Table of Contents
Executive Summary
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- The market
- Health remains an ongoing issue
- Rising incomes poses an opportunity and a threat to snacks
- Cakes, pastries and sweet goods lead on NPD
- Adspend increases in 2015, with Mars taking the lead
- The consumer
- 95% snack but this is down year on year
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- Figure 1: Snacks eaten between meals, December 2014 and December 2015
- Naturalness appeals to more than a fifth
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- Figure 2: Attributes worth paying more for when buying snacks, December 2015
- Hunger remains the key driver to snacking
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- Figure 3: Reasons why people snack, December 2015
- 80% say snacking is enjoyable
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- Figure 4: Attitudes towards snacking, December 2015
- What we think
Issues and Insights
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- Healthier formats offer brands a way to appeal to health-aware consumers
- The facts
- The implications
- Catering to young people’s on-the-go habits should be lucrative
- The facts
- The implications
- Efforts to premiumise snacks will have to go further
- The facts
- The implications
The Market – What You Need to Know
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- Health remains an ongoing issue
- Rising incomes pose an opportunity and a threat to snacks
- Cakes, pastries and sweet goods lead on NPD
- Adspend increases in 2015, with Mars taking the lead
- Snack brands are seen to be accessible
Market Drivers
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- Health remains an ongoing issue
- Obesity levels are rising…
- …putting pressure on snacks
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- Figure 5: Trends in Body Mass Index (BMI), England, 1993-2013
- An increase in focus on sugar
- Rising incomes pose an opportunity and a threat to snacks
- Workers are pressed for time
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- Figure 6: Workers' agreement with the statement “I sometimes struggle to find the time to eat as healthily as I would like to”, September 2015
- Lengthy commutes provide opportunities for on-the-go snacking
- Young people are driving snacking
- Catering to the older demographic
- One-person households are less likely to snack
Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Definition
- Cakes, pastries and sweet goods lead on NPD
- Brands dominate NPD, although Asda leads in 2015
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- Figure 7: New product launches in the UK snacks market, by brands vs own-label, 2011-15
- Nakd and Weight Watchers lead innovation in 2015
- Galaxy and Cadbury look to fillings
- Snack brands target occasions
- Seasonality is a driver
- Evenings in
- Arla looks to sports participation as a driver to driving
- Brands extend into new areas
- More brands enter cracker crisps market
- Cross-category launches
- Graze enters the retail market
- Ben & Jerry’s targets snacking occasion with ‘Wich line
- Premium claims add value to the market
- Emphasising provenance and handmade credentials
- ‘Grown-up’ flavours as a feature
- Snacks fail to cater to consumer interest in health
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- Figure 8: New product launches in the UK snacks market, by selected health claims, 2011-15
- L/N/R sugar claims rise but remain niche
- All-natural products remain rare
- Little activity in low-calorie snacks
- Thins become a feature
- Gluten-free claims leap ahead
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- Figure 9: New product launches in the UK snacks market carrying a gluten-free claim, 2011-15
- Social media claims see strong rise
- Packaging looks to aid portability and sharing
- Few on-the-go launches
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- Figure 10: New product launches in the UK snacks market carrying on-the-go claims, 2011-15
- Sharing provides an incentive to NPD
Advertising and Marketing Activity
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- Adspend increases to £261 million in 2015, with chocolate taking the lead
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- Figure 11: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on snacks, 2012-15
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- Figure 12: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on snacks, by category, 2012-15
- Mars leads by advertising spend
- PepsiCo supports Walkers and Doritos lines
- Yogurt advertisers hold an almost 19% share
- Lidl increases spend; the only retailer to feature in the top 10
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- Figure 13: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on snacks, by top 10 advertisers (sorted by 2015), 2012-15
- Mars’ Galaxy tops spend, receiving ad support for 40 weeks of 2015
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- Figure 14: Total above-the line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on snacks, by top 10 brands (sorted by 2015), 2012-15
- Nielsen Media Research coverage
Brand Research
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- Methodology
- What you need to know
- Brand map
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- Figure 15: Attitudes towards and usage of selected food brands, April, October and December 2015 and January 2016
- Key brand metrics
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- Figure 16: Key metrics for selected food brands, April, October and December 2015 and January 2016
- Brand attitudes: Snack brands have a similar profile, yogurt brands stand out
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- Figure 17: Attitudes, by food brand, April, October and December 2015 and January 2015
- Brand personality: Most snack brands are seen to be accessible and engaging
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- Figure 18: Brand personality – macro image, April, October and December 2015 and January 2015
- Yogurt brands are seen to be the most natural and healthy but also bland
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- Figure 19: Brand personality – micro image, April, October and December 2015 and January 2015
- Brand analysis
- Cadbury Dairy Milk is seen most widely as accessible
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- Figure 20: User profile of Cadbury Dairy Milk, January 2016
- Walkers has all-round strong image
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- Figure 21: User profile of Walkers, October 2015
- Galaxy has a more indulgent image than its chocolate rival
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- Figure 22: User profile of Galaxy, January 2016
- Cadbury Cakes is the most favourite brand
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- Figure 23: User profile of Cadbury Cakes, December 2015
- Activia has a strong healthy image
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- Figure 24: User profile of Activia, April 2015
- Mr Kipling seen to be traditional and family-oriented
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- Figure 25: User profile of Mr Kipling, December 2015
- Müllerlight has a healthy and widely accessible appeal
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- Figure 26: User profile of Müllerlight, April 2015
- Pringles is seen as upbeat but has a stronger association with unhealthiness than other brands
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- Figure 27: User profile of Pringles, October 2015
The Consumer – What You Need to Know
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- 95% snack but this is down year on year
- 71% snack at least once a day
- Naturalness appeals to more than a fifth
- Hunger remains the key driver to snacking
- 80% say snacking is enjoyable
Snack Usage
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- 95% snack but this is down year on year
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- Figure 28: Snacks eaten between meals, December 2014 and December 2015
- 71% snack at least once a day
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- Figure 29: Frequency of eating snacks, December 2015
- Majority snack at home
- 29% snack at work; 49% of those employed snack at work
- 13% snack on the go, especially 16-24s
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- Figure 30: Where people snack in a typical week, December 2015
Attributes worth Paying More For
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- Naturalness appeals to more than a fifth
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- Figure 31: Attributes worth paying more for when buying snacks, December 2015
- High-quality ingredients drive premiumisation
- Premium claims remain rare
- Wide availability dilutes added value of quality claims
- 16-24s show an interest in ethical credentials…
- …and portability
Reasons to Snack
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- Hunger remains the key driver to snacking
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- Figure 32: Reasons why people snack, December 2015
- Younger people are driven by needs beyond hunger
- 10% snack to replace a meal
Attitudes towards Snacking
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- 80% say snacking is enjoyable
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- Figure 33: Attitudes towards snacking, December 2015
- Health is an important consideration
- Cutting down on snacks is seen as a way to reduce calorie content
- 70% agree manufacturers should cut sugar content
- Interest in guidance on healthy snacks
- On-the-go packaging appeals to under-25s
- Customisation appeals to 35%
Appendix – Data Sources, Abbreviations and Supporting Information
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- Abbreviations
- Consumer research methodology
Appendix – Market Drivers
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- Figure 34: Trends in the age structure of the UK population, 2010-20
- Figure 35: UK households, by size, 2010-20
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Appendix – Launch Activity and Innovation
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- Figure 36: New product launches in the UK snacks* market, by top 10 sub-categories, 2011-15
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