Snacking is big business. As Americans move away from three square meals to a “graze the day” style of eating, savvy food manufacturers and food service operators are transforming food products and menu items to meet changing needs. As food and nutrition communications experts, MSLGROUP's Food and Beverage Specialty Unit in North America undertook a deeper exploration into the always-on conversation revolving around the snack trend. Read our insights to help your brand jump in on food trends.

1. products
Flavor
59 Restaurants are
adding more local and
variety
of moms with kids handmade menu options
under 13 consult recipes
and/or food preparation
minis
minis
tips online
Snacking Conversations
Texture
natural flavor
natural flavor
affects consumers’
perception of a
in the United States
snack’s overall
taste.
A white paper from MSLGROUP North America’s
Food and Beverage Specialty Unit
November 2012
A Look at How Traditional and
Social Media Cover Better-For-You
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Snacking, as Americans Graze the Day
Op
families
nutritious choic
Consumers seek
healthy options
made with high-
quality, all-natural
ingredients

2. Table of Contents
Preface: Why Study Snacking Conversations?
Snapshot: Perpetual Snacking 2
Findings
Themes and Brand Mentions Overview 3
Snapshot: Brand Mentions 3
Themes and Their Subgroups At-A-Glance 4
The Themes In-Depth
Theme 1: Snacks and Families 6
Theme 2: Snacks and Flavor 8
Theme 3: Snacks and Healthy 10
Theme 4: Snacks and Men 12
Theme 5: Snacks and Minis 14
Theme 6: Snacks and Restaurants 16
Theme 7: Snacks and Texture 18
Theme 8: Snacks and Women 20
Appendices
About MSLGROUP North America 22
About the Authors 23
Research Methodologies 24
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3. Preface
Why Study Snacking Conversations?
Snacking is big business. As Americans move away from three square
meals to a “graze the day” style of eating, savvy food manufacturers
and foodservice operators are transforming food products and menu
items to meet changing needs. Consider the following:
• Nestlé’s Lean Cuisine recently launched six snack SKUs, three flavors
of spring rolls and three vegetable dips with pita
• General Mills, maker of snacks such as Chex Mix and Bugles, expanded further
into the category in February 2012 with its purchase of tortilla and sweet
potato chip maker Food Should Taste Good
• Food trend experts offered Perpetual Snacking as a top prediction for 2012,
as noted in this MSL Conversations blog post (see sidebar on page 3)
As food and nutrition communications experts, the MSLGROUP North America
Food and Beverage Specialty Unit team undertook a deeper exploration into
the always-on conversation revolving around the snack trend:
• Which products and messages receive the most media attention?
• How does the story take shape in the blogosphere?
• To what degree does nutrition matter?
• Which areas are saturated and which have room to grow?
We uncovered a robust conversation, largely centered on healthy snacking
strategies (with one noticeable exception, the men’s segment) and a wide
variance of opportunities for brands based on the category within the world
of snacks. Overall, we see a large amount of attention within the traditional
and social media spheres on better-for-you snacking, i.e., snack products that
marry nutrition with the great taste that consumers demand.
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4. fInDInGs
Themes and Brand Mentions Overview
Eight Main Themes
The following themes emerged in our analysis of trade and consumer
publications as well as blogs, from January 2011-January 2012
(see appendix for methodology):
“Snacks” and …
• Families* • Minis (portion size)*
• Flavor* • Restaurant
• Healthy • Texture*
• Men • Women*
*Themes that included brand mentions.
Brand Mentions
The search queries resulted in brand mentions for the following themes:
families, flavor, minis, texture and women. Other themes may have had
brand mentions in subgroups, which are noted in the following pages.
How to Read the Report
• Word Cloud: Graphic of popular keyword search results within
each theme. The word cloud results are organized in ascending order
with larger words meaning the terms are popular topics within the
keyword search.
• Main Themes: Each theme begins with the top takeaway within
the theme, and is sourced from keyword search results using “Snacks”
and the specific theme – i.e., Flavor, Minis, Women.
• Brand Mentions: Consumer brands discussed in each theme.
• Subgroups: Gathered through keyword searches using “Snacks”
and a specific term – i.e., Crackers, Sweet, Dairy. The subgroups listed
are the most discussed topics, and are grouped with relevant main themes.
• Products/Ingredients/Benefits Mentioned: Product, ingredient or benefit
examples discussed in each subgroup.
Brand Mentions
Among the eight main themes, the five bolded
themes above contained the most branded
product coverage. This offers some potential
direction to communicators in positioning
their pitches.
A communicator representing a healthy snack
for families with children may more likely place a
brand mention in the family space (e.g., parenting
magazines, mom blogs), while getting a generic
mention of beneficial attributes found in their
products in the health space.
Nutrition media may be more inclined to focus
on healthy ingredients like antioxidant-rich
blueberries or heart-healthy soy, while parenting
media may be more likely to drill down to specific
product recommendations by name.
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5. FINDINGS
Themes and Their Subgroups At-A-Glance
What do media also tend to mention in conversations about
snacking and families, snacking and healthy, or snacking and flavor?
Calories
Crackers Whole Grain Dieting
Whole Grain Dairy Alternatives
Alternatives
Weight Loss Low Calorie
Sweets
Students Dairy-Free
FAMILIES HEALTHY
Value Nutrition
Shapes Homemade
Sweet Splurge
Pretzels Hummus
Superfoods
Bars
Sweet FLAVOR Fresh
Low Calorie
Sweets
Quick Scan
Family snacking conversations are the most
pragmatic – quick tips that work for feeding
healthy kids fast.
The healthy snack space revolves around
weight; even splurge stories are about the
healthiest indulgences that don’t break the scale.
Superfoods offer a brief respite: instead of what
you can’t have, they’re what you can enjoy.
In the flavor space, the caché of fresh, simple
ingredients comes into play, as fresh fruit
flavors shine.
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6. FINDINGS
Themes and Their Subgroups At-A-Glance
What do media also tend to mention in conversations about
snacking and men, snacking and minis, snacking and restaurants,
or snacking and women?
Bars
MEN MINIS
(no subgroups) Artisan Foods RESTAURANT Minis
Pub Snacks Pretzels
Bars Calories
Weight Loss Chips
Pretzels TEXTURE Chips
WOMEN
Superfoods Popcorn
Popcorn
Quick Scan
Men’s snacking conversations tune out health
despite men’s interest in fitness and dads’
increased grocery shopping, while women
calorie-count (even popcorn is a dieting strategy)
—an opportunity for innovative communicators
to shift both to a healthy middle-ground.
Americans’ love of mini treats (such as Cake
Pops) and restaurant-quality meals at home
enter the snack fray.
Attention to texture is part of the pleasure
of eating. If we skimp on calories, especially,
we need that crisp crunch that satisfies.
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7. fInDInGs
Theme 1: Snacks and Families
Families are looking for simple and
nutritious snacking options to take
on-the-go, and parenting media will
make product recommendations
to connect busy moms to healthy
snack solutions.
snack & family subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Crackers Opt for whole grain crackers Combine with cheese and/or fruit
Skim milk, low-fat yogurt,
Dairy Low-fat options for kids
low-fat cheese, low-fat smoothies
Options that are both NuGo Free Bars, NAVITAS NATURALS
Dairy-free
dairy-free and gluten-free POWER SNACK, GoGo squeeZ
Homemade options for kids that Trail mix, vegetables, fruit and
Homemade
are simple, affordable, healthy peanut butter, yogurt, baby carrots
Hummus Healthy alternative for kids Serve with pita chips, dip
Comfort snack that everyone loves;
*Pretzels low in fat and cholesterol, healthier Party/game-day mix
salty treat, on-the-go option
Unconventional shapes that offer Cookies, crackers, chips, fruit
shapes
both fun and nutrition for children snacks, gummies
Fruit, trail mix, low fat popcorn,
students Healthy options for students on-the-go
granola bars, beef jerky
*Whole Grain Brown rice, quinoa, crackers, English muffins,
Select healthy whole grain options
alternatives popcorn, pita or tortilla chips, pretzels
Brand Mentions
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • GoGo squeeZ
• LOLIBAR
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8. As an example of how to put these insights
into practice, we recently advised a fresh produce
organization on ways to attract moms of young
children. One distinguishing feature of the
product is that it’s high in vitamin E.
