Welcome to The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods, a weekly roundup for marketers from Quad Insights that covers the latest must-know news surrounding the CPG space.
Meat sales remain steady despite changes in shopping behavior, report shows
Meat still dominates when it comes to consumers’ diets. That’s according to the Meat Institute and The Food Industry Association’s just-released The Power of Meat report, per Supermarket News’ Timothy Inklebarger. In addition to revealing that 98% of U.S. households still purchase meat and that four-fifths of Americans identify as meat-eaters, the report showed differences among generations. Gen Xers are the biggest meat eaters, responsible for 32% of all meat sales, while millennials spend the most on average per purchase (at around $17), Inklebarger reports. That said, consumers’ habits are changing, with 73% of U.S. shoppers adjusting how they shop for meat in order to save money, such as buying smaller packages or buying in bulk.
See also: Meat-alternative brand Impossible Foods just unveiled bold packaging that’s meant to appeal to meat-eaters, as we noted in last week’s edition of The Week in Consumer Packaged Goods.
Bubly adds sweetened sparkling water Bubly Burst to its lineup
Sparkling water brand Bubly just announced that it will launch a new, sweeter variety called Bubly Burst on March 25, Marketing Dive’s Peter Adams reports. The PepsiCo-owned brand aims to cater to “consumers who view current sparkling water offerings as too steep a trade-off from the sweetness of soda,” Adams writes. Containing 1% real fruit juice, Bubly Burst has zero added sugars and a maximum of 10 calories, and comes in six fruit-inspired flavors in 16.9-ounce bottles. To promote the launch, Bubly is running a multichannel campaign across social, digital, TV and out-of-home.
The takeaway: The soda-alternative market continues to grow rapidly, and this move by PepsiCo seems designed to convert consumers who have so far not succumbed to the lure of zero-calorie sparkling water brands.
Related coverage:
Miller High Life becomes official partner of “Top Chef”
Miller High Life just announced that it’s entered into an agreement to become the official partner of the hit Bravo TV series “Top Chef” for its 21st season, per Whiskey Raiders’ Cynthia Mersten. In addition to being promoted throughout the series, the Molson Coors-owned brand is sponsoring a chef challenge in which contestants “will have to prepare a high-end meal on ‘a dive-bar budget,’” Mersten notes. Miller High Life also plans to launch a line of “Top Chef”-themed apparel and a Taste the High Life Sweepstakes, in which customers can enter to win a three-day trip that includes a cooking class with a “Top Chef” contestant. The show’s 21st season premiered this week on NBCUniversal’s Bravo and on its Peacock streaming service.
The takeaway: Consumers have been conditioned to think that gourmet meals should be served with wine, but perhaps this partnership can convince “Top Chef” fans that Miller High Life pairs well with sophisticated cuisine?
HI-CHEW launches “Save a (Chocolate) Bunny” campaign
To celebrate the Easter holiday, candy brand HI-CHEW has launched a “Save a (Chocolate) Bunny, Eat HI-CHEW” campaign to encourage candy lovers to “explore an equally (if not more) delicious alternative,” per a brand statement. This refers to HI-CHEW’s newest seasonal product, the HI-CHEW Bites Easter Egg, inside of which are two bags of HI-CHEW Bites in mango, green apple and strawberry flavors. As part of the campaign launch, shoppers can sign an online pledge “to save countless chocolate bunnies this season,” which will earn them a chance to win HI-CHEW Bites Easter Eggs and limited-edition merchandise.
The takeaway: HI-CHEW has found an amusing way to gain earned media by tapping into Easter-candy hype.
Lean Cuisine partners with Regina Hall to launch first campaign in four years
Lean Cuisine launched a new campaign this week — the Nestlé-owned frozen meal brand’s first in four years — titled “You Have Good Taste,” per Little Black Book (LBB). Featuring actress and producer Regina Hall, the campaign includes 15-second spots set in the freezer section of a grocery store, where shoppers grab a Lean Cuisine package and “unexpectedly receive a cheering boost of positivity from ‘inside the freezer’” (i.e., Hall’s voice rallying them as they make their selection), according to LBB. “You Have Good Taste” is designed to emphasize positivity around weight management, VP of Marketing for Lean Cuisine Jenn Barnes told LBB. “The look and tone of our campaign is joyful — celebrating our meals as ‘flavorful not calorie-full’ and our steadfast belief that you can love what you’re eating and still achieve your goals.”
The takeaway: Enlisting Regina Hall as an in-freezer “hype woman” is a playful and unexpected way for Lean Cuisine to celebrate shoppers’ healthier nutrition choices.
Further reading
CPG trends:
- “Sustainable Shopping: What Consumers Really Want” (Inc.)
- “Gen Alpha Is Driving 49 Percent of Drugstore Skin Care Sales Growth, per NIQ” (Women’s Wear Daily)
- “Miller Lite revives ‘Tastes Great, Less Filling’—why big beer is going retro” (Ad Age)
CPG product launches and collabs:
- “Boston Beer brings Truly into tequila soda to help revive brand” (Food Dive)
- “M&M’S Releases New Easter Flavor with White and Dark Chocolate Pieces” (People)
- “Seagram’s Escapes Jamaican Me Happiness Collection” (Convenience Store News)
- “Garnier launches new line with biggest investment in over 10 years” (Marketing Dive)
- “Chips Ahoy! to debut new cookie recipe with improved chocolate chips” (CNN Business)
- “Essentia Hydroboost adds flavor to water beverages” (Drug Store News)
- “Jack Daniel’s debuts ginger ale RTD” (The Spirits Business)
- “PepsiCo creates Flamin’ Hot brand to highlight fast-growing chip flavor” (Food Dive)
CPG campaigns:
- “Coke Zero Sugar feels the pressure of March Madness” (Brand Innovators)
- “Coors Banquet celebrates 150-year legacy with historic beer cans” (American Craft Beer)
- “Coca-Cola Follows Stray Kids and Itzy Deep Into K-Pop Culture” (Adweek)
- “Tropicana’s new ads tout impact on brunch, mimosas and fridge chugging” (Marketing Dive)
CPG operations and expansions:
- “Sorry, Coke. Pepsi is in at Subway as sandwich chain switches sodas after 15 years” (USA Today)
- “Mondelēz Launches Corporate VC SnackFutures Ventures With An Eye On Future Acquisitions” (Forbes)
- “Ben & Jerry’s and Magnum will form the core of an $8 billion ice cream company” (CNN Business)
- “Coca-Cola: Making changes to 20 oz bottles as a way to be environmentally friendly” (CBS News)
CPG tech and innovations:
