Dive Brief:

• SPINS NaturLink is a new segmentation of the U.S. consumer market. It was developed by SPINS and Information Resources Inc., two Chicago area research firms.
• The product breaks organic- and natural-product consumers into seven distinct groups based upon attitude, demographics and other factors.
• Segments include "true believers," college-educated folks dedicated to health and fitness, and "strapped seekers," middle-aged and middle-income people who know they should make healthier choices than they actually do.

Dive Insight:

The SPINS NaturLink approach to the market is an interesting one. And our gut tells us it's probably correct. A quick look at the folks in the local Whole Foods market shows that, just as predicted, roughly half of the shopper appear to be the "true believers" mentioned above or "enlightened environmentalists," a slightly older group motivated by the health of the planet more than the health of their own bodies.

One thing that is notably absent in the data, however, is a segment of people who consume organic and natural products based upon taste. Perhaps it's simply too soon for that. But anecdotally we would note an ever-increasing percentage of our friends who have transitioned slowly and gradually into a vegan/organic lifestyle and admit frankly that they are now just too grossed out by the taste of the traditional American diet to ever go back.