Featured in The Guardian

Chewing gum sales have long been in decline, forcing brands to take a fresh approach to drive new growth. We were interviewed by The Guardian to provide our expert take on why gum is being repositioned as healthy, and if we think consumers are going to be lured in by functional claims.

“Linking gum with wellness worked in the 1910s, but is it going to work now? Alex Hayes at the food consultancy Harris and Hayes is cautiously optimistic. “The global wellness market is estimated to be worth more than $1.5tn, so it’s no surprise that Mars wants a piece of the pie,” Hayes says. “We’ve seen the success of categories such as tea repositioning their products via functional claims and messaging – teas for good sleep, mental clarity, stress relief, etc. So it comes as no surprise that Mars is risking the same approach.”

However, Hayes notes, customers are increasingly worried about processed foods and are eager to move away from artificial ingredients. The jury’s out on just how effective repositioning chewable plastic as a health supplement is going to be. Consumers might find the idea hard to swallow.”

Read the full article here.

Other recent interviews featuring Harris and Hayes as food and drink trend experts include CBS, Time Out and The British Baker.