Relevant Findings
Looking at the cross section of the keywords Snacks and Families,
one of the major subgroups of articles is on Homemade, specifically
home-prepared options for kids that are simple, affordable and healthy.
Examples include trail mix, produce and peanut butter, yogurt and baby
carrots. Little fingers love to dip small hand-held fruits into a sauce or
whole-grain pitas into a veggie dip.
Looking at keywords Snacks and Healthy, the subgroup Superfoods
includes coverage of healthy options that provide functional benefits for
beauty, health and nutrition. Examples include blueberries and soybeans.
Turning to the Splurge subgroup, coverage talks about indulging without
gaining weight by swapping out bad options for good ones, and positive
choices include foods that are high in “good fats” like cashews and almonds.
Recommended Communications Actions
Putting this together, our messaging advice is to communicate that Mom
can feel good about serving a healthy food to the whole family and know
that the vitamin E is also great for her skin, important when exposed to
the summer sun.
Regarding communications channels, social media is particularly important
for reaching this segment. As we found in our proprietary study, Clicks and
Cravings: The Impact of Social Technology on Food Culture (conducted by
The Hartman Group in partnership with MSLGROUP North America), 59%
of moms with kids under age 13 consult recipes and/or food preparation tips
online, compared to 48% of women without children. And, 57% of moms
use social media to connect with close friends or family during mealtimes
when they eat alone.
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9. fInDInGs
Theme 2: Snacks and Flavor
Consumers look for snacks with
rich flavors and natural flavors on
grocery store shelves. The media
is making a connection between
texture and flavor for the overall
experience of enjoying a snack.
snack & flavor subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Healthy options without Kashi, NATURE’S PATH, low sugar
*bars
losing flavor granola bars, CLIF BAR
Nutritious and tasty snacks that
fresh Fresh fruits
provide natural flavor
Sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jell-O,
*low Calorie Healthy options that allow you to enjoy
strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, DANNON
sweets your favorite snacks in healthier ways
Light & Fit, NABISCO 100 calorie packs
*sweet Natural sweet substitutes Apples, oranges, grapes
Brand Mentions
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • KIND Bars
• popchips jalapeno potato chips
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10. The use of fresh fruit as a flavor cue has
different implications for our fresh and packaged
food clients. The snacking analysis led to the
following observations:
Recommended Actions for Fresh Produce Representatives
For suppliers of fresh fruit to retailers and foodservice operators, this is a huge
opportunity to show how the fruit improves consumers’ perception of recipes
or menu items while solving a nutrition challenge. For example, a home cook
or restaurant chef could reduce sodium content with a squirt of fresh lemon
juice or marinade lean meat in a fruit glaze.
We’ve identified the “Global Foods Mash-Up” in our flavor trends analysis
work, so don’t be afraid of fusion. For the mainstream U.S. audience, an
exciting and intense burst of flavor is more important than slavish adherence
to culinary traditions. How might you pair Thai chile or Mexican chipotle with
the fresh fruit flavor cue, from chile-lime snack nuts to happy hour mojitos?
Recommended Actions for CPG Brand Managers
Marketers of packaged foods can call out the real fruit included in their
products, as well as nuts, seeds or other ingredients that add pleasurable texture.
Consumers still want the convenience of cereal bars and low-calorie snacks,
but they don’t want cardboard. So, they look to fruit as a sign of healthy sweetness
(without added sugars) and texture descriptors as proof that the packaged product
will have satisfying crunch.
