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Amid growing uncertainty and stress, many consumers are turning to the “simpler” times of the past — sometimes even to decades before they were born. Nostalgia is becoming a powerful driver of purchases across industries. While retail and apparel may come to mind first, food choices are also profoundly shaped by the longing feelings that nostalgia inspires. New CivicScience survey data reveal that 63% of consumers say nostalgia influences their food choices at least ‘a little.’ The effect is powerful among men, Gen Z, and households earning under $50K.
Whether it’s a throwback fast-food meal or a childhood favorite from the grocery aisle, nostalgia reshapes how consumers connect with what’s on their plate. For Food and Beverage and CPG advertisers, this presents a clear opportunity to reach this unique demographic. Real-time consumer intent data points show that those influenced by nostalgia in food are:
- 12pp more likely than those not influenced to say they tend to try new products before others do.
- Over twice as likely as those not influenced to say they value brand over price – hinting that these consumers are more loyal because of brand than price.
- 10pp more likely than those not influenced to say now is a ‘good’ time to make a major purchase, such as buying a new car or home improvements.
- Twice as likely as those not influenced to say they order lunch out at least once a week.
Take Our Poll: To what extent does nostalgia influence your purchasing decisions?
Targeting Those Influenced by Nostalgia in Food Choices
CivicScience data reveals not just who is influenced by nostalgia (demographics) but also why they are (intent), where they prefer to shop (channels), and when they’re most receptive to messaging (timing) – insights that transform advertising effectiveness.
Here’s a glimpse of how CivicScience uses millions of self-reported consumer intent data points to build high-performing ad campaigns.
Weigh In: What do you think of nostalgic food trends?
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Owning the world’s largest, real-time database of declared consumer intent, CivicScience helps advertisers and media companies reach the right audience with the right content at exactly the right time.
