A stress-free meal-kit plan that cares: HelloFresh catches Gen Z’s attention

Using data from QuestBrand by The Harris Poll, AdAge released their quarterly Gen Z Brand Tracker in November. This tracker ranks the top 20 brands with quarter-over-quarter brand equity growth among Gen Z adults (ages 18-27). HelloFresh ranked second on this quarter’s list.

Brand equity measures the value consumers see in a brand at a particular moment of time. It is an average of four components: brand familiarity, perceived quality, purchase consideration, and perceived momentum.

From Q2 to Q3 2024, HelloFresh experienced a +6.4% lift in brand equity among Gen Z adults, compared to only a +0.6% lift among the general population of US adults.

HelloFresh’s Brand Equity – US Adults vs Gen Z Adults – 12 Week Moving Average

QuestBrand. 7/1/24-9/30/24. Base: General population US adults: n=2,573. Base: Gen Z adults: n=417.

Let’s take a look at what resonated with Gen Z consumers.

More Home-Cooked Meals, Less Of The Hassle

From humble beginnings of HelloFresh founders packing and hand-delivering kits to their first 10 customers in 2011, the German meal-kit company has grown into the world’s largest meal-kit provider, spanning 18 countries and over 1 billion meals.

Don’t have time to hit the grocery store? Sick of the hassle of meal planning? Still want a delicious, home-cooked meal anyways? HelloFresh boasts fresh, high-quality and pre-portioned ingredients, along with easy-to-follow recipes, delivered right to a customer’s door. Taking the stress out of meal planning sounds right up younger consumers alley. In addition, as a more cost-conscious generation, Gen Z may look to this alternative meal planning option amidst high grocery prices. 

A Meal-Kit Plan That Cares

Gen Z is passionate about social impact and the environment, and so is HelloFresh. Most HelloFresh boxes are 100% recycled content cardboard, and all are at minimum 40% recycled content. Outside of sustainable packaging, HelloFresh is committed to giving back to the community and addressing food insecurity. In 2020, HelloFresh launched Meals with Meaning to provide free meal kits to people facing food insecurity in America.

For the 2024 back-to-school season, HelloFresh partnered with No Kid Hungry to join the fight against childhood hunger. During September, for each kids meal selected from the HelloFresh marketplace, the company would donate $1 to No Kid Hungry which can help provide 10 meals to kids facing food insecurity. 

At the end of September, HelloFresh and their sister brand, Factor, celebrated reaching a milestone of one million meals donated to Phoenix area residents in need through St. Mary’s Food Bank.

Perceived Quality Soars

Taking a closer look at QuestBrand data, it appears that Gen Z consumers are seeing the value in the meal-kit plans HelloFresh offers. The graph below shows that HelloFresh’s quality among Gen Z adults increased considerably during Q3 2024. Quality is a component of brand equity that quantifies a brand’s perceived quality.

HelloFresh’s Perceived Quality – US Adults vs Gen Z Adults – 12 Week Moving Average

QuestBrand. 7/1/24-9/30/24. Base: General population US adults: n=2,573. Base: Gen Z adults: n=417.

Going deeper, during Q3 of 2024, Gen Z adults were significantly more likely than the general population to describe HelloFresh as “dependable” (+5.4), a “good value” (+4.2), “innovative” (+3.7), and “practical” (+3.6).

With HelloFresh’s allure of stress-free cooking delivered right to your door, a commitment to giving back to the community, and an emphasis on sustainability, it’s no wonder that the popular meal-kit delivery service has caught Gen Z’s attention. Will they be able to keep it?