While processed foods’ marketers are certainly challenged by the vogue for simple,
unprocessed food, it’s important to note that these fruit flavor cues applied to the
full gamut of food products, not just the “natural” end of the spectrum.
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11. fInDInGs
Theme 3: Snacks and Healthy
Consumers seek healthy options
made with high-quality, all-natural
ingredients. Media are more likely
to champion winning ingredients
here than make brand mentions.
snack & Healthy subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Portion control snack packs,
Crackers
low-calorie options
Snacking is good for you when Healthy options that taste good and
Dieting
you are trying to lose weight are satisfying
Sugar-free popsicles, sugar-free Jell-O,
*low Calorie Healthy options that allow you to enjoy
strawberries dipped in dark chocolate, DANNON
sweets your favorite snacks in healthier ways
Light & Fit, NABISCO 100 calorie packs
nutrition Easy-to-read front-of-package labeling
Splurge without gaining weight CLIF BAR, popchips, cashews, almonds,
splurge by swapping out bad options natural chips and popcorn, low fat health
for good options bars, organic fruit, organic smoothies
Healthy options that provide functional Blueberries, soybeans, NAVITAS NATURALS
*superfoods
benefits for beauty, health, nutrition POWER SNACK
*sweet Naturally sweet substitutes Apples, oranges, grapes
Value
Better-for-you brands
(specific to nutrition)
*Weight loss Healthy low-calorie options
*Whole Grain Brown rice, quinoa, crackers, English muffins,
Select healthy whole grain options
alternatives popcorn, pita or tortilla chips, pretzels
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. Brand Mentions
• None
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12. Putting these insights to work in our Digital
Kitchen, the Director of our Culinary and nutrition
Center develops product prototypes to show food
companies how our clients’ ingredients (in this
case, nuts) seamlessly fit or extend product lines.
Relevant Findings
Healthy snacking conversations are emphatically not about deprivation.
Reporters and bloggers share tips on how to be healthy while you snack
vs. how to give up snacking. There is a sense in the U.S. food culture that
it is inadvisable to go too many hours without a snack even while actively
trying to lose weight.
Recommended Actions
The nut supplier can help manufacturers envision shared success working with
their ingredient by formulating healthy snack prototypes that tap superfoods
and whole-grain trends, while keeping portion sizes reasonable. Ideas include
a dark chocolate truffle with blueberries and hazelnuts, or a baked hazelnut
lavash bread to accompany healthy spreads.
More Ideas on Communicating Healthy Snacking Messages…
• We are integrating healthy snacking messages into work ranging from
We
Daisy Cottage Cheese to appetizers like meatballs and fruit-and-bread
kebabs that deliver crucial whole grains via Roman Meal breads. In the
case of Daisy, we targeted health professionals through pairings messaging
(i.e., “Add Daisy cottage cheese to fruits and veggies you already recommend
for a protein-rich snack”).
• We’ve worked with a weight management brand to create a widget
aimed at providing consumers healthier options to their snack cravings
throughout the day.
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13. fInDInGs
Theme 4: Snacks and Men
Men want snacks that power them
through the day and benefit their
overall health, while media coverage
beyond energy bars revolves around
a traditional realm of pretzels and
pub snacks.
snack & Men subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Kashi, NATURE’S PATH,
*bars Healthy options without losing flavor
low-sugar granola bars, CLIF BAR
Low in fat and cholesterol, healthier salty treat,
*Pretzels Comfort snack that everyone loves
on-the-go option, simple party/game day mix
Protein-heavy mini meals Chicken sandwiches and wraps, sliders
Pub snacks
and snacks or mini burgers, chicken wings
Brand Mentions
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • None
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14. Innovative brand managers can position
men’s snacking beyond the two bookends
of energy bars and pretzels. Here are a few
quick tips.
Relevant Finding: Overemphasis on Grab-and-Go
Men’s snacking coverage focuses on grab-and-go products. This isn’t the space
in which many editors plus up snacks with homemade elements – at least, not yet.
