When you look at a chicken wrap what do you see; a meal or a snack?
For the majority of 14 to 34 year olds the answer is likely both.
(image: https://www.superdream.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/biscuits.jpg alt: )
Snack foods have been popular for decades as an occasional treat, but their role in our society is now evolving. The way we eat is changing due to long work hours and full social schedules. Many adults are finding themselves too busy to take a proper lunch break, instead snacking lightly throughout the day and eating their substantial meal when they get home in the evening.
Unsurprisingly (link: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748703720004575477652910948336 text: McDonalds has reported) that smaller items consumed outside of traditional meal times have been the fastest growing part of their business over the past six years.
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag-JCRoyLmk)
Snacking has become ingrained in the attitudes of young children as well, with (link: http://www.mintel.com/blog/food-market-news/snack-market-trends-in-uk text: 86% of those aged 7 – 15) snacking at least once a day if not more. Snack food is beloved by all aged under 40 it seems. A 2013 report from W00t! Media shows that Cadbury is the most liked brand amongst 16-34 year-olds with Pringles and Walkers following closely behind.
**History**
Many of the US’s snack foods were introduced to the market earlier than you might think. The Oreo was invented in 1912 in the US and The Tasty Baking Company began selling individually wrapped ‘Tastykakes’ in 1914, starting the concept of on the go snacking. Despite the struggling economy snack food brands flourished in the 1930s, and even more innovations were introduced during WW2, as there was a need for heat-resistant chocolate to send to American soldiers overseas.
Each decade has seen the snack food industry create more weird and wonderful snacks, not changing course until the early 1990s. During this time the public developed a greater awareness of the chemicals, sugar and preservatives added to many snack foods. As a result snack brands began marketing their products as low-fat, baked instead of fried low-oil or reduced sugar. The greatest growth in the crisp market was amongst multigrain products, with an increase (link: http://business.highbeam.com/industry-reports/food/potato-chips-corn-chips-similar-snacks text: of 76.5% in 1992) compared to the previous year.
These days consumers expect a lot more from their snacks, and the health-conscious and educated especially require snack foods that are actively good for them, rather than merely ‘less unhealthy’ alternatives.
**So how are marketers appealing to the current generation of snackers?**
The Millennials, or generation Y, are those born between the early 1980s and the year 2000. ‘One size fits all’ is certainly not an approach to suit this demographic. Whether health food snackers, crisp or sweet lovers, the Millennials have an expectation for impressive packaging and innovation, and are more open to change than the generations that went before them.
According to trend watchers, (link: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-blog/millennials-food-trends/bgp-20056133 text: 35% of millennial’s meals) are in actual fact snacks. Therefore snack food is increasingly big business. Cereal is now marketed as ‘on the go’, coming in a more convenient bar or biscuit form, and sandwiches are edible on the run. Increased opening times also help to cater for a generation straying out of the boundaries of traditional set meal times.
It’s on trend to be a ‘foodie’ at the moment, and this has become a social thing (how many of your friends on social media sites have been known to share pictures of their food?!) This generation are spontaneous and adventurous. They enjoy trying out new flavours and sharing these experiences with their friends.
They are impressed by interesting packaging, and unique flavours and textures. This generation are more educated about and interested in their food and want to learn more about what’s in it, the story behind it and how it’s made. (link: http://millennialmarketing.com/2012/06/millennials-are-literally-the-tastemakers-in-food/ text: 8 out of 10 say they like) ‘”behind the scenes” commercials, showing how the food they buy is produced.
Despite the rise in healthy eating and innovative products, classic snacks such as the McVities biscuit are steeped in nostalgia and remain popular. Another approach when marketing a snack food that has little claim to health benefits is to play on these affectionate, comforting feelings certain foods create. A perfect example of this is the current £12m McVities campaign, bearing the tagline ‘Sweeet’ and showing a series of fluffy baby animals coming out of a packet of biscuits when opened:
(youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg1fJlrIQGU)
Sarah Heynen, marketing director of United Biscuits, (link: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2014/02/03/sweeet-social-thinking-cute-puppies-kittens-and-tarsier-monkey-head-united-biscuits text: says) “We knew that our biscuits have a surprisingly important place in people’s lives. People relate to them in a very emotional way. We wanted to bring this feeling to life in a memorable, modern way.”
As well as lifestyle changes causing a rising need for snack food, its popularity could be in part down to the changing nature of advertising. Our relationship is not the passive consumption of TV advertising that it once was; now we connect with brands and products everyday via the internet. Sophisticated marketing techniques mean children especially can be interacting with brands without even realising it; infiltrating social networks and targeting using location-based and mobile marketing.
**What is the future of the snack food market?**
Starbucks is now seeing the potential of packaged snack foods and began offering its snack and juice lines in Whole Food Market stores in the US (a chain of whole food shops) last Summer. It has partnered with Danone to introduce co-branded yoghurt and has bought juice maker Evolution Fresh as well as bakery company La Boulange. It seems the brand is looking beyond the coffee shop business and sees the potential of buying into the packaged goods market for the health conscious and affluent, and other brands are sure to follow suit.
One company in the snack market is now tackling America’s obesity with healthy vending machines; ‘H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending.’ Established in 2008, the company provide an alternative to traditional high-calorie vending machines with ones that stock exclusively gluten-free, organic and low-sugar products; an idea CEO Sean Kelly came up with after searching for somewhere to buy water at his gym. (link: http://www.forbes.com/sites/natalierobehmed/2012/07/27/healthy-vending-machines-the-future-of-snack-food/ text: Kelly has said), “Our vision is to make healthy food more convenient than junk food.”
The modern consumer expects more from the snack food they buy than previous generations did, so it is important for marketers to entice the under-35s with constant innovation, exciting packaging, healthy and ethically sourced products and advertising campaigns worthy of social sharing if they want their brand to succeed and stand out from the crowd.
*Here at Superdream our full service team create forward-thinking and original work to keep client’s brands relevant to the modern consumer. To find out a little more about what Superdream could do for you (link: https://www.superdream.co.uk/contact/ text: contact us) for a chat about boosting your business marketing.*
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