained growth of the trend ‘Sense of The Intense’.
As consumers gradually feel more removed from everyday experiences that are becoming automated, we can expect countertrends that inspire human ingenuity and sensory reflection.
How are and how should brand owners be responding to such trends?
DK: We’re seeing brand owners respond to this shift largely through a mixture of reshaping convenience and functional benefits to cater to external forces at play. However, convenience in one small area can quickly get overridden by other ‘stressors’ and it can make that shift in convenience feel less substantial.
The path brand owners should be taking is thinking about ‘bridge products’ or marketing and designing products to bridge benefits across categories.
For instance, olive oil company Graza launched a product called Frizzle, which is a high heat cooking oil. The intention is to enhance the cooking experience, but the product also inherently supports easier clean-up because the oil won’t stick to the pan if it’s designed for higher heat. This is a perfect example of expanding convenience in a more meaningful way.
What is the most important takeaway for packaging manufacturers and brand owners?
DK: I think the biggest takeaway I haven’t touched on yet is that small details can have a big impact. Brands don’t always need to overhaul a strategy to bring about innovation. However, small details have to be meaningful.
It’s about understanding what can have a significant impact versus the offering of a lot of conveniences in narrow ways. Conveniences that don’t ultimately support consumers because they get overridden by other stressors can quickly get lost in the churn and burn of a day.
Keeping up with changing marketplace trends is challenging. The accelerated rate of change is extremely demanding for brand owners to respond to. Understanding trends like convenience and personal experience and applying them to new and existing products becomes the norm.
In this fast-paced environment, bridging gaps between products and crossing categories plays a major role in achieving speed-to-market and the overall desired result.