Recommended Action
Perhaps athletes making workout smoothies would appreciate guy-oriented
ideas for home snacking too.
Relevant Finding: Make it Meaty
Meat figures into healthy snacking in the men’s space, since health is short-hand
here for enhanced performance. Chicken, lean beef and other meats signal
a protein-powered snack that benefits the body more than crunching a few
chips – it’s more like the energy boost of a mini meal.
Recommended Action
A tortilla brand could garner men’s attention by posting a meal suggestion
for easy chicken wraps for the 4pm lag on Facebook and Twitter.
Relevant Finding: Happy Hour
Happy Hour is prime-time for snacking.
Recommended Action
Insert beer and spirits in snacking messages for men, too.
Relevant Finding: Speak to Dads
Bear in mind that men increasingly don’t just shop and prepare snacks
for themselves. More than 60% of Millennial dads in our Clicks and Cravings
study report that they do the majority of their household’s grocery shopping,
and over half say they prepare most of the kids’ food.
Recommended Action
Innovators can build a snacking conversation aimed at dads (under age 35)
in the kitchen.
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15. fInDInGs
Theme 5: Snacks and Minis
Consumers are looking for small
snacks, which are seen as indulgent
but affordable and able to assist
with portion control.
Brand Mentions
• Baskin-Robbins Cake Bites
• Burger King Minis
• Dairy Queen Mini Blizzard
• Jimmy D’s Breakfast Minis Turkey Sausage on
a Mini Croissant
• Pillsbury Sweet Moments
• Starbucks Petites
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16. It makes perfect sense that our frozen food
client is launching international snacks as
healthful minis, from Mediterranean pita
bites to asian spring rolls. Here’s why:
Relevant Finding: Whimsy
The intersection of snacks and Minis sees the most branded placements
overall. This is a category where editors and bloggers actively make product
recommendations for portion size and bite-size snacking.
Recommended Action
Messaging should reflect that minis are casual and whimsical, and sharing
is part of the fun.
Relevant Finding: Portion Control
The calorie-limiting health benefit of minis is probably obvious to most marketers,
as minis represent a better-for-you option than their full-sized counterpart.
Recommended Action
As consumers reconcile their “graze the day” lifestyle with the fact that
calories do add up, show them that minis provide a sense of portion control
that’s right-sized to sedentary lifestyles of office workers.
Relevant Finding: Global Adventure
As consumers branch out into international flavors from Japanese to Peruvian
to Korean, minis couch the new experience in a bite-sized package that’s not
intimidating. As an entry point into the Global Foods Mash-Up, minis don’t
cost as much as committing to a whole entrée.
Recommended Action
Marketers can play up the sense of adventure minis allow. Kimchi meatball
sliders offer a great introduction to a new world of flavor in just a few dollars
and two bites.
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17. fInDInGs
Theme 6: Snacks and Restaurants
Restaurants are adding more local
and handmade menu options, both
on-premise artisan snacks and at
retail through licensing agreements
(often, minis).
snack & restaurant subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
High-quality, limited-production, Spirits, ice cream, locally-sourced meat
artisan foods locally-produced and handmade or and seafood, locally-grown produce,
upscale foods at a reasonable price locally-produced wine and beer
Portion-controlled snacks that Burger King Minis, Starbucks Petites,
*Minis
are indulgent and affordable Baskin-Robbins Cake Bites, Dairy Queen
Mini Blizzard
Brand Mentions
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • None
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18. snack product development isn’t just
good business sense for CPGs. Here’s what
we’re advising clients operating in the
foodservice arena:
Relevant Findings
Food Product Design magazine reports on a Technomic study showing that
restaurants now claim 22% of consumers’ snacking occasions, up from 17%
in 2010. The increase comes amidst a perfect storm of consumers reducing
the size of their plate to reduce the size of their bill, decreasing portion size
in the wake of posted calorie counts and filling the gap at happy hour now
that dinner comes at later, unfixed times.
