Kids' Snacking - US - March 2008

Table of Contents

• Scope and Themes
• What you need to know
• Definition
• Data sources and methodology
• Consumer survey data
• Abbreviations and terms
• Abbreviations
• Terms
• Executive Summary
• All kids snack, but age and gender impact types eaten
• Healthy snacks--parents seek out options that kids will eat
• Savory snacks--bucking the small portion trend
• Salty snacks--chips are popular, but crackers may have greater reach
• Sweet snacks--diverse marketing and brand focus in sub-segments
• Kids want snacks that focus on fun (sometimes more important than taste)
• Factors influencing kids snacks
• Brand qualities--how brands are positioned
• Innovation relies more on tried and true tactics than exploring new ground
• Marketing kids snacks
• Kids' snacking habits
• How kids choose snacks
• How parents choose kids' snacks
• All Kids Snack
  • Figure 1: Incidence of snacking between meals, December 2007
• Foods Eaten as Snacks
• Key points
• The juxtaposition of healthy snacks versus junk food snacks evident in kids' snack choices
  • Figure 2: Foods eaten as snacks, December 2007
• Snack choices vary by gender and age
  • Figure 3: Foods eaten as snacks, by gender and age, December 2007
• Healthy Snacks
• Key points
• Among healthy snacks eaten, fresh fruit offers greatest appeal
• Healthy-positioned snacks favored by kids, questioned by parents
• Fruit snacks
• Yogurt
• Cereal bars
• Portion-control packaging implies healthy snack
  • Figure 4: Healthy foods eaten as snacks, December 2007
• Savory Snacks
• Key points
• Savory snacks are typically used as an after-school snack
  • Figure 5: Ways/times in which kids/teens eat frozen snacks, July 2007
• Brands focus on young consumers, eating on the go, and helping children help themselves prepare snacks
  • Figure 6: Savory foods eaten as snacks, December 2007
• Salty Snacks
• Key points
• Salty snacks are among kids' favorite snack foods
• Chips: unhealthy but a universal favorite--growth in BFY offerings
• Popcorn: more nutritious options but less convenient
• Crackers: marrying health, convenience, and child appeal
  • Figure 7: Salty snacks used by kids aged 6-11, Spring 2007
• Sweet Snacks
• Key points
• Sweet snacks are an integral part of children' s snacking habits
  • Figure 8: Kids' attitudes towards food, Fall 2005 and Spring 2007
• Cookies: widespread use of portion-control packages and character licensing
• Snack cakes: relying on shapes and characters to retain child-appeal
• Pudding/gelatin: category players have less focus on kids
  • Figure 9: Sweet snacks used by kids aged 6-11, Spring 2007
• What Makes Snacks Fun
• Key points
• Kids like characters
  • Figure 10: What makes snacks fun, December 2007
• Younger kids favor characters, while older kids like unusual flavors
  • Figure 11: What makes snacks fun, by gender and age, December 2007
• Market Factors
• America' s population of its most fervent snackers is on the rise
  • Figure 12: U.S. population projections of kids, by age, 2003-13
  • Figure 13: Incidence of snacking between meals, by age, December 2007
• Kids continue to battle the bulge
  • Figure 14: Attributes important to choosing snack for kids, December 2007
• Broad-based government action targets adults and kids alike
• Marketers are spending more to attract child consumers
• Foodservice vying for its share of the snack market
• Brand Qualities
• Frito Lay
• Kraft/Nabisco
• General Mills
• Private label: Kroger' s Disney Magic Selections
• Innovation and Innovators
• Key points
• More of the same in product launches targeting kids
• Forward thinking innovators focus on function
  • Figure 15: New kids snack product launches* by sub-category and year, 2003-07
• Kellogg--category' s top innovator
• Innovations in the Natural Channel/SPINS
• Kellogg' s Kashi Division Stretch Island Fruit Company
  • Figure 16: Natural product supermarket retail sales of Stretch Island Fruit Leather and Fruitabu Organic Smooshed Fruit, 2005-07
• Homegrown Naturals Bunny Grahams
  • Figure 17: Natural product supermarket retail sales of Annie' s Bunny Grahams, 2005-07
• Honest Tea Juice Pouches
  • Figure 18: Natural product supermarket retail sales of Honest Tea Juice Pouches, 2005-07
• Clif Bar and ClifKids
• Advertising and Promotion
• Overview
• Character power
• Yogurt
  • Figure 19: Television ad for Dannon' s Danimals with tie-in to High School Musical
  • Figure 20: Television ad for Yoplait' s Trix yogurt with tie-in to Over the Hedge
• Snack cakes
• Fun factor
• Crackers
  • Figure 21: Television ad for Pepperidge Farm goldfish, "Bon Voyage, Finn"
  • Figure 22: Television ad for Pepperidge Farm goldfish, "Flavor Blasted Goldfish"
  • Figure 23: Television ad for Pepperidge Farm goldfish, "Goldfish at Play"
• Cookies
  • Figure 24: Television ad for Kraft Nabisco' s Chips Ahoy!, "Do not you want me baby"
  • Figure 25: Television ad for Kraft Nabisco' s Chips Ahoy!, "Do Ya Think I' m Sexy"
• Salty snacks
  • Figure 26: Television ad for Frito Lay' s Cheetos Flaming Hot
  • Figure 27: Television ad for Frito Lay' s Cheetos Baked
• Family-centric
  • Figure 28: Television ad for Kraft Nabisco' s Oreos, Generations
  • Figure 29: Television ad for Kraft Nabisco' s Oreos, Home video
• Healthy snacking
  • Figure 30: Television ad for Quaker Granola Bites
  • Figure 31: Television ad for Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs granola bars
• Frequency of Snacking
  • Figure 32: Frequency of snacking in a typcial day, December 2007
  • Figure 33: Frequency of snacking in a typcial day, by gender and age, December 2007
• When Snacks are Eaten
  • Figure 34: When snacks are eaten, December 2007
  • Figure 35: When snacks are eaten, by gender and age, December 2007
• Attitudes and Behavior
  • Figure 36: Attitudes and behavior towards snacking, December 2007
  • Figure 37: Attitudes and behavior towards snacking, by gender and age, December 2007
  • Figure 38: Attitudes and behavior towards snacking, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
  • Figure 39: Attitudes and behavior towards snacking, by region, December 2007
• Choosing Snacks for Kids (and Yourself)
  • Figure 40: Attributes important to choosing snack for kids and for yourself, December 2007
  • Figure 41: Attributes important to choosing snack for kids, by gender, December 2007
  • Figure 42: Attributes important to choosing snack for kids, by household income, December 2007
• The Changing School Vending Machine
  • Figure 43: Snacks sold in vending machines at school, May 2006-June 2007
• Appendix: Other Useful Consumer Tables
• Foods eaten as snacks
  • Figure 51: Foods eaten as snacks, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
  • Figure 52: Foods eaten as snacks, by number of kids in household, December 2007
  • Figure 53: Foods eaten as snacks, by region, December 2007
• What makes snacks fun
  • Figure 54: What makes snacks fun, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
  • Figure 55: What makes snacks fun, by region, December 2007
• Frequency of kids' snacking
  • Figure 56: Frequency of snacking in a typcial day, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
  • Figure 57: Frequency of snacking in a typcial day, by region, December 2007
• When snacks are eaten
  • Figure 58: When snacks are eaten, by race/ethnicity, December 2007
  • Figure 59: When snacks are eaten, by region, December 2007
• Appendix: Trade Associations