Use & Attitude Study - 2020

The National Honey Board is committed to designing and conducting research that enables the industry to identify opportunities and make informed decisions to increase demand for honey.

The 2020 Attitudes and Usage study was conducted with the following objectives:

Track attitudes, awareness, and usage of honey among a general population sample and newly identified target audience, Goodness Seekers.

This was an online survey among 2,000 U.S. consumers, with basic demographics balanced to U.S. census.

Some key findings include:

• Top of mind awareness had moderate declines for all sweeteners, including honey vs year ago (influenced by wording change).
• However, usage has increase, by ~ 10% points for all sweeteners including honey vs 2019.
• Perceptions for honey remain strong, only health perceptions increased vs year ago.
• The number one preferred sweetener is honey, beating out white sugar for the first time in five years.
• The morning occasion remains strong ~ 50% of occasions.
• Most honey purchases are planned driven by pantry refill, recipe needs. At the shelf consumers are influence by brand trust, price and honey claims as drivers of choice.
• Positive story recall is up YOY and negative story recall declined. Positive news is driven by perceived “better for you” sweeteners.
• New target, Goodness Seekers, identify honey as their favorite sweetener, 2:1 vs white granulated sugar.
• The Goodness Seeker is more sensitive to sustainability concerns, and more likely to understand honey consumption is good for the bees.

Click here to download the full NHB A&U Study 2020 report.