The article also notes that 62% of consumers report that the snacks
they purchase away-from-home are impulse purchases. Is a trio of sliders
significantly more snack-like than its full-sized burger cousin? If the
gray line looks blurry between light dinners and snacks between meals,
it’s about to get blurrier as 37% of consumers indicate they are broadening
their definition of snacks to include more types of foods, beverages and
restaurant fare.
Clicks and Cravings data offers insights into when consumers are most
likely to share restaurant experiences and food photos via social media.
Consumers are more likely to share descriptions of restaurant visits (39%)
vs. meals/snacks made at home (32%), and just under one-third (31%) will
post a photo of food enjoyed whether at home or in a restaurant. Artisan
and locally-sourced restaurant snacks may be particularly ripe for social
media sharing.
Recommended Actions
Don’t be shy in positioning a small plate as a snack. In fact, recognizing
that customers want mini portions of menu items as snacks or light meals,
one of our restaurant clients added minis to their menu including options
such as Zucchini Cakes and Buffalo Chicken stating that “taste is mightier
than size.”
As Millennials outspend Boomers, the key will be to afford consumers
from the “I’ll have it my way” generation the ability to customize with
a range of snack flavors and sizes (from a one-bite cake pop with coffee
to a late-night chipotle rib sandwich with a cocktail), and no need to
conform to an established meal time.
Encourage and reward loyal customers who share their comments
and post photos of their experience ordering snack items on your menu.
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19. fInDInGs
Theme 7: Snacks and Texture
Consumers crave a variety of
textures when choosing snacks.
Their view of a snack’s texture
(especially crunch) affects their
perception of its overall taste.
snack & Texture subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Healthy options Kashi, NATURE’S PATH,
*bars
without losing flavor low-sugar granola bars, CLIF BAR
*Chips Low-calorie healthy options Baked chips
*Popcorn Low-calorie, flavorful, healthy Sweet and salty varieties
Comfort snack that everyone
*Pretzels loves; low in fat and cholesterol, Party/game-day mix
healthier salty treat, on-the-go option
Brand Mentions
• Crunchtables
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • Turbana Plantain Chips
• YoCrunch Parfaits and Yogurts
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20. The crisp break of a breadstick, the airy puff
of a popover and, most of all, the crunch of just
about everything from spring rolls to kettlecorn to
mini tacos – if you’ve got texture, let consumers know.
Recommendation for Business-to-Consumer Communications
Craft communications with the textural details that prove to consumers
a product’s going to be as pleasurable as advertised, especially when you’ve
promised that something healthy is going to taste good too. As a nation,
we’ve taken snap, crackle, pop to heart.
Recommendation for Business-to-Business Communications
B2B communicators also benefit from leading with texture when promoting
the functionality of their ingredients to food manufacturers. For example,
new snack starches provide a crispy coating to extruded snacks and help fruits,
seeds and seasonings adhere to baked goods, all without artificial additives.
For the nation’s soybean growers, a major client of MSLGROUP North America,
we led the food industry launch of new soybean oils with excellent health
attributes from zero grams of trans fat to reduced saturated fat. But, we
recognized that those nutrition facts only matter if the purchaser in food
manufacturing winds up with end-products that appeal to consumers.
So, we showcase the stellar length of time that the oil holds up in the
commercial fryer and the crisp, crunchy snack foods it delivers with no
off-flavors or aromas.
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21. fInDInGs
Theme 8: Snacks and Women
Women are interested in snacks
that will help them lose weight
and imbue them with beauty, health
and nutrition. Not surprisingly, many
snacks marketed to women implement
portion control to help women balance
calorie intake and snacking habits.
One area of respite for women from
calorie counts is the Superfood arena.
snack & Women subgroups
food Type area of Interest Ingredient Mentions
Portion-control snack packs,
*Calories
low-calorie options
*Chips Low-calorie healthy options Baked chips
Portion-control snack packs,
*Cookies
low-calorie options
*Popcorn Low-calorie, flavorful, healthy Sweet and salty options
Healthy options that provide functional Blueberries, soybeans,
*superfoods
benefits for beauty, health and nutrition NAVITAS NATURALS POWER SNACK
*Weight loss Healthy low-calorie options
Brand Mentions
Notes: A “*” symbol is placed next to subgroups that appear in multiple themes. Theme and subgroup summaries
throughout the report are citations pulled from publications and social media outlets during the snacking audit. • NABISCO SnackWell’s
• NONNI’s Biscotti Bites
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22. love the snack, hate the calories. Women’s
complicated relationship with food comes
to a fore in snacking, but food communicators
should know that superfoods offer a respite.
Relevant Findings
While the obesity crisis requires attention be paid to calorie reduction
and increased fitness, the Diet Police are particularly prominent in women’s
media. Low-calorie, portion-controlled snacks are advised prescriptively.
It makes sense since snacking represents discretionary calories rather than
basic needs. (Secondarily, snack remedies get ink for fighting women’s
health/beauty issues such as preventing wrinkles and other signs of aging.)
Recommended Actions
Marketers of portion-controlled snacks would be remiss if they did not pitch
women’s media and bloggers on calorie count, but this is competitive space
and they may find other aspects of their product have a unique story to tell.
Soy, pumpkin, kiwifruit, berries, salmon, nuts: If your product contains
a superfood, tell women about it. Our kiwifruit client realized success touting
nutrient density for Mom herself – making every bite count, with a fruit loaded
in vitamins C and E, potassium and fiber – while assuring her that finicky kids
would enjoy the healthy, portable snack too.
As we’ve seen in other categories where superfoods pop up, calories decrease
in importance when superfoods enter the conversation, since the focus is on
adding the good vs. cutting out the bad. This is an opportunity for marketers
to align their brand with a positive way for women to treat themselves.
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23. aPPenDIX
About MSLGROUP North America
The Food and Beverage Specialty at MSLGROUP North America
optimizes deep food, nutrition and beverage expertise with clients
across the agency network. The unit is directed by Steve Bryant and
is supported by agency veteran Caryn Carmer, who provides operational
support and leads business based there.
With a client roster that includes Nestlé, Bloomin’ Brands, Coca-Cola,
Sunkist Growers, United Soybean Board and Heineken and resources
that include a full culinary facility, specialized research programs, on-staff
registered dietitians and industry experts, MSLGROUP North America
is a category leader with an eight-figure book of business. Together,
the business is driven by nearly 100 people.
The specialty spans the entire food and beverage category from food
marketing to communications for food commodities, packaged foods,
foodservice, restaurant, healthcare, nutrition and pet foods. The agency
offers services to support all the key category consumption drivers from
taste to nutrition, design, culture, recommendation and reputation.
for More Information:
Steve Bryant
Director, Food & Beverage,
MSLGROUP North America
(206) 270-4664
steve.bryant@mslgroup.com
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24. Research Methodologies
MSLGROUP North America Food and Beverage Specialty Unit conducted
the research using trade and consumer publications as well as blogs to
identify snacking conversations in the United States. Publication timing
ranged from January 2011 – January 2012.
Identified
Analyzed Print Eight Main
Subgroups,
Publications Themes Emerged
using Sysomos
Steps Taken
1. Analyzed snacking discussions in consumer and food industry trade publications
2. Determined the most popular topics taking place within snacking
3. Conducted an in-depth media analysis, using Sysomos, to verify popular snacking topics; Sysomos is a web-based
platform providing real-time social media monitoring and analytics
4. Identified eight main themes within snacking discussions, and summarized each theme
5. Shared specific brand mentions for each theme
6. Placed subgroups under the eight main themes based on keyword commonalities; subgroups were connected,
as needed, with multiple main themes if keyword results were applicable to various themes (noted with a *)
7. Provided descriptions for subgroups
8. Shared product, ingredient and benefit examples for each subgroup
NORTH AMERICA
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